New Member Spotlight — Dallas Innovation Law
What are your areas of expertise?
Dallas: I represent emerging growth companies in all phases of their life cycle, with a focus on companies geared to creating and making sports, sports tech, and consumer active lifestyle products. I help founders form the company and assist in financing and equity raises to fuel growth. I advise clients regarding a variety of exit opportunities such as joint ventures, licensing, distribution arrangements and sale of the company.
How would your services benefit SFIA members?
Dallas: Many SFIA members seek to add innovative products to their product line up and find that investing or acquiring early stage/emerging growth companies is an effective way to do that. Having spent many years working with these innovative companies, my experience is valuable in helping SFIA and its members initiate programs and complete transactions to match young innovative companies with established businesses to develop new business alliances and profitable ventures.
What inspired you to create Dallas Innovation Law?
Dallas: My philosophy and approach with clients is to be viewed as an important member of the company’s team. My clients benefit from my judgement and business experience in addition to my legal expertise. I want my clients to know that I approach their legal issues with a sensitivity to practical business solutions. I have been lucky over my many years as a transactional attorney to continue to work with clients who I helped form years ago. Many of those clients have developed emerging growth companies into successful businesses–businesses that I continue to represent as outside legal counsel. It’s fun for me to watch innovative companies grow and prosper! This is why I started Dallas Innovation Law–as a corporate partner for the last 30 years in large regional firms, it was more about billable hours and client collections, and less about the client’s goals. As founder of my own law firm, I can focus on the client. I can work with early stage and emerging growth companies that have growth potential with innovative and exciting products without having to justify lower billing rates and special billing arrangements to other partners. I decide who I want to work with, and on what terms. I get to work with clients I truly enjoy, and I am excited to help clients achieve their dreams of building their companies.
Do you have any other areas of expertise that you would like to focus on more?
Dallas: I also really enjoy M&A work. I have over 30 years’ experience selling companies of all sizes across many different industries. I am frequently asked to handle small and middle-market sell-side acquisitions, as my experience in doing these deals cost effectively, and my reputation in managing and closing complex and challenging transactions efficiently, have made me a popular alternative to hiring big firms to get these deals done.
Where do I see Dallas Innovation Law in next 5 years:
Dallas: With the technology available to us today, it’s easy to represent clients wherever they are located. I think clients prefer boutique law firms that understand their business and can get the job done professionally and in a cost-effective manner. Clients also want to work with attorneys who care about them and their business. At Dallas Innovation Law, it’s about doing the job with excellence and professionalism, and keeping the client’s best interests as the central focus. It’s trite, but it’s true: if you enjoy your work, it does not seem like work. I love what I do, and I see myself doing this for many years to come.
