VETERANS TO VENTURES: BRIDGING SERVICE AND STARTUPS
The Holland & Knight Veterans Group was founded on the fundamental premise that the men and women who have served our country and defended our freedoms deserve our talent and resources to improve their quality of life. The Veterans Group’s goal is to support veterans, active-duty military members, reservists and the families of each through pro bono and community service activities in our local communities and on a national basis. In addition, the Veterans Group collaborates, where appropriate, with other organizations that support veteran and military communities. In 2020, the Veterans Group was named “Veterans Program of the Year” by the Chambers Diversity & Inclusion Awards: North America. In 2022, Holland & Knight was commended as an “Outstanding Firm” in the Veterans Advancement category by the Chambers Diversity & Inclusion Awards: North America.
COLLABORATION WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
Holland & Knight Veterans Group is at the forefront of military and veteran initiatives nationwide and collaborates with other organizations that share its core values.
ABA Military Pro Bono Project
Holland & Knight is the only firm to receive the American Bar Association (ABA) Military Pro Bono Project Outstanding Services Award each year since its inception in 2012. The ABA Military Pro Bono Project accepts case referrals from military attorneys on behalf of junior-enlisted, active-duty military personnel facing civil legal issues.
ABA LEADERSHIP
VETERAN JOBS MISSION
Holland & Knight is the first and one of only two law firm members of Veteran Jobs Mission, a private sector-led coalition committed to hiring U.S. military veterans and military spouses. The coalition now comprises more than 250 companies that represent almost every industry in the American economy.
MISSION UNITED
Holland & Knight attorneys and staff actively support MISSION UNITED's expansion across the country. The organization, co-founded in 2013 by a retired Holland & Knight Partner with the United Way of Broward County, helps military service members, veterans, and their families transition to civilian life. Since its inception, MISSION UNITED has assisted over 12,000 veterans and their families.
A Washington, D.C.-based partner was appointed in 2022 to serve a three-year term on the American Bar Association's (ABA) Standing Committee on Legal Assistance for Military Personnel (LAMP Committee). A Boston-based partner served on the ABA's LAMP Committee from 2019 to 2022 and is currently a special advisor to the committee. A Chicago-based partner served on the ABA's LAMP Committee from 2016 to 2019. LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION
(LSC) VETERANS TASK FORCE
The Veterans Task Force is an initiative designed to help former military service members overcome legal challenges as they transition to civilian life. Current and retired Holland & Knight attorneys serve on the implementation team, which works to put into action recommendations from a published report.
Holland & Knight is dedicated to providing pro bono legal assistance to military and veteran clients. Since 2016, Holland & Knight has performed over 42,000 hours of military and veteran pro bono valued at more than $28 million.
EXPERIENCE YOU CAN TRUST
Holland & Knight is globally renowned for advising public and private companies on a wide range of strategic transactions, consistently ranking among the most active law firms for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in prestigious league tables by Bloomberg, LSEG, Mergermarket and PitchBook. Recognized by Chambers USA, The Legal 500 and Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” guide, Holland & Knight is a leading law firm for M&A, private equity and venture capital transactions.
The Firm’s Venture Capital Team represents a broad range of institutional venture capital (VC) investors and corporate venture capital (CVC) groups with assets under management worth tens of billions of dollars. The team advises on all aspects of operations, fund formation, structuring, investment maintenance, tax planning and liquidity issues. Senior attorneys lead each VC representation, structuring deals to reflect clients’ long-term strategies and protect investors’ returns across multiple financing rounds.
Holland & Knight also advises entrepreneurs throughout their companies’ full life cycles, including structuring formations, facilitating capital raises, supporting launches, negotiating mergers and acquisitions, arranging initial public offerings (IPOs) and crafting alternative exit strategies. Additionally, the Firm offers tailored advice beyond traditional corporate structures and venture capital routes, helping companies grow and achieve their business objectives.
STRATEGIC GUIDANCE
Senior VC lawyers lead every deal, drawing on their individual years of experience and the related capabilities of our approximately 2,200 attorneys and other professionals so that each aspect of a transaction is carefully considered. To us, a prospective investment is not a generic entity, but a unique and distinctive company within its industry.
By integrating our depth of corporate, regulatory, intellectual property, executive compensation and benefits, finance, tax and risk management experience, our attorneys identify and manage the full range of legal and business issues to bring a realistic, efficient and comprehensive approach to each investment we handle for our clients.
EXPERIENCE ACROSS SECTORS
Our experience with veteran venture capital firms includes:
• Represented Outlander VC, a venture capital firm, as a participant investor in connection with a $12.23 million seed financing round for HavocAI Inc., a leading innovator in autonomous uncrewed surface vessel technology, alongside Scout Ventures and Trousdale Ventures, both of which co-led the financing
• Represented a veteran-run venture capital firm in connection with a series financing round for a sales intelligence platform helping businesses unlock their full potential
• Represented a veteran-run venture capital firm in connection with a simple agreement for future equity (SAFE) financing for an aerospace startup that is designing, building and programming an autonomous passenger drone
• Represented a veteran-run venture capital firm in connection with a SAFE financing for a platform that provides space in virtual reality to build and share 3D mental models to enhance productivity, understanding and awareness
CONTACT US
Daniel T. Sylvester Partner | Chicago
+1.312.715.5880
daniel.sylvester@hklaw.com
Tim Poydenis Partner | Century City
+1.310.201.8914
tim.poydenis@hklaw.com
