Paul Sweeney, a partner and Deputy Chair of the firm’s Business Department, focuses on venture capital financings, mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances and related business transactions.
Paul's clients range from start-up and venture-backed portfolio companies to well-established public companies, and operate in a wide array of industries, including networking, computer security, information technology, enterprise software, and life sciences. His private and public clients include Arisaph Pharmaceuticals, Aware, Centive, Elbrys Networks, Evident Software, Hittite Microwave Corporation, Insight Direct, Meetinghouse Data Communications, MicroCHIPS, SCVNGR and Vanu.
Paul provides practical legal advice to entrepreneurs and their businesses regarding corporate formation issues, contract negotiations, equity distribution and compensation matters. He advises emerging growth companies in the areas of venture capital and debt financings, mergers and acquisitions (both buy and sell side), reorganizations, strategic investments, joint ventures and other partnering transactions. He assists later stage and public companies with respect to SEC and securities law compliance, corporate governance, disclosure issues and general corporate matters.
Paul also represents venture capital investors, such as Polaris Venture Partners and Highland Capital Partners, in connection with their portfolio investments in early and later stage growth companies.
Paul has helped his clients raise hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital and convertible debt. He has also advised his clients through dozens of acquisitions and public offerings, including:
- Acquisition of Interactive Supercomputing by Microsoft
- $48 million acquisition of Meetinghouse Data Communications by Cisco Systems
- $791 million acquisition of Color Kinetics Incorporated by Philips Electronics
- $517 million acquisition of J. Jill Group by Talbots
- Acquisition by Hittite Microwave Corporation of Q-Dot
- Acquisition of Aberdeen Group by Harte-Hanks
- $52 million acquisition by Geac Computer Corporation of Comshare
- $536 million acquisition of PRI Automation by Brooks Automation
- Lead counsel on initial public offerings and secondary offerings by Hittite Microwave Corporation, Color Kinetics and NetGenesis Corp