“Time is the friend of the wonderful business, the enemy of the mediocre.” — Warren Buffett,
Jeffrey R. Jaffe, esq.
of counsel
PHONE: 212-997-4500
Bio: Jeffrey R. Jaffe is a corporate attorney specializing in the structure, formation, capitalization and transactional representation of privately held entities. Often serving as outside general counsel, Jeff handles most aspects of his clients’ corporate affairs, including initial company structure and organization, various forms of debt and equity financing, general company transactions and agreements, intellectual property issues, licensing, employment matters, stock option and other employee incentive plans, joint ventures and capital events from mergers to the purchase and sale of stock and assets. Jeff also represents issuers and investors in private equity and venture capital transactions, from early stage seed capital/angel investments via SAFEs or convertible bridge loans through Series A and B venture rounds. He is experienced in the structure, formation and capitalization of private equity investment funds, venture capital funds, real estate investment funds and film funds, including due diligence and subsequent investments into the fund’s portfolio companies.
Jeff has broad experience representing entrepreneurs, start-ups and established technology ventures across a wide variety of sectors (device technology, mobile technology, Internet, software, hardware, digital platforms and new media, music, entertainment and retail and consumer applications) through all stages of the company’s growth. His clients also include venture capital investors in start-up transactions, including change in control transactions and outright acquisitions of portfolio companies. Jeff gained a unique perspective into the new business landscape as legal counsel to a leading innovation accelerator founded by Kurt Salmon, The Parsons School of Design and Harvard iLabs for emerging retail and consumer goods companies. Jeff helped devise the accelerator’s organizational and capital structure, handled initial equity capitalization, contributions and sponsorships and represented the accelerator’s fund arm in the investment transactions with all 10 companies in the accelerator’s inaugural cohort class. Jeff also served as a legal mentor during the 10-week accelerator program, counseling founders and their teams on a wide range of legal issues confronting emerging businesses.
Jeff is well versed in the corporate aspects of the entertainment and media industries, particularly the financing and production of motion pictures and television projects from development through distribution. He has worked in the areas of film, television, publishing and theater on behalf of production companies, producers, financiers, intellectual property owners, writers, directors, publishers and public relations companies. In this space he has handled corporate structure, financing (private placements, bridge loan/convertible debt and “soft money” financing through various state, federal and international tax incentives) and the representation of film funds. Jeff also represents clients in the fashion and apparel industries and is familiar with licensing, factoring agreements and other asset-based lending transactions.