Alex Brown is a member of Dickinson Wright in Columbus, Ohio. He practices business transactional law, with an emphasis on advising privately-held and venture-capital backed companies in capital raising, mergers & acquisitions, and transactions involving technology, software, electronic commerce and intellectual property. He serves as outside counsel to a number of companies, from startup SAAS businesses to national healthcare technology companies. Other areas of his practice include venture capital fund formation and investments, intellectual property asset protection, privacy and data security, emerging business and complex transactions. He counsels clients in business entity selection and formation, protection and commercialization of technology assets, private securities offerings, utilizing distributed ledger/blockchain technology, and data security issues.
Alex has represented an international privately-held entity in bolt-on acquisitions and negotiating and drafting enterprise-wide SAAS agreements and a growth stage technology company in raising venture capital and licensing its proprietary software as SAAS solutions to its national and international customers. He also has closed several M&A transactions, on both the buyer and seller sides. Alex also represents several venture capital funds in their investments into scalable technology companies.
Education & Credentials
Education
University of Virginia
J.D., 1999University of California, Berkeley
B.A., 1996- Graduated with distinction in general scholarship and honors in major
Bar Admission
Acknowledgements
- Columbus CEO Magazine
- Top Lawyer, Real Estate Law, 2024
- Best Lawyers in America®
- Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Venture Capital Law - 2023-2025
- "Lawyer of the Year," Business Organizations, 2020
- The Legal 500 United States
- Cannabis, 2021, 2023
- Mergers & Acquisitions - Corporate and Commercial, 2023
- Ohio Super Lawyers®
- "Rising Star," Technology Transactions, 2009, 2013-2014
- Columbus Business First
- Top 20 People to Know in Technology, 2014
- Business First
- Forty Under 40, 2011
Prominent Assignments
Served as M&A counsel for an aggressively expanding, privately held company that acquired 5-7 companies each year for several years. Also counseled several privately held and venture-capital backed clients in exit events to private and publicly held buyers.
Capital for technology startups
Was lead outside counsel for an ecommerce solution startup that raised over $30 million in a Series A and for a health care technology startup that raised over $40 million in a Series B.
SAAS agreements for an international software company
Served as outside counsel to rapid growing software company and assisted with developing its standard SAAS, customization, professional services and data hosting agreements, and in negotiating the same with its customers.
Complex transaction negotiating
Negotiated and drafted contacts for the acquisition or supply of various products and services, such as integrated healthcare hardware and software solutions, SAAS offerings, financial services and patented extraction machines.
Sale of a manufacturing company via management buyout
Lead M&A counsel for a company in the manufacturing industry in its sale to its management team for cash and complex earn-outs.
Recapitalization of software company
Served as lead counsel to a successful software solution company in its recapitalization from venture capital to private equity ownership.
Professional Involvement
- American Bar Association
- Columbus Bar Association
Community Involvement
- LP, Ohio TechAngel Funds and Rev1 Fund
- Board Secretary, i.c. stars Columbus
- Startup Weekend Columbus Mentor, 2016
- Founding Sponsor, Central Ohio BizTech Inno Fire Awards, 2016-present
- Judge, VentureNEXT and TechColumbus Innovation Awards, 2005-2014; Head judge, 2010, 2011; Student Innovation Awards, 2012-2014
- Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of Directors, YouSIP, Inc. (Youth Services Information Portal), 2010-2013
- Leadership Columbus, Class of 2010
- Director and Secretary, Columbus Dance Theatre, Inc., 2001-2005
- Member, United Way Young Leadership Group
- Member, International Technology Law Association
- Interviewer, University of California at Berkeley Alumni Scholarship Program
Publications/Presentations
-
Speaker, "What Are Best Practices for Co-Founders?," Dickinson Wright, Minutes on the Matter, November 2021
- "Blockchain Legal Issues," presentation delivered at Association of Corporate Counsel seminar, April 2019
- "IP Legal Issues in the Cannabis Industry" presentation delivered at Ohio Cannabis Law Summit, July 7, 2016
- "Cyber Security Legal Update" presentation delivered at Large and Midsize CIO Forum, May 6, 2015
- "2014 State of The Industry," Technology Edition, Published by Clark Schaefer Hackett, 2014
- "Legal Issues of Technology Startups," bi-monthly presentations at TechColumbus TechStart Essentials seminars, 2011-2013
- "Tech Startup Legal Issues," presentation delivered at 1492 Business Accelerator Program, November 30, 2011