Geoffrey M. Ossias is a member of the Firm's Corporate Services Group and co-chairs the Firm’s Emerging Growth Companies practice. He has more than a decade of experience working with early stage companies in the Internet, IT, life sciences, biotechnology, cosmetics, renewable energy, real estate and financial services sectors. Mr. Ossias has represented issuers and institutional investors in connection with numerous private placements and registered offerings raising well in excess of $1 billion. He routinely assists his clients in negotiating and documenting a wide variety of strategic transactions, including debt and equity financings, M&A transactions, executive employment contracts and equity incentive plans, development, sales and marketing agreements, JVs, manufacturing, distribution, license and supply arrangements, restructurings and the resolution of complex corporate governance matters.

Prior to joining Quarles, Mr. Ossias was counsel with two premier Silicon Valley emerging growth firms, Cooley, LLP and Virtual Law Partners, LLP. And prior to beginning his private practice, Mr. Ossias was Senior Counsel with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporation Finance in Washington, D.C., where he had a special focus on REIT and mortgage REIT offerings. Mr. Ossias assisted the Office of Chief Counsel on the development of policies related to PIPEs and equity line transactions and worked closely with the Division of Enforcement on matters involving hedge funds. He was twice selected for the Commission’s shareholder proposal task force.

Mr. Ossias also brings significant practical business experience as the senior executive responsible for corporate development and investor relations for MyPoints.com, a publicly traded (Nasdaq: MYPT) Internet marketing firm acquired by an affiliate of United Airlines in 2001. Mr. Ossias co-managed the company’s initial and follow-on offerings raising more than $200 million. Mr. Ossias sits on the Board of Directors of the Arizona Technology Investor Forum, the leading angel investor group serving startups in the Phoenix area.

A representative selection of Mr. Ossias’ transactional experience* includes:

• Represented Limos.com in connection with a $10 million investment by Austin Ventures.
  
  
• Represented a Bay Area Internet company in connection with its $3.5 million credit line provided by a leading venture bank.
  
  
• Represented a Bay Area SaaS company in connection with its convertible note offering led by 500 Startups.
  
  
• Represented DuPont Fabros Technology, a major developer of wholesale data centers, in connection with its $740 million IPO.
  
  
• Represented the major investor in a U.S. biotech in connection with its $30 million flotation on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM.
  
  
• Represented a leading cancer drug developer in connection with its $335 million cash sale to a major pharmaceutical firm.
  
  
• Represented a West Virginia-based manufacturer of zirconium products in connection with its $70 million cash sale to a major private equity firm.
  
  
• Represented CareGuide, a Florida-based medical services provider, in connection with its Rule 13e-3 going-private transaction.
  
  
• Represented Sucampo Pharmaceuticals in connection with its holding company restructuring.
  
  
• Represented an affiliate of a publicly-traded business development company in connection with its $75 million Rule 144A offering.
  
  
• Represented Essex Woodlands Health Ventures in connection with its lead participation in a $40 million Series B investment in Millennium Pharmacy Systems.
  
  
• Represented Metastatix in connection with its $35 million Series B round led by Frazier Healthcare Ventures.
  
  
• Represented Menlo Ventures in connection with its lead participation in the $28 million Series B issuance by nComputing.
  
  
• Represented a Ventura, California-based life sciences company in connection with its $12 million Series B round led by a prominent New Jersey VC fund.

* Some transactions handled prior to joining Quarles & Brady.