The LathamTECH Podcast — Before the Bell: Building Brand Through the IPO

The IPO has evolved beyond a financial transaction aimed at institutional investors. Over the last decade — and especially in the last few years — companies have been treating the IPO process as a branding moment: a debut on a bigger stage that reaches customers, retail investors, and the broader public. From integrating marketing, product, and design teams into the core deal team, crafting prospectuses that act as brand extensions, to leveraging directed share programs, going public calls for strategic creativity alongside regulatory precision. But publicity restrictions, compliance obligations, and the complexity of coordinating across multiple workstreams introduce complexities that companies must navigate carefully.

In this episode of The LathamTECH Podcast, Rick Kline, Chair of Latham’s Technology Industry Group and Bay Area Corporate Department, and Byron Rooney, Global Vice Chair of Latham’s Capital Markets Practice, discuss how companies can strategically use the IPO process to build and communicate their brand, with practical insights on strategies, regulatory considerations, and real-world examples that define today’s IPO landscape.