Erica Kucharski is an associate in the Chicago office of Latham & Watkins and a member of the firm’s Emerging Companies & Growth Practice. 

She represents startups, emerging growth companies, and venture capital investors involved in technology, life sciences, consumer product, and other growth industries.

Erica advises clients on a full range of transactions and general corporate matters, including:

  • Venture capital raising, from seed stage through late-growth equity
  • Corporate governance matters
  • Day-to-day corporate advice
  • Early-stage formation and strategy
  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reporting and compliance

While attending law school, Erica was a member of the Donald Pritzker Entrepreneurship Law Center and assisted startup companies with various corporate matters. She also worked as a law clerk at a Chicago-based law firm and was a member of the Northwestern Journal of Law and Social Policy

Representative transactions include:

Startup and Emerging Growth Company Financings

  • Celestial AI on multiple venture capital financings
  • Kandji on its US$100 million Series D financing
  • Vuori on its US$825 million third-party tender offer
  • GT Medical Technologies on multiple venture capital financings
  • Vermillio on multiple venture capital financings

Venture Capital Investments

  • Goldman Sachs on various lead and follow-on investments for its portfolio companies
  • DNS Capital on various lead and follow-on investments for its portfolio companies
  • Drive Capital on various lead and follow-on investments for its portfolio companies 

Mergers, Acquisitions, and Capital Markets Transactions

  • Tegus on its acquisition of Canalyst
  • Blaize on its business combination with BurTech Acquisition Corp.
  • Bolt on its business combination with Golden Arrow Merger Corp.

Bar Qualification

  • Illinois

Education

  • JD, Northwestern University School of Law, 2020
    cum laude
  • BA in English-Writing, Illinois Wesleyan University, 2015
    magna cum laude