Michael Podolny represents technology and life sciences companies from startup through exit as their outside corporate counsel.

Mr. Podolny represents technology companies — ranging from startups to mature private and public companies — as well as venture capital and private equity firms that finance such companies, in a variety of corporate and securities transactions. He leads transactions on behalf of companies, investors, and entrepreneurs worth billions of dollars annually. His transactional work includes:

  • Public and private financing transactions
  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • Tender offers, liquidity programs, and secondary stock transactions
  • SPACs
  • Corporate governance matters 
  • Formations and restructurings 
  • Crowdfunding transactions
  • Employment matters
  • Equity incentives
  • Securities law compliance
  • License agreements

Mr. Podolny also advises companies on day-to-day corporate and securities law matters and, in such capacity, he regularly connects clients to the full breadth of Latham’s global platform.

With a robust cross-border practice, Mr. Podolny regularly advises clients based in Israel, Australia, India, and East Asia.

Recent Issuer-Side Representation:

  • Canva
  • Discord
  • Grammarly
  • Joby Aero
  • Komodo Health
  • Pionyr Immunotherapeutics
  • Riskified
  • Sirona Medical
  • Trax Retail
  • Zap Surgical Systems

Recent M&A/SPAC Transactions

Mr. Podolny advises startups as well as a number of later-stage technology companies in buy-side and sell-side acquisitions, including “acqui-hires.”

His representative experience includes advising:

  • Apex Technology Acquisition Corporation in its business combination with AvePoint
  • ChaSerg Technology Acquisition Corp in its business combination with Grid Dynamics to become a publicly traded company
  • DataFleets in its sale to LiveRamp, a leading data connectivity platform
  • Joby Aviation in its combination with Reinvent Technology Partners to become a publicly traded company
  • Pionyr Immunotherapeutics in its sale of a 49.9% equity interest stake to Gilead Sciences
  • Super Free Games in its sale to Stillfront Group AB

Bar Qualification

  • California

Education

  • JD, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
  • BBA, Schulich School of Business, York University

Languages Spoken

  • English