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Dan Cooper is a shareholder in Reinhart’s Corporate Law Practice, where he has created a unique practice centered on representing high-performing innovative thinkers and their pioneering companies. He applies an innovator-centric approach to handling startup legal infrastructure design; governance agreements; fundraising strategy and documentation at all stages, including seed, series A, growth and beyond; commercial contracts; intellectual property protection; equity incentive planning; conflict management and resolution; and exit strategy, structure and execution. Dan works with local, regional, national and international clients as a strategic adviser, providing business-focused legal advice designed to help fully realize their ultimate ambitions.

Dan serves innovators across a wide spectrum of technologies and business segments, including SaaS technology, medical device, software development, artificial intelligence (AI), tech-enabled services, automated marketing technology and innovative manufacturing, among others. His practice is founded on creating personal trust-based relationships with bold innovative thinkers. Whether connecting virtually or live, Dan is committed to developing a deep understanding of innovators’ business needs and relentlessly pursuing solutions to help them succeed. Finding personal fulfillment in supporting innovators and helping to enable their innovative success, Dan’s clients appreciate his personable yet professional disposition while tailoring value-enhancing legal solutions at the intersection of business and law and at the speed of innovation.

Away from the office, Dan enjoys spending time with his wife Karen and three children, Daniel, Titus and Eden, and reading about economics, business and innovation.

  • Geographically Diverse Medical Device Development Company Formed by a Worldwide Group of Innovators Based in Sweden, Italy, Norway and Colorado
    • $19M Series A Investment Capital Round
    • $5M Convertible Note Round
    • $3M Angel Convertible Note Round
    • Startup Structure and Governance Design
    • Key Commercial Contracts
    • Strategic Service Provider Equity Planning
    • Board Protocol Management
    • Data Privacy Compliance
    • Conflict Resolution
  • International Innovator Group and its Silicon Valley-Based Wearable Tech Company
    • $25M Series A Financing Term Sheet and Funding Process
  • Software Development Company Formed and Led by Innovators Based in Chicago and Lithuania
    • $300M Exit Transaction to Strategic Buyer
    • $12M Ancillary Technology Business Spin-Off Sale
    • Commercial Contract and Intellectual Property Protection Initiative
    • Tax Efficient Management Incentive Equity Program
    • Post-Transaction Innovator-Centric Estate Planning
  • SaaS Platform Company Based in Milwaukee
    • $100M Exit Transaction to Financial Buyer
    • $8M Series C Growth Capital Round
    • Strategic Revenue Building Add-On Acquisition
    • Intellectual Property Protection and Trademark Initiative
  • Tech-Enabled Food Company Based in Madison and San Antonio
    • Company Debt, Equity and Governance Structuring
    • Labor and Employment Support
    • Phantom Equity Plan Design
  • SaaS Platform Company Based in Milwaukee
    • Early-Stage International Migration to the United States
    • $5M Seed Preferred Capital Round
    • Employee and Contractor Onboarding
    • Data Privacy Compliance
  • Video Game Software Development Company Based in Chicago and New Orleans
    • $50M Exit Transaction to Collaborative Strategic Exit Partner
  • Video Game Software Development Company Based in Ohio with Key Contractors in Spain and Other Diverse Worldwide Locations
    • $32M Exit Transaction to Collaborative Strategic Exit Partner
  • Automated Marketing Technology Company Based in Chicago
    • Tax-Optimization Restructuring
    • Complex Labor Litigation Management and Resolution
    • Office Space Leasing and Sub-Leasing Support
    • $40M Exit Transaction to Financial Acquisition Partner
    • Data Privacy Compliance
  • Geographically Diverse Startup with Innovators in California, Illinois, Florida and Ohio
    • Diverse Strategic Commercial Contract Matters
    • Regulatory Compliance Initiative
    • Trademark Portfolio Development Plan
    • Special Finance Counsel for Participation in Financial Incentive Programs
  • Geographically Diverse Startup with Innovators in Silicon Valley, Vancouver, Chicago and Milwaukee
    • Startup Legal Infrastructure
    • Founder Governance Contracts
    • Early-Stage Strategic Regulatory counsel
  • Tech-Enabled Medical Services Company Based in Memphis
    • Startup Legal Infrastructure
    • Founder Equity and Governance Design
  • Innovative Pharmaceutical Industry Company Based in San Francisco
    • 409A Tax Compliance Initiative
  • Innovative Company Based in San Francisco and Bangalore
    • Complex Convertible Note-to-Equity Conversion
  • Clean Energy Software and Consulting Services Company Based in New York and Connecticut
    • Strategic Vendor/Partner Contract and Licensing Support
  • Technology-Enabled Services Company Based in Milwaukee
    • $1M Seed Investment Round by a Strategic Investor Partner
  • SaaS Technology Company Based in Milwaukee
    • Convertible Safe Round Offering
  • Wearable Technology Company Based in Silicon Valley
    • Company Formation
    • Legal Infrastructure Design
    • $2M Convertible Safe Financing Round
    • Office Leasing
    • Trademark Strategy and Application
    • Key Related Party Contracts

Dan applies strategic legal counselling through the lens of his core value-adding principles for innovative companies:

  • Maximize future strategic flexibility and speed to capitalize on opportunities through intelligent legal design; minimize overcomplexity/legal legacy cost and future constraints (lost opportunity) based on legal structure
  • Use customer, vendor, employee and contractor terms to protect company intellectual property and avoid long-term value erosion
  • Plan to avoid tax traps (particularly in incentive equity and financing terms) that result in hidden costs and reduce future flexibility
  • Use legal quality to demonstrate competency to, and inspire and justify confidence from, company investors and other stakeholders through proactive design for intelligent process control for legal compliance generally
  • Design securities compliance strategy, commercial contract terms, service provider arrangements and clean capitalization table management, to contain and minimize future conflict exposure and cost

Dan is passionate about fostering connections, thinking creatively and aligning with his clients’ innovative spirit. He is the founder of Reinhart Genesis, an initiative aimed at understanding and supporting world class innovators. Dan is deeply invested in his work and spent years visiting Tech Hubs across the United States to network with innovators in a cross-section of technologies and business sectors, to promote connections and to gain insight into innovator-specific needs.

Education

  • J.D., University of Michigan Law School
  • LL.M. in Taxation, New York University School of Law
  • B.A., with honors, Michigan State University

Bar Admissions

Wisconsin

Honors & Affiliations

Honors

  • Best Lawyers in America® – Best Lawyers (Tax Law)

Affiliations

  • Milwaukee Bar Association

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