Matthew assists early-stage, emerging, and established companies, as well as investors, with a variety of corporate and transactional issues.
He provides legal counsel and business advice on matters including entity formation and governance, fund formation and management, equity and debt financing, mergers and acquisitions, contracts, and more. He routinely helps clients navigate the complexities of creating and running investment funds, including setting up the initial structure through capital deployment. Matthew also assists clients with meeting regulatory compliance requirements, obtaining intellectual property protection, applying for business licensing, and completing real estate purchase and lease transactions.
Matthew has particular expertise in emerging industries such as the cannabis and cryptocurrency space and leverages his experience to help clients navigate the unique and complex regulatory frameworks governing these fast-changing industries.
Matthew’s recent representative experience includes the following:
- Assisted in a venture financing transaction using a convertible promissory note subscription packet, including a purchase agreement, promissory note, schedule of investments, investor suitability questionnaire, and risk factors for investors to successfully raise $4M+ in capital financing.
- Represented client in California in a construction and operations venture financing, including negotiation of original term sheet, loan agreement, and promissory note. Also assisted in developing branding agreements, purchase agreements, inventory management agreements, equipment agreements, and distribution agreements.
- Served as the lead West Virginia attorney to assist in the development of a successful response to a competitive Request for Proposal from the Office of Medical Cannabis for a cultivation and product manufacturer facility, as well as six dispensing facilities. Traveled to West Virginia to scout and lockdown locations in proper zoning districts, meet with local and state officials, and submit required documentation.
- Counseled multiple clients to navigate the complexities of obtaining intellectual property rights for cannabis and CBD trademarks from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Developed and responded to cease and desist letters for registered trademarks.
- Drafted legal opinion letters related to cannabis and CBD industry operations.
Before joining Michael Best, Matthew was an associate with a Denver-based national full-service law firm specializing in the cannabis-industry. While there, Matthew regularly worked with local government leaders to obtain regulatory approvals and permits for clients‘ business operations. He also collaborated with clients‘ teams on business plans, pitch decks, and other materials to assist with fundraising efforts. He also assisted clients with a variety of typical start-up business transactions, including convertible note and Series A financings. He served as a law clerk while completing his J.D. and M.B.A.
Earlier, Matthew served as a Fellow with Silicon Flatirons, a Colorado nonprofit, where he worked with the Denver Mayor’s Office to assist cannabis businesses with key regulatory compliance issues.