Veteran venture capital lawyer Carmelo Gordian, a longtime Austin-based specialist in emerging companies, has signed on as a partner with Holland & Knight, leaving A&O Shearman after a nearly eight-year run.
In a statement issued Tuesday, senior partners at the Miami-headquartered law firm, hailed Gordian’s longstanding commitment to the start-up sector.
“Carmelo is an experienced and well-respected venture capital partner and will be a vital asset as we grow our presence in the Texas ECVC industry,” said Jeremiah Mayfield, practice group leader for the Texas region of Holland & Knight’s corporate, M&A and securities group.
“In addition, his practice will offer opportunities for synergy across our intellectual property, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and life sciences groups. He also continues our momentum in Austin after bringing on M&A partner Ronnie Skloss earlier this year. We’re excited to have him on the team.”
A Harvard University (1980) and Harvard Law School (1983) grad, Gordian has spent more than 40 years advising venture capital investments, capital markets and M&A, particularly for emerging growth companies.
“I look forward to expanding Holland & Knight’s capabilities in the venture capital space in Texas, nationally and internationally,” Gordian said. “I’m impressed by the Firm’s M&A and capital market offerings and its comprehensive approach to helping emerging companies.
Although many of his transactions are deemed confidential, his most recent publicly reported deal involved October sale of Texas-based Verosint, Inc., a provider of AI-driven risk identification software to Imprivata, a Massachusetts-headquartered cybersecurity company.
Gordian had joined Shearman & Sterling in 2018 after 15 years at Andrews Kurth Kenyon, leaving just months before the firm merged with Hunton & Williams. Before that, he spent more than eight years at San Francisco-based Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison, which dissolved in the wake of the dot-com bubble.
Gordian’s advises emerging companies and their investors in the venture capital (ECVC) sector, including general partners and limited partners of hedge funds, private equity funds and, of course, venture capital funds. Gordian also advises companies and boards of directors on corporate governance issues and serves as counsel to special committees formed by boards of directors.
That representation cuts across a wide variety of sectors — from cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, life sciences and telecommunications to software and the energy space. He’s served on the board of Group 42 Inc., a San Antonio oilfield services company and International Accelerator, an Austin-based for-profit aimed at developing foreign-born entrepreneurs and their start-ups.
“Carmelo’s insights will be extremely valuable to the distinct needs of our ECVC clients, who are looking for creative solutions to the challenges they face as they navigate their businesses’ life cycles,” said Tim Poydenis, co-head of Holland & Knight’s emerging companies and venture capital practice.