Daniel I. DeWolf
Member / Chair, Technology Practice; Co-chair, Venture Capital & Emerging Companies Practice
+1.212.692.6223
Daniel is a leading authority on growth companies and venture capital law — and has worked on pioneering online capital-raising methods since the Internet’s beginning. He is immersed in the national and international ecosystem of emerging companies and investors focused on start-ups. He has also been a member of NYU Law School’s faculty since 2003, where he teaches venture capital law. Earlier, he co-founded and served as managing director of an early stage venture capital firm based in New York City.
Daniel is Chair of Mintz's Technology Practice Group and Co-chair of the firm’s Venture Capital & Emerging Companies Practice Group. In addition to his active legal practice, he is an adjunct professor of law at the NYU Law School. Daniel is also Editor of MintzEdge, an online resource for entrepreneurs that includes useful tools and information for starting and growing a company.
Before joining Mintz, Daniel was head of venture capital funds and a managing director of SoundView Technology Group, Inc. (formerly Wit Capital), a technology-focused investment bank. Prior to joining SoundView, he was head of the corporate and new media and e-law practice groups at one of the leading New York firms representing early stage and technology companies.
Daniel has more than 30 years of corporate transactional experience, both as a lawyer and as a businessman, and has been an advisor to many emerging and developmental stage companies. He is a board member of several technology companies and was a co-founder and Managing Director of Dawntreader Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm.
Additionally, Daniel is an author of a leading treatise on venture capital called Venture Capital: Forms and Analysis (Law Journal Press, 2007).
Education
- University of Pennsylvania Law School (JD)
- University of Pennsylvania (BA)
Recognition & Awards
- Recommended by The Legal 500 United States for Venture Capital and Emerging Companies (2015 – 2017)
Involvement
- Adjunct Professor at NYU School of Law
- Guest Lecturer, High-Growth Corporate Transactions, Cornell Law School at Cornell Tech
- Judge, Harvard Business School Business Plan Contest
- Member, Advisory Council to the Public Policy Committee of the Angel Capital Association
Recent Insights
Viewpoints
TechConnect Innovator Profile: The Zeus Network
September 11, 2018|Article
TechConnect Industry News - September 2018
September 11, 2018|Article
TechConnect Innovator Profile: Rocketbook
September 11, 2018|Article
News & Press
The Legal 500 United States has recognized Mintz as a leading firm in the 2017 edition. The annual editorial guide has also recognized Mintz attorneys as leaders in their areas of practice.
Daniel DeWolf, Co-Chair, Venture Capital and Emerging Companies, and Megan Gates, Co-chair of the Securities & Capital Markets Practice Group, authored this VC Experts Blog piece discussing how the world of raising capital has been evolving over the last several years.
Events
Julie Korostoff, Co-chair of Mintz’s IT Transactions & Outsourcing Practice, co-led a roundtable on “Negotiating Commercial Licensing Contracts” at the 2017 TechGC National Summit for start-up and venture capital GCs.
Viewpoints
TechConnect Innovator Profile: The Zeus Network
September 11, 2018| Article
Platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter have created celebrities with huge loyal followings – in some cases, millions or even tens of millions of followers – who have never appeared in a Hollywood movie or TV show. These influencers instead generate content – videos, photos, tweets, and the like – on the social media networks, and that content is shaping popular culture among younger consumers and attracting significant advertising dollars.
TechConnect Industry News - September 2018
September 11, 2018| Article
While many of the issues involved in various transactions are similar, every single transaction that we get involved in is nuanced and different in some way from other similar transactions. Pattern matching is important, but each successful enterprise is successful in a unique way. Building an enterprise requires a balancing of the economic interests of the various parties. The founders may want to control their destiny or be captains of industry, in addition to making outsized returns. Investors will be laser focused on those returns but may also be interested in promoting activities that involve sustainability or technical breakthroughs. Employees will be hoping for financial rewards but may also want to be involved in cutting-edge technologies and a flexible workplace. Finally, the board of directors needs to monitor the enterprise and provide relevant advisory insights. Getting this right is so much more than processing a form; it requires deep domain knowledge of the industry sector and a good sense of the people involved. It is similar to why the best doctors examine a patient before prescribing medication. Knowing the context of the situation truly matters and one size never fits all.
TechConnect Innovator Profile: Rocketbook
September 11, 2018| Article
Inspired by his own experience forgetting the correct notebook for an important meeting, Rocketbook co-founder Joe Lemay set out to find a modern solution for note taking in 2014. After testing out electronic pens and smart tablets, which were ultimately disappointing, Lemay teamed up with Jake Epstein to develop a new product, a reusable cloud-connected paper notebook called Rocketbook.
TechConnect Industry News - July 2018
August 11, 2018| Article
In this issue we focus on a number of basics for building growth enterprises. We lead off with a terrific podcast on the importance of assembling a strong board of directors. We follow with an article on a new securities law that permits the aggregation of up to 250 investors in a single investment vehicle so long as the entity has no more than $10 million in capital contributions. This new law will be particularly useful to online platforms that aggregate angel and seed investors to invest in start-ups. We then discuss the importance of stock options and creating a culture of ownership, another basic in creating a valuable company. We conclude this issue with two innovator profiles: [email protected], a new shared wet lab space located in New York’s SoHo neighborhood, and RainFocus, which provides a software platform for delivering insights and marketing messages at large-scale conferences and events.
TechConnect Innovator Profiles - August 2018
July 11, 2018| Article
TechConnect Innovator Profiles: BioLabs New York, RainFocus, and Killer Snails
New Beneficial Owner Threshold Eases VC Fundraising
July 11, 2018| Article
Small venture capital funds and special purpose vehicles, which otherwise qualify as “venture capital funds,” can now raise money from up to 250 beneficial owners and remain within the 3(c)(1) exemption of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Investment Company Act”).
Why Does a Company Issue Stock Options?
July 11, 2018| Article
One of the critical keys to a successful venture is aligning the interests of the employees and management with the interests of the shareholders/investors. After all, perhaps the greatest asset of a company is its people. Without a competent and motivated workforce, a venture is unlikely to succeed no matter how great an idea or business concept is involved.
TechConnect Innovator Profile: Aphelion Path
April 12, 2018|
Taking a start-up from idea to growth is the crucial step that can cause many founders to stumble and ultimately doom businesses to mediocrity. That’s why former operators at MakerBot, Zazzle, and Autonomous turned advisors to create the Aphelion Path Consulting Group.
TechConnect Industry News - April 2018
April 12, 2018| Article
This edition of TechConnect shows the depth and breadth of our coverage of Tech issues. We have included a podcast interview of Cliff Boro, a long-time friend and serial entrepreneur, who skillfully provides pointers to those seeking out capital from Angels and VCs. We also have two great articles in this issue: the first is about AI from the perspective of our patent professionals; the second is about privacy and how your company’s privacy policies can actually be a competitive advantage. Finally, we highlight Aphelion Path, a consulting shop based in Brooklyn that is helping emerging companies to accelerate growth and succeed.
Two Recent SEC No Action Letters Establish Standards for Crowdsourcing Online Platforms Limited to "Accredited Investors" to Avoid Registration as a Broker-Dealer
April 3, 2018| Alert
In two recent no action letters, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) granted no action relief for two venture capital online funding platforms, the FundersClub, Inc. (“FundersClub”) and AngelList, LLC (“AngelList”), allowing them to avoid registering as broker-dealers under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) even though their affiliates will receive some compensation in the form of a carried interest.
News & Press
The Legal 500 United States has recognized Mintz as a leading firm in the 2017 edition. The annual editorial guide has also recognized Mintz attorneys as leaders in their areas of practice.
Various Ways to Raise Capital
September 13, 2016 | VC Experts Blog
Daniel DeWolf, Co-Chair, Venture Capital and Emerging Companies, and Megan Gates, Co-chair of the Securities & Capital Markets Practice Group, authored this VC Experts Blog piece discussing how the world of raising capital has been evolving over the last several years.
Mintz was recently named the exclusive legal sponsor of AREA, a real estate technology venture accelerator program based in New York City. As a sponsor, the firm will offer in-kind legal services to real estate technology startup companies participating in the intensive three-month program.
Yes, E-signatures Are Enforceable
July 12, 2016 | VC Experts Blog
Daniel DeWolf, Co-chair of Mintz’s Venture Capital & Emerging Companies and Technology Practices, and Associates Sam Effron and Rachel Gholston, authored this VC Experts Blog piece providing a clear overview of the best practices businesses can implement when using electronic signatures.
Events
Speaker
Speaker
Mar
15
2018
Legal Clinic
NYC MediaLabs
Co-chair
Oct
27
2017
2017 TechGC National Summit
New York, NY
Speaker
Mar
17
2017
Moderator
Nov
3
2016