Michael Best, Los Angeles-Based Venture Law Firm O&A, P.C. complete combination

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Michael Best and venture law firm O&A, P.C. have formally combined effective July 1, 2024. Through the combination, Michael Best, the national Am Law 200 firm with offices in Colorado; Illinois; North Carolina; Texas; Utah; Washington, D.C.; and Wisconsin, has entered the California legal market, extending the firm’s exceptional legal services further into the Western U.S.

The deal also serves as the latest expansion of Venture Best, a top-10 PitchBook-recognized venture practice with strong geographical footholds in Colorado, Illinois, North Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin.

“Establishing a presence in California was critical to allow us to better serve our clients, especially in the areas of employment, technology, intellectual property, and litigation, in addition to venture capital,” said David Krutz, Firm Managing Partner of Michael Best.

“We can offer them continuity of service at the rates and value they expect,” Krutz added.

O&A, P.C. was founded in 2015 as a venture and corporate law firm specializing in all areas of the law that touch the venture capital lifecycle. The firm represented a range of early-stage companies, venture funds, entrepreneurs, and large global companies. O&A, P.C. has transitioned its practice and team to the Michael Best platform, founder Dan Offner will serve as the Managing Partner of Michael Best’s new L.A. office, as well as Head of Venture Best in California.

“Dan and his team bring deep experience in the areas of gaming, AI, and technology, as well as the venture communities centered around Los Angeles and Silicon Valley,” said Galen Mason, Partner and Co-Chair of Venture Best.

“They are an ideal fit for our firm and our Venture Best practice as we continue to provide top-of-class legal and strategic advice in the venture industry,” Mason added.

As part of the combination, Michael Best has acquired www.StartupProgram.com, Inc. (SUP) from Dan Offner and the employees of O&A, P.C., which is a proprietary online software service and set of educational tools to enable entrepreneurs to form their venture-ready corporations efficiently, cost-effectively and in a legally sound way.

“We are excited about scaling the innovative SUP software and online education tool for entrepreneurs, consistent with its original mission, and also more broadly applying it at Michael Best in other practices,” said Krutz.

Culture and Commitment

“We found Michael Best through our clients, so it is only natural that after working with Michael Best, and specifically the attorneys at Venture Best, the discussion of joining forces came up. We are excited about finding a firm that has the same culture and commitment to client service and innovation that we have strived for at O&A,” said Offner.

Firm officials noted, as a result of Michael Best’s strategic growth initiatives, and the O&A, P.C. combination, the firm now has more than 400 legal and business professionals, including more than 300 lawyers, serving clients in 18 offices across the country. Michael Best strives to understand our client’s unique needs, with our expertise of the industry, to deliver tailored solutions. It is through the blend of the firm’s strong legal acumen and strategic business insights that Michael Best provides high value to its clients.

About Michael Best

Michael Best is a leading law firm, providing a full range of legal services to clients around the world. The firm has more than 400 legal professionals, including more than 300 attorneys, serving clients in 18 offices across the U.S. in California; Colorado; Illinois; North Carolina; Texas; Utah; Washington, D.C.; and Wisconsin. Michael Best’s areas of practice include: intellectual property; labor and employment relations (including employee benefits); litigation; corporate; government relations, political law, and public policy; privacy and cybersecurity; real estate; regulatory; tax; and wealth planning. The firm serves a variety of industries, such as advanced manufacturing, agribusiness, banking, and financial services, digital technology, energy, food and beverage, healthcare, higher education, and life sciences. For more information, visit michaelbest.com.

About Venture Best ®

Venture Best, the emerging technology company and venture capital team at Michael Best, works closely with high-impact entrepreneurs and emerging businesses, as well as the angel and institutional venture capital investors that finance them. The Venture Best team represents a substantial number of startup and emerging companies in biotechnology, information technology and software, medical devices, electronics, and other high-tech sectors. This emerging company practice allows Michael Best to introduce venture capital and private equity investors to early- and mid-stage investment opportunities. For more information, visit venturebest.com.