Ross Law Group, PLLC is a boutique law firm that focuses on corporate and securities law, specifically public securities offerings of small- to mid-cap companies, formation of investment funds (onshore & offshore), and representation of investors and private companies in venture capital financings.

Host of the VC Law podcast series, which focuses on venture capital law and all things related

Taught Transactional Skills for Startups Doing the Deal.

Advised as to issues regarding venture capital, generally involving proposed legislation or plans for VC-type projects in developing countries.

Taught courses in the Financial Services Compliance concentration, including Introduction to Corporate Law, Introduction to Corporate Finance, Regulating Depository Banks, and Regulating Broker-Dealers.

Wrote a weekly column, alternating between venture capital/startup matters and ruminations on the transition from Biglaw associate to "SmallLaw" Attorney/Administrator/Marketer/Gofer. My column "Why Are Lawyers So Good At Sex?" was one of the most-read columns of 2015.

Founded a law firm that grew to three attorneys and one admin. Our services included: (i) advising VC/private equity funds as to legal and compliance issues; (ii) representing both companies and investors in seed and series stage financings; (iii) representing non-profit organizations; (iv) drafting and negotiating commercial contracts; and (v) advising as to compliance with securities laws such as Regulation D and the Investment Company Act. Towards the end, we became particularly active in both the offshore vehicle and cryptocurrency spaces. I had spent months preparing myself to start a business, but it turns out you just don’t know what’s going to happen until you do it.

At Alston, I was in the Corporate Transactions & Securities Practice Group, advising clients on a variety of transactional, disclosure, corporate governance, and contractual matters. A&B was good preparation for what came next, because unlike at Sidley I wasn’t doing securities offerings all day long, but instead got to work on a variety of corporate/securities matters, including a number of acquisitions. Since I had practiced in Atlanta and am a Southerner, I was sure I’d be at A&B for many years. Alas, it was not to be, although I did learn a valuable lesson: without your own clients, you’ll never be in control of your legal career.

Was fortunate to land at Treasury, specifically, the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). At TARP, I assisted with the oversight of financial agents and contractors engaged by Treasury to support the various programs. I was in compliance, and while it sometimes bothered me that I wasn’t in the legal department, I was grateful that I got to ride out the Great Recession in a government job. (And since after TARP I went right back to being a lawyer, being in compliance didn’t hurt me career-wise, and in fact it helped me once I started my own firm). Spent 20% of my time serving as a subject matter expert at on-site audits, responding to SIGTARP inquiries, and drafting legislation, and spent the other 80% doing things that were much more mundane. Got an up-close look at federal government, both the good (decent hours, making decisions that directly affected people) and the bad (mission creep, way too many meetings). Made a lot of good connections.

H&K was basically MidLaw, but Sidley was Biglaw in every way. I was one of fifty associates in the Capital Markets group, representing underwriters and issuers in a wide range of international and domestic transactions, including initial public offerings, medium-term note and other debt issuances, and private placements. Looking back now, as a senior securities attorney, I understand what I was doing back then and how the parts all fit together, but at the time I didn’t know anything. There was so much coming so fast it was often hard to see the big picture. Still, out of my three law firms it was hands-down my favorite, and there was a lot about Biglaw that I liked. People assume I hated it because I have my own firm now, but nothing could be further from the truth.

My first real lawyer job, after a year of contract work in NYC. I primarily performed securities work relating to Real Estate Investment Trusts, but also gained experience in contract drafting, mergers & acquisitions, and general corporate matters. My favorite part of the work was drafting and negotiating vendor contracts for the restaurant chain LongHorn Steakhouse. I did hundreds of these (small) contracts, and it was a great learning experience for a junior attorney. I also did a lot of other stuff, since I was one of only two associates in the corporate group, which had something like 20 partners. My next stop was the exact opposite.

Worked in the public assistance office of Davidson County, making determinations on eligibility for food stamps, temporary assistance to needy families (i.e. welfare), and Medicaid. Promoted to Case Manager II (whoopee!) and also served as Unit Leader. Learned how to deliver bad news to people to their face in a way that (usually) didn’t make them hate me. It was a great job, one I turned out to be really good at, and I cried when I left that last day to go to law school.

Burned off five years waiting tables & bartending, in DC & LA. Though sometimes I look back & think about where I’d be now had I gone right to law school or spent that time in some other way, it did change me in some ways that positioned me well for later, like massively enhancing my people skills, and helping me become customer service-oriented. And hey, it was a fun time, and you’re only in your 20s once. For more about how this period helped me become a better lawyer, see https://abovethelaw.com/2016/01/how-waiting-tables-made-me-a-better-lawyer/.