Our Business attorneys assist clients in the formation of joint ventures and other strategic partnerships, customer relationships, contract drafting and review and other business law matters. We take particular pride in providing practical, real-time business counseling, drawing upon the wide range of situations and circumstances we have encountered advising diverse clients in diverse industries. We also regularly counsel boards of directors of public and private companies on fiduciary duties, conflicts of interest, director and officer liabilities, and shareholder disputes. We are often retained as counsel to special board committees in these matters.

Representative Experience

We represented an energy provider in a commercial agreement to sell compressed natural gas (CNG) to commercial customers and a related $6 million convertible preferred equity investment in the CNG supplier.

Compressed Natural Gas Sales in Maine

We have been engaged to represent Ocean Renewable Power Company, LLC in connection with its conversion into a corporation and a subsequent Series A financing.

Corporate Conversion & Series A Financing for Ocean Renewable Power

We represented a newly formed company in the semiconductor robotics industry in its initial formation, establishing the documentary and procedural basis for clean intellectual property ownership and employee equity incentives. We then assisted this client in structuring and negotiating its initial financing from an international strategic investor.

Formation of Semiconductor Robotics Company

Gum Spirits Productions, based in Portland, Maine, has been producing independent films since 2003. Pierce Atwood saw Gum Spirits through a private offering to raise funding for the film Three Priests. We also set up the corporate structure, including with respect to investor interests, of Three Priests LLC, acted as production counsel for Three Priests, and worked with Gum Spirits to secure and negotiate distribution for the film.

Gum Spirits Productions Corporate Matters

We represent Icelandic shipping company Eimskip in its US trade and related matters.

Icelandic Shipping Company in U.S. Trade Matters

Representation of GO Lab, Inc., d/b/a TimberHP, a startup company helping to revitalize Maine’s forest products industry by repurposing a former paper mill to develop and manufacture environmentally responsible wood fiber insulation, in all aspects of the development of its business.

More
Innovative Insulation Manufacturer

We serve as general counsel to Ocean Renewable Power Company, LLC, a developer of tidal energy technology and projects. Our work includes successful applications for FERC and state environmental authorizations for product trials in Western Passage off the Maine coast, a program that is now implemented in Alaska and Canada.

More
Ocean Renewable Power Company General Counsel

We are working with Dixville Capital LLC to bring back to life and dramatically expand the historic Balsams Grand Resort Hotel in New Hampshire. The project will involve real estate assembly, negotiation of critical path agreements with various constituents, capital markets access, permitting, and resort and real estate development. In addition to working with startups, through our Catalyst Program we also work with investors that are involved with launching and re-launching businesses throughout the country.

Redevelopment of Balsams Grand Resort Hotel

We assisted the owners of OrthoLite in a successful recapitalization involving the sale of equity interests to a private equity firm and the rollover by management of a significant continuing equity position. Headquartered in Amherst, MA, with offices in Portland, OR and Hong Kong, and manufacturing facilities in China and Vietnam, OrthoLite is the world's leading supplier of comfort insoles. OrthoLite sells more than 140 million pairs of insoles annually, for use in footwear brands by Adidas, ASICS, New Balance, Merrell, Nike, Puma, Vans and Timberland.

Successful Recapitalization for Ortholite

We represented a Maine-based manufacturing company in a supply agreement with a key parts supplier and a related $2.5 million subordinated secured loan with equity conversion features to the supplier.

Supply Agreement & Subordinated Secured Loan

Pierce Atwood serves as counsel for the New England Ocean Cluster House - a place for entrepreneurs to come together, collaborate, and grow their businesses, which are all focused on the commercialization of new ocean-related products. Located in Portland, Maine, the New England Cluster House is the result of a combined effort between The Icelandic Ocean Cluster, North Atlantic Assets & Soli DG, Inc. of Maine and MENADO, an initiative of the Maine International Trade Center.

Supporting New Businesses: The New England Ocean Cluster House