Jonathan Wright

Biography

After graduating from Columbia University School of Law and initially working as a Corporate Finance attorney at large international law firms, I started a company with two investment banker clients. Since getting hooked on building businesses, I have been a senior executive working in management, operations, law, corporate development, and compliance for the past 20 plus years as well as a founder, CEO, venture capitalist, board member, speaker, and mentor to other founders. I have been part of teams that have raised billions of investment capital.

Experience running companies and legal departments in multiple industries, including Nasdaq listed biotechnology companies, cleantech, health services, and complex software companies. Decades of operational experience successfully navigating and complying with many of the U.S. and world’s most-complex regulatory frameworks as well as running Human Resources and IT/IS departments. Understanding what strategic advice a CEO, founder, board member or senior executive most values derived from my experiences, including as CEO/Founder/Board Member.

Practice Areas

  • Licensing
  • Corporate Finance
  • Intellectual Property
  • Corporate Governance
  • Transactions

Education

J.D., Columbia University School of Law

B.A. Departmental Distinction, Geography; Concentration in Business Location Theory and Market Area Analysis, University of Washington

Speaking Engagements

Early Futures, Omidyar Network 
Sesame Workshop and Promise Ventures, Silicon Valley, CA, November 2018

Capital Formation and Diversity – An Early Stage Investment Perspective
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, San Francisco, CA, September 2018

Immigration: The Achilles’ Heel of Your Corporate Compliance Strategy
2014 Jackson Lewis Corporate Counsel Conference, San Francisco, CA, May 2014

The IP Defense Summit 
Centerforce, Palo Alto, CA, January 2014

Mergers & Acquisition Due Diligence 
IncreMental Advantage, New York, NY, October 2008

Mergers & Acquisition Due Diligence – Maximizing the Odds of Success 
IncreMental Advantage, San Francisco, CA March 2008

2005 Corporate Counsel Institute 
WSBA-CLE, Seattle, WA, October 2005

SEC “Hot Topics” Institute Spring 2005 
RR Donnelley/Glasser LegalWorks, Seattle, WA, June 2005

SEC “Hot Topics” Institute Spring 2004 
RR Donnelley/Glasser LegalWorks, Seattle, WA, June 2004

2004 Business Law Spring Meeting 
American Bar Association – Business Law Section, Seattle, WA, April 2004

Start-Ups and Beyond: How to Help Technology Companies Grow
King County Bar Association, CLE program, Seattle, WA, September 2000 & December 1999