Jerome Fogel is a concierge general counsel for high-growth companies, venture funds, and athletes. He is known as a dealmaker in the legal community and a trusted advisor to his clients.
Russ Alan Prince: Tell me about Fogel & Potamianos LLP?
Jerome Fogel: Fogel & Potamianos LLP—F&P—is a business law firm that provides sophisticated counsel for buy-and-sell side mergers and acquisitions, fund formation, capital raises, and off-field sports transactions.
Prince: Can you give some examples of the work that you do?
Fogel: F&P provides tailored and sophisticated solutions to venture capital funds, from fund formation through their first and successive investments.
With an intimate understanding of the ecosystem of venture capital, investors, and emerging growth companies, we structure funds at the formation stage for the unique needs of each fund, perform due diligence for target investments, negotiate with target companies and investors, and perform post-closing compliance.
We work with high-net-worth individuals who see more deal flow than the average person and want to start a venture fund. We recently worked with a client to launch their first venture fund. Working in tandem with their accountants and family office advisors, we set up the structure of the fund with our preferred Delaware limited partnership structure, as well as modified the structure to provide tax advantages for them. We diligence deals for them as well as help them run an effective investor process. In their first year, they have already made a handful of investments and are often oversubscribed.
We also hold regular meetings with them to stay ahead of compliance and other operational issues. At the same time, we provide concierge-level general counsel for the day-to-day needs and operations of the fund. They have a close relationship with our partners, who are only a phone call away.
F&P also recently assisted a client in the media and technology space as their lead counsel in their first seed raise of financing. As they have grown, they identified a target acquisition, and we led the deal acquisition from the LOI stage through diligence and closing.
F&P also represents advisors and investors, and we have what I call a 360-degree view of dealmaking. Since we represent high-growth companies raising capital, as well as venture funds deploying capital, and companies who are both exiting—the sell side—and making acquisitions— the buy-side—when we come to negotiate a deal, we understand all of the parties at the table.
Another of our clients is in the sports world and is an advisor to the emerging food and beverage company Barcode, of which Erewhon Food Markets is an investor. Barcode has the potential to be a multi-billion dollar company. We worked closely with the CEO and their legal counsel to negotiate an advisory deal for our client that is a win-win for both parties. In addition, now Barcode is now a potential deal that our clients have access to invest in.
Prince: How do you see the business evolving over the next 5 years?
Fogel: Business will only continue to grow, especially in the area of fund formation. Blackstone began offering alternative investments through retail channels, which is now a $500 billion business for them. The alternative investment space will be more crowded in the coming years, and there will be more advisors in this space. It’s critical for clients to be selective with their counsel who have the experience to navigate their clients through the thorny mix of corporate, securities, and compliance issues around fund formation.
Social Media / Contact
- Firm linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/jerome-fogel-esq./
- Personal Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/jeromefogel
- Instagram @fpgeneralcounsel
- Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FogelPotamianosLLP/
- personal Instagram @jeromefogelLA
- Email jfogel@fpgeneralcounsel.com
Russ Alan Prince is the executive director of Private Wealth magazine and chief content officer for High-Net-Worth Genius. He consults with family offices, the wealthy, fast-tracking entrepreneurs, and select professionals.
