Start. Fund. Grow. Exit. Deals | California Counsel Group

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Whatever stage you’re at in your business journey, we’ve been there and get deals done. Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve been up to . . .

Ag-Tech Startup
Delaware incorporation to in-license technology, build the team, and raise the initial funding round.
Medical Device Startups – Various
Delaware incorporations to provide proper corporate platform to raise seed and growth rounds of funding, develop technology and grow the team.
Homebuilder Technology Startup
Delaware incorporation to organize founders, raise initial debt funding, purchase key equipment and launch business operations.
Software Startups – Various
Delaware incorporations to structure founder teams, raise initial rounds of debt and equity funding and contract with key consultants and external software developers.
Fantasy Sports Internet Startup
Delaware incorporation to structure founder equity ownership, formalize founder loans and enter into offshore software development agreement.
Engine Technology Startup
Formation of Delaware corporation for technology research and development, patent portfolio buildout, seed and growth financing rounds and team expansion.
Energy Technology and Services Startup
Delaware incorporation leading to seed financing round and launch of commercial operations.
Education Services Startup
Delaware incorporation followed by seed funding, formation of advisory board and engagement of key consultants.
Drone Software Startup
Advised founders in formation of Delaware corporation, leading to initial seed funding, in-licensing of key software and other commercial relationships.
Diagnostic Biotech Startups – Various
Formation of Delaware corporations leading to technology development, successive rounds of funding, commercial relationships and team expansion.
Defense Technology Services Company
Worked with founders to form Delaware corporation and provide corporate platform for funding and growth.
Cycling Technology and Retail Startup
Assisted founder with formation of Delaware corporation to raise seed funding and launch initial business operations.
Craft Spirits Startup
Delaware incorporation to launch formal business operations and position company for initial round of seed funding.
Craft Beverage Startup
Formed Delaware corporation to provide solid legal foundation, organize founders and raise seed capital.
Commercial Technology Services Startup
Formed Delaware corporation to advance business plan and raise seed round of funding.
Consumer Product Startups
Various Delaware incorporations to structure founder teams, raise seed and growth capital and advance operations.
Blockchain Startups
Various Delaware incorporations to raise funding and advance business models.
Biotech Tools and Services Startup
Delaware incorporation to raise seed funding and advance R&D and commercial opportunities.
Biotech Startups – Various Delaware Incorporations
Work with startup founders to implement corporate structures that support continued technology development, fundraising and team buildout.
Big Data Startup
Delaware incorporation to organize founder team and prepare for seed funding.

Corbin Capital Partners
Investor-Side Venture Capital and Private Equity
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Corbin Capital Partners
Strategic Investor
Investor-Side VC & PE Engagements
Represented strategic investor Corbin Capital Partners in its 2016 convertible debt financing of a mortgage banking spinout company and in its 2018 preferred stock investment in a high-growth technology company.
MicroSilicon Inc. – Seed Financings
Represented MicroSilicon Inc. in various seed financing rounds to fund R&D, commercial operations and continued growth.
Gene Therapy Biotech Company
Company counsel in $4.0 Series Seed Preferred Stock financing.
Genomic Sequencing Technology Company
Company counsel in $16.4 Million Series A Preferred Stock financing.
Diagnostic Biotech Company
Company counsel in $1.5 Million Common Stock financing.
Diagnostic Biotech Company
Company counsel in $2.9 Million Common Stock financing.
Engine Technology Company
Company counsel in various Common Stock, Preferred Stock and Convertible Debt financings (investment amounts not disclosed).
Drone Software Company
Company counsel in $1.6 Million Convertible Debt financing.
Digital Media Software and Device Company
Company counsel in $2.5 Million Series Seed Preferred Stock financing.
Cofio Software, Inc.
In pre-acquisition bridge round of debt financing.
GroundMetrics, Inc.
Company counsel in $2.73 Million Series B Preferred Stock financing.
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GroundMetrics, Inc.
GroundMetrics, Inc. Raises $2.73 Million in Series B Financing Round Led by Cowboy Technology Angels to Accelerate Oil Boom
GroundMetrics Inc., a world-leading electromagnetic survey company and oil and gas industry pioneer, today announced it has raised $2.73 million in a Series B financing round from new investors Cowboy Technology Angels, an oil industry angel group based in Oklahoma.
San Diego, CA (PRWEB) April 23, 2014
GroundMetrics Inc., a world-leading electromagnetic survey company and oil and gas industry pioneer, today announced it has raised $2.73 million in a Series B financing round from new investors Cowboy Technology Angels, an oil industry angel group based in Oklahoma.
Other key investors participating in the round include the largest US angel group, Tech Coast Angels, Crescent Ridge Partners, ACE Fund, Harvard Business School Alumni Angels, and Peter Landin, former Managing Director and CEO/Americas for Barclays Global Investors. In addition, the company and Silicon Valley Bank are working together on a growth capital facility that will leverage the equity investment.
The U.S is on track to become the world’s number one oil producer in 2015 and domestic production recently surpassed 10 percent of the global total, according to the International Energy Agency. Technological advances like GroundMetrics’ sensor systems are fueling this boom and companies are investing heavily in innovation. By capturing high fidelity geophysical data that enable production of full-field electromagnetic images of the subsurface, GroundMetrics’ technology provides unprecedented visibility underground.
In 2013, GroundMetrics worked on various projects with industry leaders such as the world’s largest oil company, Saudi Aramco, Statoil, the U.S. Department of Energy, the California Energy Commission, and the CO2 Capture Project comprising BP, Chevron, Suncor Energy, ENI, Petrobras, and Shell. The company also made critical intellectual property advances, recruited top talent to its management team, developed backend analytical tools for modeling sensor data, and executed numerous field surveys.
“We’re thrilled to be investing in GroundMetrics. Their technology has the potential to reshape what is considered possible on the oilfield,” says Cowboy Technology Angels’ John McDougal. “This potential is demonstrated by a record of repeat business with a portfolio of blue chip customers.”
“Having the Cowboy Technology Angels lead this round was a great endorsement of GroundMetrics,” says George Eiskamp, CEO of GroundMetrics. “Their members are active in the oil industry and some even own and operate oilfields themselves. They understand the nuts and bolts of the business and have already facilitated key introductions. Our growth strategy is very much aligned with the Cowboys so we’re excited to have them at the table.”
“GroundMetrics is a star performer in our portfolio,” says Tech Coast Angels’ Jonathan Moss. “We’ve been investors for two years now and it’s been truly exciting watching them make game-changing inventions in such a hot growth industry. It couldn’t be better timing. Not only did we follow on in this Series B, but the TCA ACE Fund participated in both rounds.”
The Series B is a growth round that will fund scaling up of infrastructure, ramping up of sales and marketing efforts, and hiring and deployment of field crews.
About GroundMetrics
GroundMetrics is a world leader in land-based electromagnetic technologies. We provide advanced survey and monitoring services directly to oil, gas, and geothermal companies, as well as carbon sequestration organizations. Our sensor systems provide high fidelity data and full-field models that are unlocking new applications in the energy market.
About Cowboy Technology Angels
Cowboy Technology Angels is an Oklahoma Series Limited Liability Company comprising alumni and other friends of Oklahoma State University. Through a member-operated angel investment fund, the Cowboy Angels help the university apply its wealth of research, talent, and innovation by growing investor-ready entrepreneurs and their young companies, thereby building the state’s economy.
About Tech Coast Angels
The Tech Coast Angels is the largest angel investment organization in the U.S., with over 300 members in 5 regional Networks covering all of Southern California. TCA members have invested over $120 million in more than 200 companies, and these companies have gone on to attract over $1 billion in additional investment capital.
GroundMetrics, Inc.
Company counsel in $1.5 Series A-2 Preferred Stock financing.
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GroundMetrics, Inc.
GroundMetrics, Inc. Announces Closing of $1.5 Million in Second Round of Financing, Exceeding Participation Expectations
Company Attracts Global Interest in Enhanced Oil Recovery Technology
April 22, 2013
SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–GroundMetrics, Inc. (GMI) has successfully raised its second round of financing, following a successful proof-of-concept test conducted on an operating oilfield undergoing enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in the United States. Despite the fact GMI raised the ceiling by 50% near the end of the round due to greater than expected participation, the round was still oversubscribed at final closing.
“focuses on companies with early exit potential providing investors with early liquidity”
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Since its previous round of financing closed in December of 2011, GroundMetrics has exceeded goals and built tremendous value based on innovation, intellectual property, and industry collaboration. The investors recognized this increase in value with a 2.5x growth in valuation.
This second round of financing was led by the Tech Coast Angels (TCA), as was the first. The TCA ACE Fund “focuses on companies with early exit potential providing investors with early liquidity” and participated heavily alongside many individual TCA members. Other Southern California syndicates consisted of the Rady Venture Fund, La Costa Investment Group, Crescent Ridge Partners Ventures, and Rancho Santa Fe Partners. This round of financing also attracted international interest with investors coming from Cyprus, Dubai, Great Britain, and India.
Investor and TCA deal lead Jonathan Moss said, “A disruptive technology in the oil and gas space attracted me to GroundMetrics. Combining solid management, excellent IP, and a good business plan, the conclusion after due diligence was a definite ‘buy.’” “GroundMetrics is a great example of what we look for, a fantastic team taking a disruptive technology to market,” said Navid Alipour, Principal of La Costa Investment Group and Managing Partner at Analytics Ventures.
The purpose of this second round of financing is to enable GroundMetrics to complete product engineering and initiate commercialization. GroundMetrics management reports that a number of energy firms are asking the company to bid jobs even though GroundMetrics’ technology is still at the prototype stage and additional engineering is necessary before it can provide commercial surveys.
GroundMetrics CEO George Eiskamp said, “I’m pleased but not surprised by the success of this round because real pull-through demand drove the formation of GroundMetrics. Our technology was not a solution in search of a problem. It was created in response to the world’s largest oil and mining companies paying us to develop and demonstrate prototypes.”
An investment arm of a major oil company wants to participate as part of a larger syndicate, to be led by a credible financial institution that is or has been active in this space. The company’s business plan includes putting a $5M deal together in approximately a year from now via these types of institutions or a boutique investment bank.
Eiskamp continued, “We are in a special place in that we have a unique technology, an outstanding team, good financial backing, and strong interest from the market as well as the financial community. GroundMetrics is in the enviable position to select which investors to partner with in the future in order to maximize success. I’m looking forward to finding the right financial partner to enable us to scale up and quickly saturate the market with outstanding services powered by proprietary technology.”
About GroundMetrics
GroundMetrics was founded in 2010 to commercialize a new class of electromagnetic sensing technologies for geophysical applications and to provide advanced survey and monitoring services directly to oil, gas, mining, geothermal, and environmental companies. Our sensor systems can provide high quality data while operating in challenging environments such as the desert, frozen tundra, and solid rock in addition to extremely hot and cold temperatures. Our low power transmitter can penetrate reservoirs at depth and enable imaging between and beyond oil wells without deploying instrumentation in the oil well, which decreases costs and increases safety and survey speed. Together these technologies expand existing markets and unlock new applications.
About Tech Coast Angels
The Tech Coast Angels is the largest angel investment organization in the U.S., with over 300 members in 5 regional Networks covering all of Southern California. TCA members have invested over $120 million in more than 200 companies, and these companies have gone on to attract over $1 billion in additional investment capital.
About the ACE Fund
The ACE Fund is managed by the Tech Coast Angels. ACE has invested in twenty-one early stage companies in the medical and technology arenas since its inception in 2010.
About Rady Venture Fund
The Rady Venture Fund is a student-assisted VC investment fund at The Rady School of Management at UC San Diego. Rady is a business school at the confluence of business, science, and technology. Our MBA program encourages students to be visionaries who pursue the extraordinary, incubate new ideas, reinvent existing businesses, and establish new companies.
About Crescent Ridge Partners Ventures
Crescent Ridge Partners Ventures (CRP Ventures) is a venture fund that provides seed capital to early stage start-ups. CRP Ventures actively invests in entrepreneurs developing disruptive technologies across all industries who have the passion, vision, and experience to build successful and sustainable companies.
About La Costa Investment Group
La Costa Investment Group looks to bridge the gap between angel investors and big venture capital funds. They provide capital and support to disruptive, emerging-growth companies looking to challenge the status quo in their respective industries. The firm has headquarters in San Diego, CA.
About Rancho Santa Fe Partners
Rancho Santa Fe Partners is a strategic advisory firm that supports emerging growth companies through investments and advisory services and provides capital raising, business formation, and strategic planning advisory services. RSFP has advised companies in industry verticals that include Internet commerce, mobile marketing, life sciences/biotech, medical devices, payment solutions, entertainment distribution, aerospace and defense, airport security, and consumer/retail.
GroundMetrics, Inc.
Company counsel in $1.2 Million Series A Preferred Stock financing.
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GroundMetrics, Inc.
GroundMetrics, Inc. Completes Technology Validation Enabled by $1.2 Million Series A
September 24, 2012
SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–GroundMetrics, Inc., a world leader in advanced sensing technologies and noise mitigation methods for geophysical survey applications, today announced that the company leveraged proceeds of a Series A financing to develop prototypes of its unique electric field sensing technology for field system validation tests successfully conducted on a major oil field in the Middle East.
Earlier in 2012, GroundMetrics raised $1.2 million in Series A financing through the Tech Coast Angels (TCA), the largest angel investment organization in the United States. GroundMetrics was one of 17 companies selected by TCA to receive funding and guidance during 2011. The GroundMetrics funding set TCA records for the speed with which the financing round progressed from term sheet to closing and the amount financed by a single chapter (San Diego TCA) for a single deal.
“I was pleasantly surprised by the level of enthusiasm for this type of resource play from San Diego investors,” said George Eiskamp, CEO of GroundMetrics, Inc. “TCA members have extensive experience in assessing technology-based startups. I was impressed by the rigor of their screening process, the depth and breadth of their due diligence, and the type of expertise they were able to tap into both internally and externally in order to vet this deal.”
“The Series A funding has so far enabled us to continue our innovation, further protect our intellectual property and complete a key validation on a producing oil field,” continued Eiskamp. GroundMetrics is currently assessing opportunities for strategic alliances and developing a Series A2 financing package.
“TCA supports bold, early-stage entrepreneurs with game-changing ideas,” said Steve Flaim, TCA president. “We immediately recognized the potential of GroundMetrics technology, the quality of the team, and their understanding of the market and its key players. We look forward to seeing how this potential plays out in the next stages.”
In addition, GroundMetrics has recently been awarded a Phase I SBIR grant from the Department of Energy to conduct research into carbon capture and storage applications.
The principal applications for GroundMetrics’ technologies are oil production monitoring for process optimization and mineral exploration, as well as broader applications in oil exploration and field development, geothermal exploration, carbon capture and storage monitoring, geothermal exploration, and geophysical science research.
About GroundMetrics
GroundMetrics was founded in 2010 to commercialize a new class of sensing technology for geophysical applications and to provide advanced survey and monitoring services directly to energy, mining, and environmental companies. Our sensor systems can operate in environments in which traditional technology cannot function, and they provide unparalleled fidelity, thus extending the service range of subsurface surveying and monitoring applications. In addition, our innovative approach allows us to streamline the permitting process and conduct more effective surveys in less time and with fewer resources necessary, thus increasing survey speed and lowering survey costs for customers. Finally, GroundMetrics’ advanced sensors are the only technology that offers the capability for long-term, continuous monitoring.
About TCA
Tech Coast Angels is the largest angel investor group in the United States. Its members provide funding and guidance to more early-stage, high-growth companies in Southern California than any other investment group. TCA members invest in companies in a wide range of industries, including the life sciences, biotech, IT, services, retail, Internet, financial, software, media, consumer products, and tech startups. TCA members give companies more than just capital; they also provide counsel, mentoring and access to an extensive network of potential investors, customers, strategic partners and management talent. TCA has more than 300 members, including its venture capital affiliates, in five networks in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Central Coast and the Inland Empire.
Tour Engine, Inc. – Various Convertible Debt and Preferred Stock Financings
Represented the corporation in various financing rounds to fund R&D and commercial operations.
Cutwater Spirits, LLC – Seed and Growth Capital
Represented craft spirits company in various debt and equity financings (investment amounts not disclosed).
Beaming Wellness, Inc. – Convertible Debt Financings
Represented the corporation and advised its Board of Directors in connection with several convertible debt financings to fund operations and continued growth.
Biotix Holdings, Inc. – Preferred Stock Financings
Restructure $80 million Series A Preferred Stock financing and advise on Series B and Series C Preferred Stock financings
BioConsortia, Inc. – Preferred Stock Financing
Company counsel in $8.0 million Series E Preferred Stock financing.
BioConsortia, Inc. – Preferred Stock Financing
Company counsel in $10.0 million Series D Preferred Stock financing.
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BioConsortia, Inc. – Preferred Stock Financing
BioConsortia Continues Growth and Success, Securing $10 million in Series D Funding
March 16, 2018
BioConsortia, Inc., innovator of microbial solutions for natural plant trait enhancement and yield improvement, has closed a further round of equity financing to support its continued growth, research achievements and development of superior products. The $10 million round was led by Otter Capital and contributed to by Khosla Ventures, both of which are long-term backers of the biotechnology company and experienced ag tech investors.
The completion of Series D will further support the increased momentum BioConsortia saw in 2017, with three strategic new hires, the addition of a sixth U.S. patent, and the planting of fall and winter field trials. Funds raised will be used for the commercial development of a number of novel microbial consortia products — focused toward corn, wheat, soy, tomatoes, and leafy veg. BioConsortia will also continue to build upon its proprietary discovery process Advanced Microbial Selection (AMS) including supporting the expansion of the AMS platform itself, incorporating deeper and more specialized analytics. Collectively these steps will drive the company towards the establishment of an original and proven platform for the development of more efficacious and consistent microbial products for a wide range of agricultural crops.
“We are excited by the progress that we have made in product development, for both biostimulants and biopesticides, and the recognition from our investors.” says Marcus Meadows-Smith, CEO “This new funding allows us to increase our annual spend on R&D, adding more tools from genomics, microbiome and machine learning to our already powerful discovery platform.”
A portion of BioConsortia’s planned development has been and, will continue to be, driven by the key hires made last year: Drs. Jenna Lang and Steven Wu providing scientific leadership in Microbiome Ecology and Computational Biology, respectively. Microbiome analysis and computational modeling underpin BioConsortia’s AMS process. When combined with the extensive physiological data collected throughout the discovery program, microbiome insights enable identification of the functional microbes benefitting high-performing plants, either as individuals or as consortia.
“Collectively, Jenna and Steven have a tremendous wealth of experience and expertise.” says Dr. Sue Turner, Sr. VP of Research. “Throughout the AMS process we are capturing huge amounts of data; knowing how best to efficiently manipulate and analyze it is crucial for advancing leads and finding new, superior microbial solutions.”
In addition to adding big-data expertise to its research group, BioConsortia has been developing a strong fermentation team as it reaches the final steps in developing leads for commercial launch. Dr. Jorge Santiago-Ortiz joined the company as lead Fermentation Scientist early last year and has worked closely with Dr. Hong Zhu, Sr. VP Lead Development and Manufacturing, to lead scale-up and formulation experimentation in the newly built formulation facilities at the company’s Davis headquarters. The drive to commercialization is now underway as several microbial treatments transitioned from second and third year field trials across a range of crops and geographies last year. A select number were entered into repeat field trials by major industry players and these are moving forward to further testing and development. The early-stage biopesticide program also saw many remarkable successes in greenhouse and field trials, and so will be expanded onto many more crops in 2018.
“The expertise that we have added really reflects the comprehensive nature of our discovery and development platform,” says Dr. Zhu. “It has set us up for success as we ramp up our 2018 R&D program and move ever closer to product launch.”
About Us
BioConsortia, Inc. is developing effective microbial solutions that enhance plant phenotypes and increase crop yields. We are pioneering the use of directed selection in identifying teams of microbes – working like plant breeders and selecting plants based on targeted characteristics, then isolating the associated microbial community. Our proprietary Advanced Microbial Selection (AMS) process enriches the crop microbiome, allowing us to identify organisms that influence the expression of beneficial traits in plants. We are currently focused on products for fertilizer use efficiency, growth improvement and both abiotic tolerance and biotic resistance, as commercial seed treatments, liquid in-furrow products, and granule products for a range of crops.
BioConsortia, Inc. – Preferred Stock Financing
Company counsel in $8.0 million Series C Preferred Stock financing.
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BioConsortia, Inc. – Preferred Stock Financing
BioConsortia Raises $12million to Accelerate Development of Multi-Microbe Products for Agriculture
November 7, 2016
BioConsortia, Inc., innovator of microbial solutions for natural plant trait enhancement and crop yield improvement, announced that it has raised this year a total of $12 million for future growth. Last week, BioConsortia closed an $8 million equity round of investment financed by existing investors, Khosla Ventures and Otter Capital, and earlier in the year raised $4 million of venture debt from Square 1 Bank, a division of Pacific Western Bank.
Experienced ag tech investors, Khosla Ventures and Otter Capital funded BioConsortia’s $15 million Series B round in early 2014, enabling the move from New Zealand to the US, and establishing operations and headquarters in Davis, California. This move refocused the research on US microbes, seed genetics, more sustainable fertilizers and improved agronomic practices.
“We are thrilled with the commitment and support from our existing investors and Square 1 Bank. This is a busy time of year for all in the ag space with field trial data coming in. Having funding in place early means that we can keep our foot on the accelerator and continue to expand our research capabilities, field trials program and the number of beneficial traits that we are moving down our pipeline,” says BioConsortia CEO, Marcus Meadows-Smith.
BioConsortia continues to exploit its revolutionary Advanced Microbial Selection® (AMS) process to discover advantageous microbial consortia treatments for biofertilizers and biostimulants. Recently the company launched several biopesticide projects to identify crucial microbial solutions to combat seed and soil-borne diseases and pests.
Following the addition of Dr. Hong Zhu from Bayer CropScience earlier this year, the company is also further expanding its formulation and fermentation team to work on products that meet the best standards for seed and soil-applied solutions. Construction on new lab space at the current R&D facilities is underway.
Building on 2016 field trials, BioConsortia will increase its program for 2017. Next year’s trials will include important traits for drought tolerance and fertilizer use efficiency on corn, soy, and wheat, as well as biopesticide trials for management of soil-borne diseases in select high-value vegetable crops and pests such as corn rootworm.
About Us
BioConsortia, Inc. is developing effective microbial solutions that enhance plant phenotypes and increase crop yields. We are pioneering the use of directed selection in identifying teams of microbes – working like plant breeders and selecting plants based on targeted characteristics, then isolating the associated microbial community. Our proprietary Advanced Microbial Selection® (AMS) process enriches the crop microbiome, allowing us to identify organisms that influence the expression of beneficial traits in plants. We are currently focused on products for fertilizer use efficiency, growth improvement and both abiotic tolerance and biotic resistance, as commercial seed treatments, liquid in-furrow products and granule products for a range of crops.

Home Brew Mart, Inc. (Ballast Point)
We assisted with the corporate review, restructuring and representation of this craft beer company during its growth phase and leading to its acquisition.
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Home Brew Mart, Inc. (Ballast Point)
Our initial legal representation involved the review and organization of approximately 20 years of corporate documents of Home Brew Mart, Inc., the corporation underlying the Ballast Point brand.
We worked with management to track down and digitize a complete set of the corporation’s records to confirm and formalize the equity ownership and corporate governance and prepare the corporation for upcoming due diligence activities.
Other corporate duties included:
Equity incentives for management and key personnel;
Contract review, negotiation, and revision;
Ongoing corporate governance issues and approvals;
General business and regulatory matters; and
Advise management on key business and strategy issues.
We have continued our representation of the corporation through and after its sale to Constellation Brands.
“When we started evaluating potential corporate transactions, CCG was an important legal partner. Their legal work as our corporate counsel stood up against the review and scrutiny of various legal, accounting and other advisors during our IPO process and eventual sale of the company for $1 billion.”
– Jim Buechler, CEO Ballast Point
GroundMetrics, Inc.
We have served as Groundmetrics' outside general counsel since its incorporation.
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GroundMetrics, Inc.
Our legal services to this technology services company have included its incorporation, various equity and debt financings, stock option plan administration, ongoing corporate governance compliance, and various technology and other commercial contracts.
As one example of our work to help GroundMetrics with its growth plans, we have worked closely with management in the contract negotiations and documentation relating to the company’s important commercial partner described in the following press release:
“San Diego’s GroundMetrics Inks Deal With Massive Oil Services Firm
Sunday, June 18, 2017
A San Diego startup that specializes in the development of electromagnetic sensor systems that gather data about subsurface substances, such as oil and gas, has teamed up with one of the biggest names in the energy industry.
San Diego’s GroundMetrics is partnering with Texas-based Halliburton (NYSE: HAL), one of the world’s largest oil field services firms, to provide the corporation’s customers with more detailed data about their oil fields. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
GroundMetrics’ technology, which provides something like an MRI for what’s underground, has been used by energy companies previously to make better decisions about where to drill.
The partnership with Halliburton, which has operations in 70 countries and reported $15.88 billion in revenue for 2016, will be used to potentially improve the volume of oil extracted by its clients.
The San Diego tech firm’s technology is most helpful in fields where wells were previously sunk – mature fields, in industry parlance – or those considered “unconventional” because of the special techniques required to extract oil or natural gas from them, the company said.
“Collaborating with GroundMetrics accelerates and deepens our ability to provide operators with greater subsurface insight of their reservoirs,” said David Topping, vice president of Halliburton’s wireline and perforating product service line, which offers clients methods to maximize production. “The technologies and expertise we’re bringing together can play a significant role in helping our customers reduce exploration and development costs and increase oil production.”
GroundMetrics was spun out of San Diego-based Quasar Federal Systems in 2010 by CEO George Eiskamp. Since then the company has raised roughly $10 million from angel investors to commercialize their sensor systems and further innovation.”
MicroSilicon Inc.
Assisted MicroSilicon Inc. with its key commercial contracts to support its growth plans.
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MicroSilicon Inc.
Working closely with management, we helped negotiate and document strategic relationships facilitating MicroSilicon’s deployment of its technology in the Middle East:

“MicroSilicon Completes First Middle East Deployment
Quantum-RF* instrumented wellhead monitoring demonstrated sufficiently high resolution to identify changes in asphaltene levels during and after cleanouts.
HOUSTON, TEXAS, May 1 — MicroSilicon announced today successful completion of its first Middle East deployment of its Quantum-RF instrumented wellhead monitoring system. This groundbreaking combination of electron paramagnetic sensing combined with real-time dielectric and conductivity measurement enables the operator to monitor dynamic changes of well fluid chemistry as the fluid exits the wellhead and enters surface production systems.
The proprietary components of the monitoring system streamline the detection and quantification of the asphaltene percentage within the well fluid, as well as providing ancillary information important to chemical management, (e.g. for gas/water/oil ratios and for onboard diagnostics). The simplified process dramatically reduces analysis time compared to traditional gravimetric techniques and makes feasible monitoring an entire field or series of wells.
“The Quantum-RF system answered a major uncertainty we had with real-time chemical analysis for flow assurance, namely whether a field-deployed device could have the resolution needed to see small changes in asphaltene,” said Dalia Abdallah, Upstream Flow Assurance R&D Manager, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. “By taking data every day over a series of wells, we could also validate the device’s responsiveness to naturally changing fluid conditions.”
The innovative design of the Quantum-RF sensors had been extensively tested previous to its Middle East deployment, with operations in over 300 US and Canada wells, as well as with accuracy comparisons from an independent third-party organization. In Abu Dhabi, the Quantum-RF system was used on a total of 15 wells over the course of a month for a total of 120 samples. On two of those wells, data was recorded before, during and after a naphtha soak enabling the operator to better understand the mechanism of asphaltene redeposition post clean-up.
Operational issues traditionally related to fluid sampling can be minimized by plumbing the Quantum RF device directly into the production line, with readings that continuously taken from a side stream, thereby avoiding the inconvenience, cost and potential risk of repeated fluid handling. Real-time data can be transmitted to cloud-based storage.
For more information on the Quantum RF system, visit www.microsilicon.io/QuantumRF.
About MicroSilicon
MicroSilicon is the world’s innovation leader for real-time fluid characterization using electromagnetic and quantum chemical technology and for which they won a Rice Alliance Startup Award in 2015. They are now developing a range of flow assurance products and services including corrosion, scale and asphaltene sensing.”
Counsel to AbTherx, Inc. in its license of technology from Gilead
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Counsel to AbTherx, Inc. in its license of technology from Gilead
CCG represented AbTherx, Inc. in negotiating, documenting and closing a significant licensing deal with Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD).
The agreement grants AbTherx worldwide rights to commercialize Gilead’s novel transgenic mouse technologies, allowing the development of innovative antibody therapeutics, including the Atlas™ Mouse platform. This deal enhances AbTherx’s position in antibody discovery and development while enabling Gilead to retain non-exclusive rights to future advancements.
CCG helped AbTherx to navigate complex negotiations to secure the partnership and drive innovation in antibody discovery.
Read the Press Release Here:
AbTherx Announces License Agreement with Gilead
License from Gilead grants AbTherx worldwide rights to a novel human therapeutic antibody discovery platform
Mountain View and San Diego, Calif. – June 7, 2023 – AbTherx, Inc., a privately held biotech company focused on accelerating the discovery and development of antibody therapeutics, today announced a license agreement with Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD). The license agreement will provide AbTherx rights to Gilead’s recently acquired novel transgenic mouse technologies, which were developed by three of the AbTherx founders. AbTherx will commercialize these technologies as Atlas™ Mice.
The licensed technologies enable the development of a clinically validated bispecific antibody format most similar to native antibodies, use natural mechanisms to generate long CDR3 antibodies to improve the chance of success against challenging drug targets such as GPCRs and ion channels, and increase access to transgenic mice expressing full human antibody diversity. AbTherx intends to further develop these technologies and partner with global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to deliver innovative medicines. The agreement also provides Gilead with non-exclusive rights to future AbTherx-developed transgenic mouse technologies, which will add to Gilead’s existing portfolio of antibody discovery technologies.
“We are honored that Gilead has entrusted AbTherx to further develop and commercialize these technologies for the betterment of human health. Combining this platform with our decades of experience in antibody discovery and developing transgenic mice, AbTherx is uniquely positioned to deliver the next generation of antibody therapeutics,” said Justin Mika, Chief Executive Officer of AbTherx. “We are extremely proud to partner our expertise with Gilead’s renowned drug development capabilities.”
About AbTherx, Inc.
AbTherx, Inc. was founded in 2023 and is advancing medicine with novel technologies that accelerate and enable therapeutic antibody discovery. The company was founded by a leadership team with over 100 years of combined experience in antibody discovery and platform development, including development of the HuMAb Mouse^® technology, the most successful human antibody discovery platform with 13 marketed therapeutics. AbTherx’s Atlas™ Mouse platform enables the development of a clinically validated bispecific antibody format most similar to native antibodies and uses natural mechanisms to generate long CDR3 antibodies to improve the chance of success against challenging drug targets such as GPCRs and ion channels. AbTherx is also increasing access to transgenic mice expressing full human antibody diversity. Through technology licensing and research collaborations, AbTherx partners with drug developers of all sizes to overcome the most demanding challenges in delivering innovative medicines. For more information, please visit www.abtherx.com.
Media Contact
Stacey Borders
[email protected]
Counsel to RhoDx, Inc.
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Counsel to RhoDx, Inc.
CCG has provided ongoing legal support to RhoDx, Inc. since its formation. As part of this support, CCG assists RhoDx, Inc. with corporate governance, financings, technology collaborations, stock option plan administration, team onboarding and other strategic legal matters.
RhoDx, Inc. is a liquid biopsy biotech focused on innovative cancer detection and library prep technologies.
Counsel to Tour Engine, Inc.
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Counsel to Tour Engine, Inc.
CCG has provided ongoing legal support to Tour Engine, Inc. since its inception. Tour Engine, Inc. is an innovative technology company commercializing an efficient, simple and green internal combustion engine for the growing distributed generation energy markets.
CCG assists Tour Engine, Inc. with ongoing strategic legal support in the areas of corporate governance, financings, commercial and collaborative arrangement, stock option plan administration, team building and other key operational matters.
Counsel to ProSciento, Inc.
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Counsel to ProSciento, Inc.
CCG provides ongoing legal support to ProSciento, Inc., a leading clinical research organization focused on metabolic diseases. CCG assists ProSciento, Inc. day-to-day with corporate governance, financings, stock option administration, commercial contracts, employment matters and other key strategic operational matters.
Corporate & Commercial Counsel to Xcaliber Sciences, Inc.
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Corporate & Commercial Counsel to Xcaliber Sciences, Inc.
CCG provides ongoing legal support to Xcaliber Sciences, Inc., an innovative medical device company and manufacturer of diagnostic test kits, pipette tips and other labware. CCG’s corporate and commercial support involves assisting Xcaliber Sciences, Inc. with supply, manufacturing and other key commercial agreements and cross-border structuring and operations.
Corporate & Commercial Counsel to Sentia Medical Sciences, Inc.
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Corporate & Commercial Counsel to Sentia Medical Sciences, Inc.
CCG provides ongoing corporate, commercial and strategic advisory services to Sentia Medical Science, Inc., to support the development of novel peptide therapeutics for managing and curing stress-released diseases.
CCG assisted Sentia Medical Sciences, Inc. in negotiating, documenting and closing its extended collaboration with Neurocrine Biosciences to facilitate the discovery and development of novel CRF peptides.
Read the Press Release Here:
Sentia Medical Sciences and Neurocrine Biosciences Extend Research Collaboration to Discover Novel CRF Peptides
April 16, 2024
SAN DIEGO, Apr. 16, 2024 – Sentia Medical Sciences Inc. today announced that they have further extended a research collaboration with Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: NBIX) aimed at discovering novel, long-acting corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptor antagonist peptide therapeutics. The collaboration will continue to leverage Sentia’s proprietary peptide-based platform and Neurocrine’s drug development expertise in CRF biology to develop and commercialize medicines with the potential to treat a variety of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis modulated diseases.
Under the terms of the research collaboration extension, Sentia and Neurocrine will continue to work together to discover novel peptide antagonists targeting CRF and advance them to development candidate stage, after which Neurocrine would be solely responsible for all further development, manufacturing, regulatory and commercial activities. As part of the collaboration, Sentia will continue to receive committed research funding from Neurocrine to support discovery efforts. Sentia is eligible to receive milestone and royalty payments based on products developed from this collaboration.
“We are delighted to further extend this important collaboration focused on the discovery and development of novel peptide therapeutics to address HPA-driven diseases and other potential indications with disrupted CRF physiology” said Dominic P. Behan, Ph.D., D.Sc., Chief Executive Officer of Sentia Medical Sciences.
About Sentia Medical Sciences
Sentia Medical Sciences Inc. is a privately held company with a vision to be a world leader in the development of novel peptide therapeutics to manage and cure stress-related diseases (www.sentiamedical.com).
Counsel to AI Technology Company
Assist AI tech company with its key contractual matters
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Counsel to AI Technology Company
Counsel to venture-backed AI technology company focused on retail inventory management
Prepare and negotiate key commercial contractual matters, including customer agreements, development contracts, Master Services Agreements, Statements of Work and other agreements
Advise regarding licensing, technology transfer, invention assignment and related contractual matters
Counsel to RADAR in its launch of technology in American Eagle Stores
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Counsel to RADAR in its launch of technology in American Eagle Stores
CCG assisted RADAR to negotiate, document and successfully close a critical commercial transaction with American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE: AEO).
RADAR’s cutting-edge inventory-tracking technology, which uses RFID and computer vision, is set to be implemented across 500 AEO stores. This partnership empowers AEO to enhance its in-store experience with real-time inventory visibility, ensuring operational efficiency and an elevated customer service experience.
CCG worked closely with RADAR to navigate the complexities of the deal and bring RADAR’s innovative platform solution to a key retail partner.
Read the Press Release Here:
RADAR to Launch New Technology in American Eagle Stores
AI-Powered Inventory-Tracking Platform Empowers Retailers With Product Knowledge to Deliver an Elevated Customer Experience
RADAR Also Announces It Has Raised More Than $50 Million in Funding to Date
March 28, 2023 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–RADAR, the technology platform empowering brand teams with the inventory knowledge they need to elevate the in-store customer experience, today announced that American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE: AEO) is planning to launch RADAR’s inventory-tracking technology in approximately 500 American Eagle stores across the U.S. over the next year. RADAR uses a combination of RFID and computer vision to track and locate in-store inventory in real time with 99% accuracy, enabling retail store employees to know what product is in-store, and where, so they can more easily and efficiently serve customers, replenish items on the sales floor, and fulfill in-store and curbside pickup orders.
RADAR also announced that it has secured more than $50 million in funding to date from investors that include some of the biggest global retailers, leading funds including Y Combinator, Align Ventures, Sound Ventures and Founders Fund, and the family offices behind Michael Kors and other leading brands. The company is currently piloting its platform with two additional Fortune 500 retailers and several other major retailers and brands are interested in piloting the RADAR technology.
“With consumers back to shopping in stores, many retail brands are looking to elevate the in-store experience, and having complete visibility into store inventory is crucial to achieving that,” said Spencer Hewett, Founder and CEO of RADAR. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with the American Eagle brand so they can continue delivering an excellent customer experience.”
By providing the technology that enables retail employees to know exactly what is in stock in their store at the SKU level, and precisely where each product is located, RADAR helps brands ensure no customer ever walks out empty-handed because the item they were looking for couldn’t be found. The RADAR app also enables timely replenishment and more efficient and seamless in-store fulfillment. In addition, the platform’s analytics capabilities reassure brand decision makers that the right inventory is in stock, regardless of day, season, current trends, staffing level or other factors.
“AEO is extremely proud of the exceptional service that we provide to our customers, and we are always exploring new technologies and innovative ways to empower our brand teams to deliver a seamless shopping experience,” said Michael Rempell, EVP – Chief Operating Officer, AEO Inc. “Our initial test with RADAR provided visibility into inventory availability and placement with impressive accuracy. Based on those results, we are excited to begin implementing RFID technology to unlock operational and inventory efficiencies, while arming our associates to best serve the needs of customers.”
While many retail brands have used RFID tags in the past to track and manage inventory, RFID today cannot accurately identify where items are located in a store, meaning employees have to continually hunt to find items that are in-stock, but have been misplaced or overlooked. In addition, handheld RFID scanners require store staff to wand product tags at just the right angle, leading to errors and inaccurate inventory counts. RADAR’s system eliminates these challenges by automatically locating items in 3D with 99% inventory accuracy in near real time and feeding the data to an app and dashboard that let store staff see where every item is at all times.
About RADAR
RADAR offers a proprietary hardware and software platform that uses RFID and computer vision to track and precisely locate in-store inventory in near real time with 99% accuracy, empowering store associates with the knowledge they need to provide a superior customer experience and enabling brand leaders to ensure each store has the right inventory in stock each day. Headquartered in New York, RADAR is backed by some of the biggest names in retail, including several Fortune 500 companies; the family offices behind Michael Kors and other leading brands; and leading funds such as Y Combinator, Sound Ventures, Align Ventures, and Founders Fund.
Contacts
MEDIA
Michael McMullan / Felicia Kane
Berns Communications Group
[email protected] / [email protected]
Counsel to AbTherx, Inc. in its partnership with The Jackson Laboratory
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Counsel to AbTherx, Inc. in its partnership with The Jackson Laboratory
CCG assisted AbTherx, Inc. in negotiating, documenting and closing a key partnership agreement with The Jackson Laboratory.
This strategic collaboration aims to enhance therapeutic antibody discovery by combining JAX’s expertise in mouse model development with AbTherx’s Atlas™ Mouse platform. The deal enables both parties to co-develop innovative research tools that expedite drug discovery and commercialization, setting a new standard in antibody development.
CCG played a critical role in guiding AbTherx through the complex negotiation process to secure this impactful partnership.
Read the Press Release Here:
The Jackson Laboratory and AbTherx Announce Partnership to Enhance Therapeutic Antibody Discovery
Bar Harbor, Maine and Mountain View, California – May 9, 2024 – The Jackson Laboratory (JAX), an independent, nonprofit biomedical research organization, and AbTherx, an innovator in biotechnology, announced a strategic partnership to develop and commercialize cutting-edge tools to expedite antibody discovery and derisk the development of vital new therapies. This collaboration will include co-development activities and leverages JAX’s extensive experience in model research and AbTherx’s Atlas™ Mouse platform to address critical challenges facing drug developers of all sizes.
The Atlas™ Mouse technologies are engineered to leverage in vivo antibody selection and maturation processes for the creation of human antibodies and are specifically designed to overcome the limitations of historical antibody discovery technologies by offering enhanced speed, diversity, developability, and affinity. Such traits are essential for developing viable lead candidates more swiftly than traditional methods currently allow.
JAX will also become the exclusive distributor of select Atlas™ Mouse models, including AbTherx’s Full Human Diversity Mouse for monoclonal antibody development as well as the Binary Fixed Light Chain Mouse for bispecific and multispecific antibody development. JAX and AbTherx are additionally exploring opportunities to develop and distribute future models to expand on this existing suite of innovative tools.
“By combining JAX’s expertise in high-quality mouse models with the innovative capabilities of our Atlas™ Mouse platform, we are setting new industry standards,” said Justin Mika, CEO of AbTherx. “This collaboration not only enhances our ability to create additional impactful technologies but also ensures that these advancements are within reach of researchers and developers globally, fostering a new era of medical innovation.”
“Providing access to high-quality research tools is paramount at The Jackson Laboratory, and we are thrilled to extend our capabilities with innovative models that are pivotal for the creation of new therapeutics,” said Mitchell Kennedy, Executive Vice President of The Jackson Laboratory and President of JAX Mice, Clinical & Research Services. “Our partnership with AbTherx is a natural synergy, combining our decades of expertise in mouse model development with their deep knowledge in antibody discovery. Together, we are not only enhancing the tools available to researchers but also accelerating the pace at which impactful treatments can reach patients worldwide.”
An early access program is set to launch in the second half of the year, during which time drug developers are invited to test and evaluate these groundbreaking platforms. For more details or to participate in the early access program, please contact JAX at [email protected].
About The Jackson Laboratory
The Jackson Laboratory is an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institution with a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center and nearly 3,000 employees in locations across the United States, Japan, and China. Its mission is to discover precise genomic solutions for disease and empower the global biomedical community in the shared quest to improve human health. For more information, please visit www.jax.org.
About AbTherx 
AbTherx is advancing medicine with revolutionary technologies that accelerate and enable therapeutic antibody discovery. Through an exclusive partnership with Gilead Sciences, AbTherx has released Atlas™ Mice, a suite of novel transgenic technologies designed for unmatched performance and FTO. For over 20 years, AbTherx’s passionate, innovative, and collaborative team has pushed the boundaries of antibody discovery technologies, leading to over 1,000 successful antibody discovery campaigns and 13 marketed therapeutics. AbTherx’s industry-leading team creates transformative solutions to overcome the most demanding challenges in delivering innovative medicines. Committed to making its technologies accessible to all, AbTherx offers flexible partnering models that meet the needs of drug developers of all sizes. For more information, please visit www.abtherx.com.
Media Contacts
JAX Media Contact: Cara McDonough, 919-696-3854, [email protected]
AbTherx Media Contact: Stacey Borders, [email protected]
Corporate Counsel to Construction Technology Company
Day-to-Day corporate counsel to a fast-growing technology company
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Corporate Counsel to Construction Technology Company
Corporate counsel to leading venture-backed construction technology company
Administer stock incentive plan and stock incentive awards
Capitalization table management, including financial modeling
Assist with commercial contracts, offer letters, consulting agreements and other day-to-day legal needs
Negotiate, document and close seed, convertible debt and other financing transactions to fuel growth
Advise executive suite and Board regarding various corporate governance, financing and other strategic matters
Corporate Counsel to Large Pharma Spin-Out
Counseling from funding to clinical trial agreements and everything in between.
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Corporate Counsel to Large Pharma Spin-Out
Corporate counsel to biotechnology company spun out from large pharma
Administer stock incentive plan and stock incentive awards
Capitalization table management, including financial modeling
Assist with commercial contracts, advisory board matters, consulting agreements, clinical trial agreements, CRO agreements and other day-to-day matters
Negotiate, document and close financing transactions to fuel growth
Negotiate, document and close strategic transactions
Advise executives and Board regarding various corporate governance and strategic matters
Corporate Counsel to Biomedical Device Company
Day-to-day corporate legal support to support biomedical company growth
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Corporate Counsel to Biomedical Device Company
Corporate counsel to fast-growing biomedical device company
Advise regarding financing transactions, commercial contracts, cross-border operations and strategic opportunities
Assist with day-to-day supplier negotiations and contractual matters
Negotiate and document customer contracts

Counsel to Stockholders of AgraQuest, Inc.
In sale to Bayer CropScience for $425 million plus milestone payments.
Acquisition of Eilar Associates, Inc.
Represented buyers in acquisition of Eilar Associates, Inc.
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Acquisition of Eilar Associates, Inc.
Matt Steiner and the team at CCG expertly guided us through our purchase of Eilar Associates, Inc. We are so grateful to have had Matt’s knowledge and experience on our side as we navigated what otherwise would have been a difficult exercise.
We had absolutely no knowledge of the M&A process when we got started, but Matt’s ability to clearly explain the nuances of the undertaking at each step along the way made everything less daunting. Matt started out by helping us work out the basic terms of the deal and followed through all the way until the final execution of the purchase agreement. Matt is an honest professional who helped us achieve our small business dream. We would highly recommend Matt and CCG to anyone looking to purchase a business in the future.
-Amy Hool & Jonathan Brothers, Eilar Associates, Inc.
Sale of Toft Group Executive Search
Represented Toft Group Executive Search in its sale to ZRG Partners
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Sale of Toft Group Executive Search
“When we started evaluating potential corporate transactions, CCG came highly recommended to me through our network as a cost effective and boutique alternative to multinational, more impersonal firms. I had the opportunity to work with them twice –originally with a single partner at the table, then two years later when we worked with bankers to explore the field and evaluate all possible partners. CCG and particularly, Matt Steiner’s deal history from the original discussions, were the magic in getting the right valuation and terms for the final transaction. The company’s legal work was outstanding, particularly in the specialized care and attention provided throughout, including many late night and weekend calls. I cannot recommend them highly enough”
– Robin Toft, Founder and Chairman Toft Group Executive Search.

ZRG Acquires Toft Group, a Leader in Life Sciences and Biotech Recruiting
11/14/2019
ROCHELLE PARK, N.J., Nov. 14, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ZRG, the fastest growing global executive search firm, today announced that it has acquired the Toft Group, a market leader in the placement of Life Science and Biotech leadership.
The business will operate as a ZRG company, focused on supporting client needs for senior life science professionals and will add depth to the existing global Life Sciences practice at ZRG.
The transaction will add approximately $10 million in annual revenues to ZRG and bolster the firm’s direct presence in the Global Life Science sector in which it maintains a strong market presence in the top tier Pharma space. With this acquisition, ZRG will report revenues anticipated to exceed $65 Million in 2019 and will have over 200 team members globally to support clients in important executive recruiting and talent solutions work.
The Toft Group has a sector focus in working with early stage life science with a special niche in innovation-driven companies at the intersection of biotech and high tech. Additionally, the Toft Group has a strong reputation for actively promoting diversity in recruiting. Robin Toft, founder and chair of the company, is also the author of WeCan, a holistic look at preparing diverse leaders for productive career as executives and board members.
“The Toft Group is the market leader for early stage biotech and life science recruiting. They have built a stellar track record in bringing top talent to their clients, quickly,” said Larry Hartmann, CEO of ZRG. “Combining their sector expertise with the extensive work ZRG is already doing with our 12 life science consultants creates a strong global Life Science practice. We are thrilled to add Robin to our executive team and welcome the entire Toft Group to the ZRG family.”
“This is the ideal next chapter for our firm. The ability to now expand our offerings globally and broaden our offerings working side by side with the ZRG team will allow us to partner at an even deeper level with our client base,” Robin Toft said. “The functional expertise of ZRG, combined with our sector knowledge and local presence in important West Coast markets, will further define us as the ‘go to’ firm for all life science work.”
“ZRG’s data-driven, tech-enabled search process and its digital platform will even further speed up our ability to service our client base,” Toft added. “We look forward to continuing to grow our business sector and expand our relationships with our ZRG colleagues, who do significant executive search work at the most senior levels.”
Robin Toft will continue in her role as Founder & Chair of the Toft Group in order to build out the business and help with the overall growth of ZRG as a senior leader.
Objective Capital Partners acted as the financial advisor to the Toft Group.

About Toft Group

Founded in 2010, the Toft Group is one of the world largest boutique early stage life science recruiting firms Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, with branch offices in San Diego and Boston. The Toft Group has been recognized as a Top 50 recruiting firm in the America’s by Hunt Scanlon, and Robin Toft was recognized in 2018 and 2019 as finalist for the prestigious EY Entrepreneur of the Year award.
About ZRG
Since 1999, ZRG’s data-driven approach to executive and professional search has been changing the way clients think about how to find top talent. Today, ZRG is one of the fastest growing firms in the search industry and provides a full suite of executive, middle management, project, and interim search solutions globally through its offices in North America, Europe, South America, and Asia.
ZRG’s sole focus is to match clients with the right leaders. Leveraging technological innovation, years of experience, and our ability to identify quality candidates, Strong leadership effectively steers the ship of a company. It’s not uncommon for businesses to falter under sub-par leadership; that’s where ZRG comes into play by helping firms identify and hire the right leaders. ZRG’s analytical process and collaborative culture give us the competitive advantage to provide our clients with the industry advantage.
Media Contact: John Mooney, Over The Moon PR, (908) 720-6057, [email protected]
Nucleus Biologics, LLC
Counsel to Nucleus Biologics, LLC in its acquisition of Primorigen Biosciences, Inc.
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Nucleus Biologics, LLC
CCG represented long-time biotechnology client Nucleus Biologics, LLC in its acquisition of the business and assets of Primorigen Biosciences, Inc., for an undisclosed amount.
“I have worked with “big-firm” lawyers at the most prestigious law firms for most of my professional career on several M&A transactions. I can say without hesitation that the team at CCG provdies “big-firm” quality strategic advice and tactical excellence in execution, while also being solution-oriented and practical. I strongly recommend CCG for any M&A engagement.” – David Sheehan, President & CEO, Nucleus Biologics, LLC
A link to to the press for the transaction can be found here: https://nucleusbiologics.com/resources/nucleus-biologics-acquires-primorigen-biosciences/
Nucleus Biologics now has the leading xeno-free, recombinant, extracellular matrix
SAN DIEGO – August 6, 2019 – Nucleus Biologics, a leader in precision cell culture, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Primorigen Biosciences, Inc. The addition of Primorigen’s Vitronectin XF^TM and platform recombinant protein production technology will play a huge role in Nucleus’ strategy of offering traceable, reproducible and xeno-free (XF) cell culture ecosystems for the cell and gene therapy space.
When growing human cells for cell and gene therapy, XF products provide a physiologically relevant environment that has no animal derived components.
Vitronectin XF^TM is a recombinant extracellular matrix (ECM) that promotes cell proliferation, maintains pluripotency and supports normal colony morphology, for mesenchymal and induced pluripotent stem cells. Vitronectin XF^TM is one of the leading ECMs on the market and is human cell derived, full length, fully glycosylated and completely xeno-free. Vitronectin XF^TM is sold around the world direct and through distributors.
“We are excited to build on the work of the Primorigen team and support our new customers, distributors and suppliers.” said David Sheehan, Founder, President and CEO of Nucleus Biologics, “This product is a foundation stone for a novel pipeline of products that include cGMP Vitronectin XF^TM, Vitronectin XF^TM Microcarriers and other recombinant proteins to be used in our complete media products. If we truly want to speed science, we will need to provide complete, characterized and disclosed ecosystems.”
Chuck Oehler, CEO of Primorigen, stated, “The exceptionally strong fit of the Nucleus and Primorigen product portfolios provide a compelling value proposition for customers seeking more complete solutions for cell biology research and production.”
About Nucleus Biologics
Nucleus Biologics is a San Diego based biotechnology company and a global provider of media and supplements for the cell and gene therapy space. Their mission is to speed the time from scientific discovery to cure by driving reproducibility through Precision Cell Culture products and tools. Nucleus Biologics delivers innovative, transparent and cGMP products and services with the goal of disrupting the market and eliminating antiquated practices and products. Ultimately, Nucleus Biologics strives to create a new paradigm that serves both scientists and clinicians, while reducing the environmental footprint of cell culture. https://nucleusbiologics.com/
About Primorigen Biosciences
Primorigen Biosciences, Inc., a Madison, WI based biotechnology company is a research and manufacturing company that has a proprietary process for producing high quality full length recombinant human proteins cost effectively. Primorigen’s versatile coated microcarrier platform provided superior cell proliferation and seeding efficiency in customer trials while reducing preparation from multiple days to minutes.
Counsel to Cofio Software, Inc.
In its sale to Hitachi Data Systems Corporation for an undisclosed amount.
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Counsel to Cofio Software, Inc.
Hitachi Data Systems Buys Cofio, Software Infrastructure Developer
October 4th, 2012
Hitachi Data Systems, a Santa Clara, CA-based subsidiary of Japan’s Hitachi conglomerate, has acquired San Diego-based Cofio Software, which specializes in data protection software and related technology.
Financial terms were not disclosed, and Cofio CEO Tony Cerqueira did not respond to an email query yesterday. He joined Hitachi Data Systems as a senior director for global markets.
Word of the acquisition was disclosed in late September on a Hitachi Data Systems blog for data center advisers. Hitachi Data Systems has more than 5,300 employees worldwide, and provides mid-range and high-end storage systems, software, and services.
In the blog, Hitachi Data Systems vice president Sean Moser writes, “We have acquired Cofio, a privately held company with a successful unified data protection solution. Its flagship product, AIMstor, is an innovative and intuitive solution for protecting customer data globally.”
Moser adds that Cofio’s acquisition is a key part of Hitachi Data System’s long-term vision for data center management that takes a more comprehensive approach by integrating backup, archiving, and storage platform-based replication technologies. “Over time, Moser says, “we plan to offer a centralized data instance management solution that promises significant infrastructure, storage, and management cost and efficiency savings by consolidating, reducing and better managing and tracking data copies.”
Cofio was founded in 2006 by Cerqueira, Patrick Barcus, and Fabrice Helliker, who previously led development of the NetVault line of data backup and recovery software at San Diego’s BakBone Software. Quest Software acquired BakBone in 2011.
Counsel to Cutwater Spirits, LLC
In its sale to Anheuser-Busch InBev for an undisclosed amount.
Counsel to Beaming Wellness, Inc.
In its sale of assets to a private equity group for an undisclosed amount.
Counsel to Barney & Barney, LLC
In its sale to Marsh & McLennan Agency for an undisclosed amount.
Counsel to Aviva Systems Biology Corporation
In its acquisition of GenWay Biotech, Inc. for an undisclosed amount.
Counsel to Avant Medical Corporation
In its sale to Amgen Inc. for an undisclosed amount.
Counsel to AMN Healthcare
In its acquisition of Onward Healthcare for $82 million.
Counsel to Ajinomoto
In its acquisition of Althea Technologies for $175 million.
Counsel to Technology Company
In its sale to Nestle Purina Petcare Company for an undisclosed amount.
Counsel to NAT Diagnostics, Inc. – From formation to sale to Becton, Dickinson & Company
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Counsel to NAT Diagnostics, Inc. – From formation to sale to Becton, Dickinson & Company
Corporate counsel to NAT Diagnostics, Inc., a molecular diagnostics biotech company, from formation through its sale to Becton, Dickinson & Company
Assisted with thorough due diligence review by buyer’s legal and business teams
Conducted extensive negotiation of term sheet and deal documents
Prepared detailed liquidation waterfall model
Coordinated closing among various parties across multiple time zones
Counsel to FMG Suite, LLC in its acquisition of Twenty Over Ten
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Counsel to FMG Suite, LLC in its acquisition of Twenty Over Ten
Counsel to FMG Suite in connection with its acquisition of Twenty Over Ten for an undisclosed amount.
Read the Press Release Here
FMG Suite Announces Acquisition Of Twenty Over Ten
Lead generation and website capabilities to round out FMG Suite’s platform Agreement reaffirms commitment to a true end-to-end digital marketing solution for modern financial professional
San Diego, CA – FMG Suite, a SaaS company specializing in marketing software and services for financial advisors and insurance agents, today announced it has completed the acquisition of Twenty Over Ten, a company delivering a SaaS-based digital marketing platform for financial professionals.
“We’re impressed with what Twenty Over Ten has built in a relatively short time and we look forward to integrating our solutions to deliver the products and services we know are most sought after today by financial professionals, RIAs, and independent broker-dealers,” said Scott White, FMG Suite CEO. “This acquisition is a strategic investment in the future of our platform––websites that generate leads, personalized automations, and fully customizable content,” he added.
Known industry-wide for its innovative marketing strategies and solutions, Twenty Over Ten’s talented team of designers, developers, and marketers will be retained by FMG Suite. Together, the companies will pool their resources to offer financial advisors the most modern lead-generation and marketing solutions with award-winning client service.
“When we launched Twenty Over Ten, we had a simple desire to make beautiful professional websites for an industry that desperately needed it,” said Ryan Russell, Twenty Over Ten Co-Founder. “Four short years later, we have a large and growing community of engaged advisors and we take seriously our responsibility to continue to develop innovative solutions that redefine marketing in our industry. FMG Suite is a great next chapter in our story because the team shares our vision to give financial professionals the very best user experience and marketing tools to grow their businesses,” he added.
Twenty Over Ten will continue to operate its business as usual until plans are announced to integrate the companies’ best-of-breed solutions to better serve the industry. Every effort will be made to minimize business disruptions, and clients of both entities will benefit from combined capabilities, content, and campaigns to improve interactions with their investor clients at every stage.
“At Advisor Group, we pride ourselves on partnering with the best to deliver the highest value services and solutions to our advisors. Today we partner with both FMG Suite and Twenty Over Ten,” said Advisor Group CMO Susan Theder. “We can’t wait to see the level of innovation that will come from this pairing, as they combine their talents to deliver the next generation of advisor marketing solutions.”
With this agreement, FMG Suite will acquire Twenty Over Ten’s customer base, reinforcing its leading market share position. The sixth acquisition in four years, the purchase agreement represents a continuation of FMG Suite’s expansion strategy.
About FMG Suite
FMG Suite powers an all-in-one marketing platform that helps financial advisors and insurance agents attract new leads, stay connected with clients, and grow their businesses. Rated first in market share and customer satisfaction in the 2019 and 2020 T3 Software Survey Report, FMG Suite helps its customers develop comprehensive marketing strategies and automate their most effective marketing tactics. FMG Suite is headquartered in San Diego, CA with satellite offices across the United States.
About Twenty Over Ten
Twenty Over Ten is a leading SaaS company whose mission is to help professionals in regulated industries redefine their marketing efforts. Twenty Over Ten offers a family of agile marketing products, Lead Pilot, Website Engine and Providence, all which give companies the marketing tools they need to scale. The company is headquartered in State College, PA. For more information, please visit twentyoverten.com.
FMG Press Contacts
Susan Theder
Chief Marketing & Experience Officer
[email protected]
Counsel to Agency Revolution (A FMG Company) in its acquisition of Forge 3, Ltd.
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Counsel to Agency Revolution (A FMG Company) in its acquisition of Forge 3, Ltd.
Counsel to Agency Revolution, a FMG Company, in connection with its acquisition of Forge3, Ltd. for an undisclosed sum.
Matt and his team are exceptionally capable M&A attorneys who are highly responsive during the deal and very practical in their approach. You get the best of both worlds: big-law trained, talented attorneys at small firm prices.
– Scott White, CEO, FMG Suite, LLC
Read the Press Release Here
Agency Revolution Acquires Forge3 to Become Undisputed Leader of Marketing Solutions for the Insurance Industry
Agreement expands Agency Revolution’s website capabilities and cements their position as the premier end-to-end marketing solution for insurance agencies and agents
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Agency Revolution, the leading provider of digital marketing solutions for the insurance industry, today announced its acquisition of Forge3, the highest-rated, fastest-growing insurance agency website platform.
“Forge3 has a tremendous reputation in the industry with a 9.9 out of 10 post-launch client rating and five stars on Google,” said Scott White, CEO of Agency Revolution. “They’ve pioneered the use of interactive website designs to provide insurance agencies with the tools to get found, close business, and deliver a seamless client experience. Forge3’s products and team will remain intact as we combine what they are loved for, high converting insurance websites, with the power of Agency Revolution’s robust marketing automation and workflow capabilities. The result of this partnership is a one-stop solution that meets all the marketing needs for insurance agents.”
With this agreement, Agency Revolution will combine its best-in-class marketing automation platform, Fuse™, with Forge3’s innovative ActiveAgency website platform creating an unparalleled marketing system for the insurance industry. Agency Revolution, known as the pioneer in marketing automation for insurance agents in both personal and commercial lines of business, enables personalized, multi-touch, cross-channel communications at pivotal points in the customer journey.
“We’re incredibly proud of the website platform we’ve built and the reputation we’ve established over many years working with well over 1,200 independent insurance agencies,” said Jeff Teschke, founder and CEO of Forge3. “Looking forward, we’re excited to combine our proven, best-in-class website platform with Agency Revolution’s leading marketing, content, and communication solution. It’s a powerful combination unlike anything else in the industry.”
For more information on this news and to register for a webinar with the Agency Revolution leadership team discussing how this exciting news affects existing Forge3 and Agency Revolution clients, click here.
About Agency Revolution
Agency Revolution, an FMG company, has served the insurance industry for more than 25 years with a marketing platform to help independent insurance agents and brokers automate their communications, build deeper, more meaningful client relationships, and grow their agencies and brokerages. From professionally designed websites backed by an award-winning content library to a collection of marketing, communication, and relationship-building tools, Agency Revolution empowers the modern insurance agency with the services and solutions to advance how they do business and grow. Learn more.
About Forge3
Founded in 2004, Forge3’s ActiveAgency website platform is now used by well over 1,200 independent insurance agencies across the country. Forge3 has pioneered the industry’s most innovative and powerful sales tools, including Clickable Coverage, Hello Producer, Power Panels, and more, while also earning an incredible reputation within the industry. They are known for their human-powered, people-first approach combined with innovative technology and solutions. ActiveAgency is the highest-rated, fastest-growing insurance agency website platform in the industry, focused on enabling agencies to look amazing, get found, sell more, and service better.
Agency Revolution Press Contacts
Katherine Verducci
1903 PR
[email protected]
SOURCE Agency Revolution
Counsel to FMG Suite, LLC in its acquisition of Vestorly, Inc.
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Counsel to FMG Suite, LLC in its acquisition of Vestorly, Inc.
Counsel to FMG Suite, LLC, a SaaS company specializing in marketing software and services for financial advisors and insurance agents, in connection with its acquisition of Vestorly, Inc. for an undisclosed sum.
Matt and his team are exceptionally capable M&A attorneys who are highly responsive during the deal and very practical in their approach. You get the best of both worlds: big-law trained, talented attorneys at small firm prices.
– Scott White, CEO, FMG Suite, LLC
Read the Press Release Here

FMG Takes Leadership Position in Artificial Intelligence Capabilities Through the Acquisition of Vestorly
Agreement expands the all-in-one marketing platform’s artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to improve marketing opportunities for modern financial professionals.
SAN DIEGO, July 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — FMG, a SaaS company specializing in marketing software and services for financial advisors and insurance agents, today announced its acquisition of Vestorly, a company specializing in AI-driven content curation for wealth management firms.
As a trusted leader in the marketing and financial services industry, Vestorly’s award-winning content management system uses artificial intelligence to curate personalized content to help financial professionals increase audience engagement.
“Vestorly pioneered the use of artificial intelligence to help financial advisors create an engaging and personalized content experience for their clients and prospects,” said Scott White, CEO of FMG. “We’re excited to enhance our AI capabilities through this acquisition and look forward to expanding the functionality available to Vestorly’s customers by leveraging the full FMG platform. With the integration of this technology, we can apply AI to every aspect of advisor marketing.”
No stranger to the benefits of AI, FMG’s Curator™ employs similar technology to help financial advisors fuel their content engine and automatically source and personalize their content feed, significantly reducing the time and effort required to engage clients and prospects.
Together, FMG and Vestorly seek to improve the scalability of personalization available to financial professionals by augmenting FMG’s already robust, all-in-one solution to include more AI-driven products and features across multiple marketing channels.
“We’ve long admired FMG for its innovation and market leadership in helping financial advisors leverage marketing to grow their brands and businesses,” said Ralph Pahlmeyer, CEO of Vestorly. “The combination of our platform makes perfect sense and will extend capabilities for both of our customer bases. We are thrilled to be part of the clear market leader in advisor marketing technology and excited for what the future holds for our customers.”
With this agreement, FMG will acquire Vestorly’s client base, reinforcing its leading market share position. The seventh acquisition in six years, the purchase represents a continuation of FMG’s expansion strategy.
About FMG
FMG powers an all-in-one marketing platform that helps financial advisors and insurance agents attract new leads, stay connected with clients and grow their businesses. Rated first in market share and customer satisfaction in the 2019, 2020 and 2021 T3 Software Survey Reports, FMG helps its customers develop comprehensive marketing strategies and automate their most effective marketing tactics. FMG is headquartered in San Diego, CA, with satellite offices across the United States.
About Vestorly
Vestorly was founded in 2012 to help wealth management firms improve workflows and make business sense of their digital content. Vestorly has been at the forefront of using AI, machine learning and NLP technologies to leverage content across different business activities. It has built a robust and award-winning AI-driven Content Management Engine (CME) that combines the primary components of content marketing and management. Vestorly is headquartered in New York, NY.
FMG Press Contacts
Susan Theder
Chief Marketing Officer
FMG
[email protected]
SOURCE FM
Counsel to HazardHub in its Sale to Guidewire Software
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Counsel to HazardHub in its Sale to Guidewire Software
Served as corporate counsel to HazardHub, a leading insurtech provider of API-driven property risk insights
Updated corporate structure and prepared corporation for eventual sale
Negotiated term sheet and navigated extensive due diligence review among buyer’s legal and business teams
Negotiated and finalized deal documents
Prepared detailed liquidation waterfall model, including future earnout payments
Closed transaction on an expedited basis

Read the Press Release Here:
Guidewire Acquires HazardHub, a Leading Insurtech Provider of API-Driven Property Risk Insights
HazardHub’s unique risk API service, derived from comprehensive U.S. property and hazard data, enhances the power of the Guidewire Platform and accelerates innovation in the P&C Industry
SAN MATEO, Calif., August 19, 2021
Guidewire Software, Inc. (NYSE: GWRE) has acquired HazardHub, a leading insurtech provider of API-driven property risk insights to the P&C insurance industry. HazardHub powers decisions for 110+ organizations, including insurers, reinsurers, brokers, MGAs, and other insurtechs. Insurers use HazardHub to underwrite with confidence, micro-segment rating zones, manage risks profitably, and drive competitive advantage.
HazardHub curates, analyzes, and distills vast amounts of data to deliver a comprehensive, national catalog of risks that may damage or destroy property, including perils from air (wind, hail, tornado, lightning), water (flood, freeze, coastal storm surge), earth (earthquake, brownfield, Superfund), and fire (wildfire and fire protection). In less than 2 seconds, HazardHub’s API provides risk scores and the supporting underlying information for any property in the United States.
HazardHub’s team of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data engineering, data science, hazard specialists, and technology veterans have 100+ years of combined experience creating, modeling, and deploying large geospatial databases.
“Underwriters, agents, and claims adjusters will power smarter decisions with risk insights embedded directly into core workflows” said Mike Rosenbaum, CEO, Guidewire Software. “Embedding HazardHub’s comprehensive property risk data service into Guidewire’s industry-leading platform will drive tremendous value for our customers and the P&C insurance industry.”
“We are excited about what HazardHub has built and even more by their passion, bold vision, and the host of challenges that we can tackle in combining their data and expertise with our market-leading platform,” said Roger Arnemann, general manager, Analytics, Guidewire Software. “Their deep GIS expertise is a perfect complement to our existing team of over 170 Guidewire Analytics specialists in data science, actuarial modeling, data provisioning, and application development. P&C insurers who have relied upon Guidewire Analytics’ robust casualty data and insights will now also have access to rich property data and scores from a single trusted partner.”
“We see joining Guidewire as the best way to get our hazard data and risk scores into more insurer workflows to positively impact more insurers and policyholders,” said, Bob Frady, co-founder and CEO, HazardHub. “We are eager to expand the power of our API-driven insights and bring innovative solutions to market as part of Guidewire, the technology leader serving the P&C insurance industry.”
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to expectations, plans, and prospects including expectations relating to this transaction and the benefits that will be derived from this transaction. These forward-looking statements are based upon the current expectations and beliefs of Guidewire’s management as of the date of this release and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements including, without limitation, the risk of adverse and unpredictable macro-economic conditions and risks related to integration of the companies. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to the Company as of the date hereof, and Guidewire disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

About HazardHub

HazardHub is an insurtech start-up that has emerged as a leading provider of property hazard data and risk scores in the U.S. HazardHub delivers an innovative offering that models complex natural and manmade phenomena to drive decisions that benefit insurers and insureds. HazardHub powers decisions for 110+ customers, spanning insurers, reinsurers, brokers, MGAs, and insurtechs. They are a 2020 Gartner Cool Company and alumni of the Plug and Play and Lloyd’s Lab accelerators. For more information, please visit www.HazardHub.com.
About Guidewire Software
Guidewire is the platform P&C insurers trust to engage, innovate, and grow efficiently. We combine digital, core, analytics, and machine learning to deliver our platform as a cloud service. More than 500 insurers in 38 countries, from new ventures to the largest and most complex in the world, run on Guidewire.
As a partner to our customers, we continually evolve to enable their success. We are proud of our unparalleled implementation track record, with 1,000+ successful projects, supported by the largest R&D team and partner ecosystem in the industry. Our marketplace provides hundreds of applications that accelerate integration, localization, and innovation.
For more information, please visit www.guidewire.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
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Contact Us
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Counsel to Talent Acquisition AI Company in Sale to Strategic Buyer
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Counsel to Talent Acquisition AI Company in Sale to Strategic Buyer
Structured exit through the sale of all outstanding stock
Negotiated substantial cash payment for stockholders at initial closing followed by a series of strategic earnout payments
Navigated key deal issues relating to technology transfer and government grants
Closed transaction under compressed timing of 10 days
Acquisition of Government Defense Contractor
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Acquisition of Government Defense Contractor
Counsel to buyer in connection with stock purchase from stockholders
Structured deal consideration to minimize deal risk, including amount of initial closing cash, seller’s note and post-closing employment obligations
Negotiated key deal issues relating to line of credit transition, government contracting matters and post-closing liability concerns

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