Professional Experience

Stephen P. Rothman has a broad transactional legal practice with an emphasis on representing startup companies formed to commercialize inventions from universities and research institutes. He has extensive experience in venture capital and angel financing, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, entity formation and other business law matters, as well as intellectual property licensing and sponsored research agreements. He often serves as a mentor to university faculty and other entrepreneurs in the areas of business plan development, executive team assembly and identification of suitable financing sources.

Mr. Rothman’s startup company client technologies include biofuels, fiber optics, drug discovery, nanotechnology, protein design, semiconductors, software, water purification and wireless communications. He also represents clients engaged in many other industries including advertising, beverage production, consulting, consumer products, fashion, healthcare, information technology, internet, investment banking, jewelry, outsourced corporate functions, private equity, real estate, restaurant/food service, retail and sports.

Prior to establishing his own law practice, Mr. Rothman was a partner in several law firms, including Thelen LLP, Morrison & Foerster, Irell & Manella and Guth Rothman Christopher, and also served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel of HiWire, Inc., a venture-capital-backed, Internet radio software company.

Education

Harvard Law School (J.D., cum laude, 1985)
Yale University (B.A., cum laude, 1982)

Publications, Professional Affiliations and Speaking

Mr. Rothman writes the Tech Transfer Update and circulates it to a list of around 3,000 technology transfer professionals. He is an active member of the Association of University Technology Managers, and contributor to its Journal. He has spoken about startup companies, entrepreneurship and commercialization of university technology at:

• Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (April 8, 2009), moderator of panel So You Want to Start a Biomedical Company
• UCLA’s Anderson School of Management (guest lecturer in Entrepreneurship class, 2004 – 08)
• USC Stevens Institute for Innovation (July 1, 2008)
• 5th Annual Investing in Tech Transfer & Early Stage Conference, Boston Univ. (October 2007)
• Caltech Office of Technology Transfer (July 30, 2007)
• University of San Diego’s TechTIPS program (February 15, 2005)