Jeffrey A. Bekiares, Esq.
PARTNER, ATTORNEY AT LAW
DIRECT:
+1 404-537-3686 – ext. 803
EMAIL:
SPECIALIZED AREAS:
SECURITIES & CAPITAL RAISING
MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS, EXITS
GENERAL CORPORATE COUNSEL
ABOUT JEFF:
Jeff Bekiares is a senior attorney with over fifteen years of experience in general corporate, capital raising and securities laws practice. He began his career at a great large Atlanta law firm, practicing there for over six years before leaving large firm life to become the Co-founder, COO and General Counsel of SparkMarket, a Georgia based crowdfunding platform that was first-of-its-kind in equity crowdfunding in the United States. He is a founding Partner of Founders Legal and has been the Chair of our Corporate Department since 2014.
He has worked with clients at a variety of stages: from start-ups, to emerging growth to exchange listed public companies. He specializes in organizational structuring, corporate governance, operating and shareholders agreement, multi-use and bespoke complex commercial contract drafting, mergers & acquisitions, private capital raising and all manner of transactional matters, including asset purchase, sale and leasing transactions.
The majority of his Clients operate in the technology space, but he regularly assists companies in a variety of different industries, arts and verticals—which includes representations of companies, individual angel investors or angel investor groups, accelerator programs and venture capital concerns. He also regularly represents commercial real estate development and investment groups in their capital raising efforts.
Jeff has worked closely with regulators and experts in the state and national crowdfunding community to design capital raising campaigns (primarily “intrastate” Invest Georgia Exemption campaigns) that are compliant and safe for issuers and investors.
Jeff practices law with a philosophy based on the practical and affordable, for companies of all sizes. He is also a prolific writer, speaker and thought leader in his areas of practice and interest, and regularly lectures and provides content to and in connection with capital raising conferences, co-working space meetups, incubators and accelerators, institutions of higher learning, and government agencies. He is also the practice leader in our Corporate Education & Training group.
EDUCATION:
University of Florida – Juris Doctorate
University of Illinois – Bachelor of Arts in International Studies
BAR ADMISSIONS:
State of Georgia
Chair – Corporate Department; Corporate Education & Training
Groups: Business & Corporate Law, Securities & Capital Raising; Corporate Training & Education
1) “Constitutional Law: Ratifying Suspicionless Canine Sniffs—Dog Days on the Highways.”
Published September 2005, Florida Law Review, 57 F.L.R. 963.
2) “Note: In Country, On Parole, Out of Luck: Regulating Away Alien Eligibility for Adjustment of Status Contrary to Congressional Intent and Sound Immigration Policy.”
Published July 2006, Florida Law Review, 58 F.L.R. 713
- Recurring Guest Lecturing (Undergraduate, Business and Law Schools) (2013—2017).
- National Association of State Securities Administrators (NASAA) (2014) – Crowdfunding Regulatory Training.
- PechaKucha – Atlanta, Georgia (May 2014). Presenter on Crowdfunding.
- Michigan House of Representatives (2014) – Guest expert testimony / pending legislation.
- Crowdfinance 2013 – New York City (December 2013). Topic speaker on ‘Intrastate Crowdfunding’.
- IdeasFest – Louisville, Kentucky (September 2013). Keynote speaker on ‘Crowdfunding’.
- CfPA 2013 Crowdfunding Conference – Orlando, Florida (August 2013). Topic speaker on ‘Intrastate Crowdfunding’.
- Dun & Bradstreet’s Access to Capital – Atlanta, Georgia (August 2013). Topic speaker on Crowdfunding.
- Various radio and podcast programs, including NPR/Marketplace.
RECENT & NOTABLE PROJECTS:
