New Ventures Strategic Partner Spotlight: Clint King
Clint is a registered patent attorney and a member of the firm's Intellectual Property practice group. His practice focuses on patent preparation and prosecution in cutting-edge fields such as spatial computing, extended reality, artificial intelligence (AI), head-mounted devices (HMDs), and related emerging technologies. Clint has extensive experience guiding companies of all sizes through the intricacies of patent protection, with a particular passion for supporting startups and small businesses. He provides comprehensive IP counsel, helping these companies protect their full portfolio—from patents to trade secrets and trademarks—while ensuring that their IP strategies align with their overall business goals.
Congratulations to Thompson Hine Best Lawyers in America® 2025 Honorees
Jonathon Vinocur
Best Lawyers® 2025 Venture Capital Law “Lawyer of the Year”
Only one lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year.” These honorees are selected based on impressive voting averages received during the peer-review assessments conducted each year.
Sean Ganley
Included for Corporate Governance Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Lindsay Karas Stencel
Included for Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Corporate Law
Startups Streamlined – Navigating Chicago’s Thriving Startup Ecosystem – Fall 2024
Join us for the next Startups Streamlined in Chicago this fall. The Chicago startup and venture capital ecosystem is a vibrant and growing segment of the city's economy, characterized by a diverse range of industries, a supportive network of investors and incubators, and a collaborative culture that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship. Our discussion will spotlight industry developments and recent issues that impact startups, founders, and venture capital investors. We’ll explore trending topics such as data privacy, intellectual property, venture debt, and offer insights and guidance relevant to your startup or high-growth business. Our panel, led by Lindsay Karas Stencel, will delve into the entrepreneurial landscape of Chicago, uncovering the opportunities and dynamics driving the thriving startup ecosystem and exploring its potential for growth and innovation. We will announce the date soon. If you are interested in attending, click here.
2024 Ohio VC Fest Sponsor
Thompson Hine is proud to sponsor and support the upcoming Ohio VC Fest, presented by Cyrannus, on September 17-18 in Cleveland. This annual, two-day premier event brings together venture capitalists, startup founders, and entrepreneurs from across the region and beyond. Catch our Thompson Hine New Ventures team, including Jonathon Vinocur, Sean Ganley and Daniel Criswell, as we participate in topic-based roundtables and lead workshop discussions. The conference’s main highlights include the following. View the complete conference agenda here.
- Keynote Speakers: Industry leaders and successful entrepreneurs will share insights on trends, investment strategies, and the future of technology and innovation.
- Pitch Competitions: Startups will have the opportunity to present their ideas to a panel of investors, competing for funding and mentorship.
- Networking Opportunities: Structured networking sessions will enable participants to connect with potential investors, partners, and clients.
- Workshops and Panels: Interactive sessions will cover various topics from scaling a business to navigating the legal aspects of venture capital.
Thompson Hine Sponsors StartupCincy Week 2024 – Connect, Collaborate, Thrive
Cintrifuse StartupCincy Week is an annual event celebrating the Cincinnati region’s entrepreneurial spirit and startup ecosystem. Thompson Hine is thrilled to sponsor the “Off the Bench: Startup Athletes” panel and this event in general, which showcases the innovation and collaboration that fuels the local economy. The week-long affair typically features a series of workshops, 80+ panel discussions, fireside chats, curated networking opportunities, and pitch competitions designed to connect startup founders, investors, and business leaders.
The week also provides a platform for startups to exhibit their products and services, gaining visibility, and potentially attracting investment. Interactive sessions and mentorship opportunities are integral to the event, offering attendees hands-on advice and guidance on various aspects of business growth and development. Additional conference information can be found here. We look forward to seeing you there!
2024 Best of the Midwest: Startup City Rankings
The 2024 "Best of the Midwest: Startup City Rankings" highlights key trends and shifts across the region's startup ecosystems. The below provides a glimpse into understanding how micro-environments in the Midwest are performing relative to one another regarding startup activity, access to resources, and business climate.
- Chicago retained its top spot, bolstered by significant exits like Tempus and Tegus.
- Minneapolis and Indianapolis followed, reflecting strong venture capital activity and growth.
- Pittsburgh and Columbus completed the top five, showing substantial gains in startup investment.
- Omaha and Lincoln made notable progress, climbing the ranks thanks to a surge in startup activity and a supportive environment.
- Overall, the Midwest saw a slowdown in venture capital, with 2023 being one of the lowest years since 2013. However, the region remains appealing to investors given its capital efficiency and focus on industries like healthcare, manufacturing, and software.
These trends highlight the resilience and evolving dynamics of the Midwest's startup ecosystem, even amid broader economic challenges. Access the full report here.
Data Insights – State of Startup Compensation for H1 2024
Check out the recent Carta State of Startup Compensation for H1 2024. The data shows that companies have become leaner with salary benchmarks remaining flat across much of the ecosystem.
Here are a few takeaways:
- Salary and equity held steady: The average amounts of both salary and fully diluted equity issued to new employees have been largely unchanged since last September. The market seems to have landed on a new normal for equity packages, which declined sharply in late 2022 and 2023.
- Hiring remains sluggish: January saw fewer new hires than in any of the previous four January months, with the trend continuing through February, March, and April 2024. As a result, the total net headcount on Carta has remained flat.
- Companies raising cash are leaner: Startups that closed seed funding in H1 had an average of 5.3 employees, down from 6.9 in H1 2021. Series A startups have averaged 15.6 employees this year, down from 17.6 in H1 2021. Across most stages, successful fundraising teams have become leaner.
***Data provided by Carta Insights
QuickLaunch: Experienced Guidance for Startups and Investors
Our QuickLaunch program is tailored to entrepreneurs, startups and investors, providing guidance on growth and funding cycles and offering cost-effective counsel on day-to-day legal matters from formation to funding to exits. Our seasoned team helps navigate the confusing waters of growth, funding, expansion and those tricky legal issues that can arise, often at fixed or budgeted pricing by using our firmwide proprietary SmartPaTH™ tool. To learn more about our tailored, value-enhancing solutions, please visit our QuickLaunch site.
For more information, please contact a member of our QuickLaunch team.