|
John Hession
John Hession is a partner in the Venture Capital Financings and Emerging Companies practice groups and a member of the Cooley Godward Kronish Business department. He is partner in charge of the Boston office and joined the Firm in 2007.
Mr. Hession represents emerging-growth companies, principally in the medical device, software, life sciences, telecommunications and electronic commerce fields, as well as angels and venture capital funds in the investment process in these sectors. His practice includes both start-up and public company work; equity-based compensation strategies; public offerings, representing either underwriters or companies; mergers and acquisitions, representing either buyers or sellers; corporate partnering, joint ventures and other strategic alliances involving technology transfers; license and distribution arrangements for software, hardware, medical devices and biotechnology; and venture capital financings of technology companies, representing either funds or companies.
Mr. Hession lectures frequently on the public offering process, corporate partnerships, technology licensing and venture capital financings, at both national and local forums. He has authored or co-authored several books, articles and trade group presentations on venture capital financings, public offerings, strategic alliances and technology licensing, including “Private Equity and Venture Capital Financing,” “Website Development and Hosting Contracts,” “Structuring and Negotiating Strategic Alliances,” “Internet and e-Commerce Law,” and “A Technology Licensing Primer.” He also serves as a member of the Drafting Committee of the National Venture Capital Association, which is developing and publishing a library of standardized form documents for venture capital financings. He was an adjunct professor at Boston College Law School, where he taught a course for two years on “Venture Capital Fund Formations and Investments,” and also served as an adjunct professor for several years at Boston University Law School, where he taught several courses on Intellectual Property Licensing, Legal Aspects of Electronic Commerce, and Technology Licensing for the Business Lawyer.
Mr. Hession was voted by Digital Industry in May 2001, as “one of Boston’s best VC lawyers,” and by Boston Magazine in October 2002, as “one of Boston’s best start-up company lawyers,” and nominated in the November 2004, 2005, and 2006 issues of Boston Magazine as “one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Massachusetts.” In addition, Mr. Hession was named as one of The Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers for 2007. In 2005, 2006 and 2007 he was also acclaimed by Chambers International, an international rating agency, as one of the distinguished members in his field of Venture Capital and Private Equity. More recently, Mr. Hession was recognized as one of the leading corporate lawyers in the United States by the peer review and legal directory, The Best Lawyers in America.
Mr. Hession began his legal career at Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault, where he practiced for 21 years as one of the principal attorneys at Testa representing venture-backed technology companies. He then became a corporate partner in the Boston office of McDermott Will & Emery LLP, where he was prior to joining Cooley. Before he joined the legal field, Mr. Hession was a sales representative with Burroughs Corporation, a Fortune 500 manufacturer of computer hardware, where he achieved Burroughs’ Legion of Honor award for one of the top-performing sales representatives in the company; a high school English teacher; and a carpenter in Ireland.
|
|
