We work for people who work.
Thomas Oakley, PLLC is a boutique corporate and public interest law firm, serving start-ups in CA, CO, MA, and NY, and as U.S. counsel internationally. The partners combine years of experience at top international law firms with a passion for helping founders from MIT, Harvard, and other communities turn cutting edge ideas into innovative products and thriving companies. We help potential founders understand the process and serve as trusted advisors as companies and founders grow. The firm's practice areas include: intellectual property strategy, licensing, and counseling; commercial transactions; mergers and acquisitions; investment; technology and data privacy; commercial disputes and IP enforcement; and global business and human rights.
As artists, makers, and founders of startups ourselves, we bring a genuine interest in, and deeper understanding of, our clients’ businesses.
As members of the corporate legal industry, we have seen the impact of unequal access to legal services and how this reality contributes to inequality. We leverage our corporate legal services to work toward social justice. We provide our corporate services to founders and non-profits from underrepresented backgrounds; we represent asylum seekers in immigration proceedings; we represent and advise entities on non-traditional ownership structures, and we provide litigation services for various public interest causes. We serve our public interest clients with as much fervor as our corporate clients.
Get in touch with us to set up a consultation, or use the link below to set up a fifteen minute introduction.
Contact
➤ LOCATIONs
285 Washington Street
Suite 101
Somerville, MA 02143
1801 Wewatta Street, 11th Floor
Denver, CO 80202
☎ CONTACT
contact@thomas-oakley.com
(857) 242-6067
Corporate Law
Technology, Privacy, and cybersecurity
We understand the needs of startups and consultancies who work in machine learning, data science, and other fields that require the collection of large amounts of user data. We can help you keep your systems compliant.
commercial transactions
At every stage of a company’s lifecycle, we can help you structure transactions so that you receive what you expect, without unwittingly boxing your business into a corner. Our advice is guided by our experience with investors and acquirers so that we ensure that each transaction helps you reach your long term goals. We draft agreements and advise clients at all levels of complexity, from cross-border manufacturing and supply contracts to multi-tiered IP licensing agreements.
Commercial Disputes and IP Enforcement
Litigation is disruptive—whether you’re plaintiff, defendant or an ensnared third party—and for our clients, it’s usually the option of last resort. Members of our team have litigated IP and commercial cases on behalf of some of the largest technology companies in the world with millions of dollars on the line. We use that experience to resolve disputes early and keep our clients out of court. Sometimes, however, litigation is the only way to protect your IP, or your entire business. We’re there for those fights too.
Investment
SAFEs, convertible notes, friends and family, accredited investors, full-ratchet anti-dilution, pre-money vs. post-money. You need a lawyer who not only understands the jargon, but who also gives sound advice based on your underlying business needs.
Intellectual Property (IP) Strategy and Counseling.
Ideas and information are our clients’ greatest assets and the foundation of their competitive edge. We know how to protect those assets so you can focus on the business of innovation. We counsel clients on strategic and comprehensive IP portfolio development, taking time to understand their technologies and developing plans for holistic protection, covering patents, trade secrets, copyrights and trademarks.
Global Business and Human Rights
As more businesses develop and use AI, it is not only the law, but company’s practices, that govern technology’s consequences. Our attorneys are internationally recognized experts in global business, AI, and their intersection with human rights. We've led the multistakeholder, international development of AI and ethics best practices, helped big tech companies and startups improve human rights outcomes, and written emerging technology and human rights advice read by governments, NGOs, and industry leaders on every continent. Let us help guide you through the world of emerging technology and your business.
Creative Industry
Creative industries like art, design, and entertainment have unique legal needs. We work with creative professionals to protect their work, and to contract with their customers and patrons so that our clients receive fair value for their labor and creativity.
Mergers and acquisitions
We provide sophisticated services for growth and lower middle market exit and acquisition opportunities. We represent both companies and acquirers in all manner of exit scenarios of any level of complexity including detailed intellectual property considerations.
Business formation and Corporate governance
We often operate as outside in-house counsel and pride ourselves in helping our clients navigate the complexities of corporate governance to ensure that all corporate formalities are properly documented. We guide founders and executives through the process of selecting the ideal corporate structure and provide ongoing support to ensure proper corporate governance. We strive to prevent any surprises from arising in diligence during capital raises and exits so that you can focus on building a successful business without worrying about which forms to file where.
Public Interest Law
Immigration and asylum
We are passionate about protecting those who suffer under threat of persecution and physical harm around the world. Thanks to the success of our private practice, we are able to dedicate significant resources to representing asylum seekers who cannot afford private counsel of their own.
cooperatives and alternative ownership
There is no single “correct” way to organize a business. We believe that cooperatively-owned businesses can drive just as much value as traditional models. We are passionate about helping these clients build incentive structures and oversight mechanisms to ensure success.
AI Policy and Governance
Tech moves fast. Policymakers need help writing laws to govern not just where tech is now, but where it's going. We work with leaders around the world to develop strong AI and data policy practices. Our public interest practice includes direct client engagement, legislative testimony, and advising and contributing to AI and ethics research, scholarship, and education globally.
Who We Are
Aaron S. Oakley
Aaron counsels startups and established organizations on intellectual property (IP) portfolio strategy, IP licensing and enforcement, and technology disputes. Before law school, Aaron spent almost a decade as an electrical and computer engineer solving technical problems for companies in the medical, energy, and defense industries. Aaron joins the firm from a multinational law firm where he was a partner litigating high-stakes patent and trade secret cases for some of the most valuable technology brands in the world.
Matthew Thomas
Prior to launching his private practice, Matthew worked as an environmental advocate in Chile, as a litigator at a prestigious Boston law firm, as an entrepreneur, and as in house corporate counsel. He has guided start ups through priced rounds, guided clients through employment disputes, represented clients in PCI DSS compliance litigation, and has guided founders through all stages of business formation. His private practice encompasses data privacy and corporate transactions involving complex technology issues, as well as the general corporate needs of his start-up clients.
Let's Talk.
We at Thomas - Oakley know that choosing the right attorney is a decision not to be taken lightly. That’s why we offer free consultations to discuss your needs, the scope of your goals, and your budget.
Please email contact@thomas-oakley.com to schedule a consultation.