Matthew W. Bower

Business Law Attorney

Matt serves as outside general counsel to a wide range of emerging and middle market companies. His particular industry concentrations include software, SaaS, information technology, IoT, data analytics and other technology based companies, as well as manufacturing, automotive, advanced materials, pharma, medical devices, publishing, digital advertising and media, retail, and food and beverage.

Matt advises middle market companies on general internal corporation matters including shareholder agreements, corporate governance, equity incentive plans and investor relations. Matt also acts as general outside counsel to middle market companies, providing advice and assistance in connection with general contract matters concerning vendors, suppliers, customers, licensors and other day-to-day business transactions.

He advises emerging companies on capital fundraising, including SAFE financing, convertible debt, preferred equity financing, as well as securities law compliance. He works closely with companies from cradle (formation and organization) to liquidity (sale or merger) and all stages of development in between. Matt's experience in the early-stage capital markets includes fund representation, fund formation and investments.

Matt also has extensive experience in a broad range of intellectual property matters particularly protection and commercialization, including development, licensing and SaaS agreements.

Matt is a member of the Business and Corporate Services Practice Team, and participates in the Intellectual Property, the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity, and the Startup and Emerging Companies practice teams. He is also the lead partner of the firm's Ann Arbor office.

For more information, please contact Matt Bower at 734/372-2920 or mwbower@varnumlaw.com

$1 million Series Seed financing for Ann Arbor-based Y Combinator company.

$15 million Series B financing for Nevada-based Tech Stars IoT company.

$1.6 million Series A financing, $2 million venture debt transaction, and $1.5 million convertible bridge financing for Ann Arbor-based payment processing company.

$2.5 million convertible debt financing and $2 million equity financing for Detroit-based customer relationship management (CRM) company.

Six-figure licensing transactions for California-based insurance risk management software company.

Formation of $30 million Michigan-based, seed-stage investment fund. 

$1 million Series Seed financing for Ann Arbor-based data analytics company.

$500,000 Series Seed financing for Detroit-based, minority-owned SaaS company.

$2 million convertible debt financing for Detroit-based, minority-owned and woman-owned cosmetics company.

$1 million financing for S.E. Michigan cannabis business (Class C Grower).

$1 million SAFE financing for SE Michigan, women-owned fintech company.

Arts, Communications, Entertainment, and Arts Section of the State Bar of Michigan: Hensel Award Recipient, 2020

Michigan Lawyers Weekly: Leaders in the Law, 2020

Detroit Techweek 100, 2014, 2015 (Detroit area leaders significantly impacting business and technology)

Michigan Super Lawyers^®: Rising Star since 2012

Michigan Lawyers Weekly: Up and Coming Lawyer, 2009

American Bar Association, Intellectual Property Section

Copyright Society of the U.S.A.

New York State Bar Association: Entertainment Section; Intellectual Property Section

State Bar of Michigan: Arts, Communications, Entertainment and Sports (ACES) Section, past chair; Business Section; Intellectual Property Section

Creative Many Michigan: Board; Lawyers for the Creative Economy (LCE) program, volunteer lawyer and founding advisor member

Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), "Doing Business Online," program section and publication YouTube and Beyond: The Law of Online Content Sharing, presented June 5, 2007

ICLE, "Movie Making in Michigan: A Lawyer's Guide," program section and publication Serving as General Counsel for a Film Project, presented on June 3, 2010

ICLE, 4th Annual Information Technology Law Seminar, program and publication Representing the Web-based Business, presented on September 21, 2011