Dan Austin advises companies, investors, and individuals in connection with a wide variety of business and financial transactions and corporate governance matters. He has a wealth of experience helping clients raise capital, negotiating and drafting transaction agreements, and advising clients on an array of complex commercial transactions, with a particular emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and private equity financings. Dan’s experience involves a broad range of emerging growth industries, including cybersecurity, IoT, FinTech, energy, transportation, digital media, and life sciences.
Immediately prior to joining Dickinson Wright, Dan was in-house counsel with a venture capital-backed InsurTech company, where he was an advisor and member of the executive team. Before that, he was a founding partner and the head of the business law practice of a boutique law firm focused on serving technology companies.
Prior to becoming an attorney, Dan was a Field Artillery officer in the United States Army, where he attained the rank of captain.
Education & Credentials
Education
University of Texas Law School
J.D.- National Black Law Students Association
- with honors
University of Virginia
B.A.- Army ROTC (highest ranking cadet in the program)
Bar Admission
Prominent Assignments
Venture Capital and Private Equity
- Represented an InsurTech company in connection with its $9 million in seed equity and bridge financings.
- Represented an electronic notarization company in connection with its $2.5 million series seed financing and its $2 million bridge financing.
- Represented a social media management company in connection with its $2 million series A financing, its $12 million series B financing, and its $18 million series C financing.
- Represented a SAAS company in connection with its initial formation and its $12 million series A financing.
- Represented a clean energy technology company in connection with its $11 million series B financing and its $30 million series C financing.
Mergers & Acquisitions
- Represented a coding analytics company in connection with its acquisition by AngelList.
- Represented an affiliate marketing company in connection with its acquisition by a private equity group.
- Represented a custom print company in connection with its acquisition of a competing company.
- Represented a biotechnology company in connection with its acquisition of a controlling stake in a biofuels company.
- Represented a semiconductor conductor supplier in connection with the sale of a business unit.
Professional Involvement
- State Bar of Texas
Community Involvement
- Austin Monitor
- Board Member, 2017-Present
- Fusebox Festival
- Board Member, 2015-2017
- DivInc.
- Co-Founder, 2016
Publications/Presentations
- 3 Day StartUp
- Panelist, 2016
- Tech Inclusion Conference
- Panelist, 2016
- Software and Information Industry Association
- Speaker, 2017-2018