Since 2008, Matthew Cole has served as the Chair of the Corporate Department at Jacobs Law Group. Mr. Cole has nearly 20 years' experience in the fields of corporate, securities, and commercial real estate law. He has served for many years as securities counsel to an internationally known New York Stock Exchange-listed company.

Before joining the Jacobs Law Group in 2007, he served as counsel and as an associate with several New York City boutique law firms, and maintained his own legal practice. He graduated from the Temple University School of Law and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

• General legal advice for start-up companies and small businesses, including choice of entity for doing business, raising capital, and preparation of contracts

• Venture capital and other private placements for issuers and investors (including PIPES)

• Negotiation and preparation of technology, distribution and other types of commercial contracts

• Mergers and acquisitions involving public and private companies

• Secured and unsecured loans and other financing arrangements, primarily for borrowers

• Formation of partnerships, limited liability companies and joint ventures

• Commercial real estate leasing representing landlords and tenants and the purchase, sale and financing of commercial real estate.

• Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Act and stock exchange regulatory compliance

• Sarbanes-Oxley and other public and private company corporate governance counseling

• Shareholder proposal and proxy contest advice

• Public stock and debt offerings for New York Stock Exchange-listed companies

Mr. Cole also focuses a significant portion of his practice on counseling clients regarding business owner disputes and relations, or "business divorces," including structuring and implementing buy-out, spin-off, split-up and other transactions that often arise in connection with business divorces.