Darren T. Freedman
Darren Freedman is a Partner and Chair of the Corporate Department at TroyGould. Darren is a trusted legal and strategic advisor to startups, growth-stage companies, and investors, with a practice that focuses on M&A, venture capital and private equity transactions, and general corporate counseling across a wide range of industries—including technology, food & beverage, spirits, gaming, digital media, entertainment, and real estate.
As a startup and M&A attorney, Darren regularly advises founders, executives, and boards on their most important transactions—whether that’s structuring a Series A financing, negotiating a strategic acquisition, or navigating founder or investor disputes. At the same time, clients rely on Darren as a day-to-day outside general counsel, helping them manage risk, scale operations, and make business-critical decisions.
Darren takes pride in forming long-term relationships with his clients and acting as a true extension of their team. He’s known for his practical approach, thoughtful negotiation strategies, and ability to deliver value beyond the legal advice—especially when it comes to anticipating issues before they arise and aligning legal strategy with business goals.
Darren joined TroyGould in 2008, serves on the firm’s Management Committee, and chairs the firm’s Recruiting Committee.
Honors
Mr. Freedman was named a Rising Star in 2015-2022 by Southern California Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business. No more than 2.5 percent of lawyers in California are named to the list of “Rising Stars.
Languages
Mr. Freedman is conversant in Spanish.
- Represent high-growth startups in a wide range of venture capital transactions, ranging from seed stage convertible equity through preferred stock financings
- Represent venture capital funds in preferred stock financings of technology companies
- Represent gas sensing technology and data solutions start-up through successive rounds of preferred stock financings
- Represented software companies in master services, licensing, and software-as-a-service agreements
- Sale of substantially all assets of a post-production company
- Sale of technology consultancy to a strategic acquirer
- Sale of specialty coatings manufacturer by private equity fund
- Merger of company engaged in research, development, and commercialization of autologous cell-based therapeutics for use in regenerative medicine with a publicly traded medical device manufacturer
- Merger of oil and gas company
- Represent both buyers and sellers in mergers, acquisitions and asset sales across various industries including technology, food and beverage, and professional services
- Serve as outside counsel to a variety of startup and middle market companies across various industries
- Serve as outside counsel to restaurants and celebrity chefs
- Advise various corporations and limited liability companies in a wide range of industries on corporate matters, including formation, employment, intellectual property, executive compensation, employee equity and option plans, financing, real estate leases, contracts with vendors, customers and other third parties
- Nasdaq-listed cancer vaccine company in registered spin-off of subsidiary company
- Underwritten public offering of shares of common stock of Nasdaq-listed companies pursuant to “shelf” registrations
- Follow-on offerings of securities for numerous NASDAQ-listed corporations
- Representation of publicly traded corporations in various SEC-registered employee stock offerings
- Private equity fund acquisition and sale of specialty coatings manufacturer
- Dividend recapitalization
- Numerous private financings under SEC Rule 506
- Purchase of industrial properties in Pomona, California
- Leases of restaurant space
- Ongoing advice to various public corporations regarding compliance issues arising under federal securities laws, including periodic reporting requirements of Securities Exchange Act of 1934, FINRA, and compliance with NASDAQ and NYSE requirements