Elias J. Blawie joined the firm in 2003 and is a member the Corporate/VLG Practice Group.

Experience

Mr. Blawie is active in the firm’s multidisciplinary cleantech practice, particularly with emerging companies who need the firm’s capabilities in start-up, venture capital financing and corporate transactions as well as in the energy field. He also works with a broad base of technology clients in telecommunications/networking and the enterprise software and e-commerce infrastructure businesses.  He has substantial experience in general business advising and deal structuring, venture capital financings, public offerings and SEC reporting, mergers and acquisitions, corporate partnering, commercial contracts and technology licenses.

Current clients in the energy and clean technologies arena include leading companies in utility-scale solar thermal generation, thin film solar, underground coal gasification, non-ethanol biofuels and advanced materials to reduce carbon emissions. Current clients in the IT sector include public companies who are recognized leaders in their respective markets as well venture backed companies in the enterprise software, telecommunications and networking businesses.

Representative prior clients include Agility Communications (acquired by JDSU), Caw Networks (acquired by Spirent plc), Clarify and Tasman Networks (both acquired by Nortel), Fibex and Growth Networks (both acquired by Cisco), ISOCOR (acquired by Critical Path), OnStream Networks (acquired by 3Com), Sendia (acquired by SalesForce.com), Softbook Press (acquired by Gemstar),  and Mentat (acquired by Packeteer), as well as many other companies recognized as industry pioneers over more than twenty years in a variety of industries. Mr. Blawie’s clients are typified by rapid growth, technological and market change, and the building of great businesses.

Mr. Blawie was a co-founder of Venture Law Group and served on its Executive Committee and in senior management roles prior to its merger with Heller Ehrman in 2003. Mr. Blawie chairs the firm's affiliated investment fund and is a member of its finance committee.

Prior to co-founding Venture Law Group in 1993, Mr. Blawie was a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati, and earlier had led the personal computer research and consulting practice for a leading independent research firm in Silicon Valley.