Daniel Sheridan

Dan Sheridan, a Partner in Potomac Law’s corporate practice, has over thirty-five years of combined law firm and in-house experience in mergers and acquisitions, formation, financing and governance of business entities, real estate transactions, and general commercial matters. A significant part of Mr. Sheridan’s practice entails representation of registered investment advisors in connection with the monetization of their advisory practices, whether through internal succession, external sale, or other business combination. His depth of experience in business transactions coupled with his thorough knowledge of the applicable regulatory requirements allows Mr. Sheridan to drive significant additional value for clients in this industry.

Prior to joining Potomac Law, Mr. Sheridan was divisional counsel for Royal Philips Electronics, a multi-national consumer electronics, lighting and medical device manufacturer. After leaving Philips in 2010, he founded a boutique business and transactional law practice, which he later transitioned to Stark & Stark, a regional law firm located in Princeton, New Jersey. Having spent his career in the State of New Jersey, a jurisdiction known for its vigorous environmental enforcement, Mr. Sheridan also has significant experience managing environmental risks in business transactions, brownfields, and related compliance and liability issues.  His diverse background over these many years enables him to effectively assist clients in a wide variety of business, commercial, and real estate transactions.

Mr. Sheridan frequently advises clients on their choice of business entity, including the potential beneficial use of the “Series LLC” structure. This structure, while somewhat novel, offers tremendous flexibility for ordering legal and economic relationships. Mr. Sheridan’s practice sometimes involves disputes among business owners, and he often helps clients to successfully navigate the settlement of significant internal disagreements while at the same time preserve the underlying value of their businesses. Where appropriate, Mr. Sheridan closely collaborates with litigation counsel in the context of private company disputes, especially those involving alleged breaches of fiduciary duty and minority oppression.

Mr. Sheridan actively participates on the American Bar Association’s Committee on Limited Liability Companies and has played a key role on several of the Committee’s drafting projects, including serving as Co-Chair of a Task Force that is developing a model Security Agreement covering limited liability company interest collateral. He frequently lectures on topics related to entity planning and governance.

Representative Experience

• Served as lead counsel to a registered investment advisor in a business combination transaction involving new private equity investment and cash-out proceeds in excess of $25 million.
• Designed and documented the reorganization of a multi-billion investment advisory firm into a Series LLC which facilitated direct ownership of client relationships by LLC members while at the same time maintaining a single regulated entity structure.
• Documented the merger of two technology firms which combined to develop a market-leading online platform for energy procurement, including the negotiation of post-merger ownership stakes and documentation of post-merger management roles.
• Structured and documented the equity ownership and real property rights for a start-up craft distillery, including documentation of a private securities offering for initial equity capital.
• Served as lead counsel to a publicly traded Indian company acquiring the stock of three United States based technology companies (two with foreign subsidiaries).