Jeff Racho
Of CounselAbout
Jeff Racho is a business-focused attorney with over ten years of experience in guiding emerging entities. He has experience in venture capital and early stage investments, intellectual property, as well as mergers & acquisitions. He also practices in the law governing small unmanned aircraft systems (drones) and holds a remote pilot sUAS certification.
Representative Experience
Intellectual Property law
- Represented wine companies regarding trademark registrations, trademark infringement, and coexistence agreements; also represented these companies regarding import laws and logistics for the import of wine from Europe
- Prosecuted patents before the USPTO in the arts of material engineering, electric devices, processes, and compositions of matter
- Licensing agreements for trademarks, patents, and software, including “Software as a Service” (SaaS) access agreements, End-User License Agreements (EULAs), software development agreements, and functional specifications
- Drafted and reviewed privacy policies; registered as a Certified Information Privacy Professional
- Handled copyright and trademark matters and “work made for hire” agreements for film production companies
- Represented clients in domain name disputes
Early-Stage/”Startup” Corporations
- Represented startup companies in the fields of electronic/mobile payments, online education, real estate technology, and “fintech” regarding corporate formation, corporate governance, equity compensation, employment agreements, general contract matters, and “company-side” financing agreements
- Represented “investor-side” financings of startup companies, including financings by convertible notes, Simple Agreements for Future Equity (SAFEs), and early-stage “priced” equity rounds
- Performed due diligence for angel investor groups related to contract review, corporate governance, and intellectual property
- Developed plans for product compliance with banking/financial regulations (including the Electronic Funds Transfer Act, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and the Payments Card Industry Data Security Standard) and real estate compliance (including with various Multiple Listing Services in numerous states)
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
- Admitted: Texas; Pennsylvania, U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.
- Education: Cornell University (M.B.A, 2004); Villanova University Law School (J.D., 1998); University of Notre Dame (B.S., 1991).
PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY AFFILIATIONS
- Registered Investment Adviser (FINRA Series 65), 2015
- Certified Information Privacy Professional (IAPP), 2019
- Notre Dame Club of Austin, Treasurer, President, and Board Member, 2009-2013
PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
- Co-author, Computer Agreements Volume, Rabkin & Johnson: Current Legal Forms (LEXIS-NEXIS, 1998–2002)
- Contributing author, Data Security and Privacy Law (West Group, 2002)
- Sole Inventor, U.S. Pat. No. 7,357,082
- Sole Inventor, U.S. Pat. No. 7,525,203
- Sole Inventor, U.S. Pat. No. 8,784,172
- Sole Inventor, U.S. Pat. No. 9,737,060
AWARDS AND HONORS
- Tabbedout – Employee of the Month, 2011
- Irish Angels investment Group – Due Diligence Award 2013; “Team Player” Award, 2019
- Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition, 2nd Round Placement, 2019