Practice:

• Corporate
• International Practice
• Securities Law

Bar Admissions:

Massachusetts
Texas

Experience:

Mr. Amidon has almost 30 years of experience helping a wide array of clients, serving as both general counsel and transactional counsel to a broad and diverse group of entrepreneurs, start-up and emerging ventures, middle-market companies, private equity and venture capital funds, investment banking firms, private investors, and public companies. To his clients, Dave is a valued advisor, with unmatched responsiveness, a take-ownership, results-oriented deal approach, and a keen business sense.

Drawing on his 10-years’ experience as a business executive and in-house GC, Dave serves as general counsel to a number of companies and entrepreneurs, and as counselor to the GCs and law departments of several larger corporate clients.

In addition, Dave maintains a sophisticated business transactional practice, focusing on business organization, capital formation and corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, contracting, and complex corporate transactions, including negotiation and documentation of diverse strategic alliances, joint ventures, and partnering relationships. His industry focuses include technology, traditional and on-line marketing and media communications (including event organizing), print and digital publishing, hospitality, restaurant and food services, manufacturing, and retail. He also represents issuers of securities and placement agents, venture capitalists, and underwriters in both private and public offerings, and counsels companies and their directors and officers on securities law compliance and corporate governance matters.

Prior to joining Burns & Levinson, Dave served as Vice President and General Counsel of Imark Communications, a Natick, Mass. B-2-B media communications company; also as Vice President and General Counsel of Ullo International, an Orlando, Florida tradeshow, conference, and event organizer; and as Vice President and General Counsel of The Biltrite Corporation, a Waltham, Mass. rubber and vinyl products manufacturing company. In each of these roles, he reported directly to the company’s CEO and was a member of the company’s leadership team, comprised of the most senior corporate executives and division presidents.

Before his management and in-house hiatus, Dave was a partner at the law firm of Gadsby Hannah in Boston, with a practice concentrating on corporate and securities law, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate finance.

Representative Transactions:

Mergers & Acquisitions

• Represented buyer (defense and electronics) in multiple acquisitions of related business lines and products.
• Represented buyer (management, institutional lenders buy-out) in acquisition of a diversified B-2-B media company.
• Represented buyer (management, VC sponsor) in acquisition of, and early-stage venture capital financing for a diversified tradeshow, conference, and exposition organizer, and related marketing communications (events and publishing) company.
• Represented buyer (established CATV operator) in acquisition of multiple cable television and telecommunications properties.
• Represented buyer (Europe-based publishing concern) in acquisition of a major U.S.-based children's and educational book publishing business.
• Represented buyer in acquisition of a large regional printing franchise in New England.
• Represented buyer in acquisition of the snack foods division of a major international food services company.
• Represented buyer in acquisition of a large national women's couture boutique.
• Represented buyer in acquisition of a large U.K.-based tradeshow, conference, and exposition company.
• Represented seller in sale of beauty products and spa services company to Fortune 100 buyer.
• Represented seller in sale of diversified food products company to Fortune 100 buyer.
• Represented seller in sale of large family-owned chemical and cleaning products company to Fortune 100 buyer.
• Represented seller in sale of privately-owned women's fashion and accessories company to Fortune 500 buyer.
• Represents global Chinese-based manufacturing concern as its North American counsel and in acquisition activities.
• Represents Bangladesh-based manufacturing concern as its North American counsel and in acquisition activities.

Finance Transactions

• Represented issuer (defense and electronics manufacturer) in its initial public offering and follow-on public offerings.
• Represented issuer (restaurant and food services) in its initial public offering and follow-on public offerings.
• Represented issuer (business brokerage services) in its initial public offering.
• Represented NASDAQ company in follow-on public offering.
• Represented placement agent in convertible debt / warrants offering to consumer products manufacturing concern.
• Represented issuer (specialty manufacturing) in Series A and Series B preferred rounds.
• Represented issuer (food services) in Series A and Series B preferred rounds.
• Represented issuer (food services) in private placement of subordinated debt and warrants.
• Represented issuer (privately-held national restaurant chain) in multiple private placement financing rounds.
• Represented agent/lead lender in complex secured financing with a large consortium of international banks lending to a multinational manufacturing concern with operations on three continents.
• Represented large regional bank in the sale of its trust division to major money center financial services institution.

Commercial Transactions and Clients

• Negotiated and documented multi-million dollar sponsorships and strategic marketing alliance programs with several Fortune 500 computer, software, and technology companies.
• Negotiated and documented multiple strategic alliances for organization, promotion, and production of B2B and B2C trade shows, conferences, and events.
• Represented management in acquisition of multiple solid-waste disposal and electricity co-generation facilities.
• Represents as general counsel franchisors, area developers, and franchisees of multiple recognized retail businesses and brands.

Pro Bono Involvement

• American Liver Foundation: Advisor to non-profit that funds research of liver disease; member of the RunForResearch team, which runs in the Boston Marathon to raise funds. Completed ten Boston Marathons.
• Alliance Vision: Business and legal advisor to non-profit that designs and implements projects to achieve sustainable water and sanitation solutions in Africa.
• artbeCAUSE: Business and legal advisor to a foundation that funds research dedicated to eradicating environmental causes of breast cancer.
• Youth Soccer: Board member of Newton Girls Soccer; Business and legal advisor to Charlestown Youth Soccer, Mass. Youth Soccer Association.

Memberships:

• American Bar Association
• American Society of Corporate Secretaries
• Association of Corporate Counsel
• Boston Bar Association
• Massachusetts Bar Association

Education:

• J.D., Southern Methodist University School of Law, Dallas, Texas
• B.A., Economics and Business Administration, Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania

Recent Articles and Publications:

Speaking Engagements: