Focus Areas: Intellectual property strategies, business and nonprofit law, technology transfer and commercialization, transaction design and execution, new venture creation and capital formation, technology-based economic development
As managing attorney of the IP Venture Clinic and distinguished practitioner-in-residence, Ted Theofrastous has extensive experience in the field of high technology development and commercialization, both as a business architect/manager and as a legal professional. Prior to founding his corporate legal practice and ThetaSquared, a strategic technology commercialization firm, he served as managing director and fund counsel for a small family venture fund, where he created and managed a portfolio of new and existing technology startup investments. Before the fund, Theofrastous managed a diverse IP portfolio and launched startup companies for the Cleveland Clinic Foundation designed to commercialize products based on CCF intellectual property. His roles related to the tech startups he works with typically include business structuring and operational planning, developing an intellectual property strategy, negotiating financial investment and playing an active role as a manager and/or director. Before joining CCF, he practiced in the Cleveland and London offices of the law firm of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P., where his primary practice focused on the nexus of investment capital and technology. At Squire Sanders and CCF, he handled matters ranging from high tech start-up ventures to multi-billion dollar domestic and off-shore private equity fund offerings. Theofrastous's business background consists of over20 years' working as a technologist, executive and board member to design and implement new and re-engineered products and business systems. He serves as managing attorney for Case Western Reserve School of Law's IP Venture Clinic and teaches courses in Technology Commercialization & Venture Law at the School of Law. He also serves as chief commercialization officer and general counsel for the Tech Belt Energy Innovation Center. He has authored a number of peer-reviewed articles on a range of technology and legal topics and is a frequent speaker in the field of technology commercialization, regulation and finance.