John P. Cleary
Partner
Admissions
California
Address
12544 High Bluff Drive, Suite 400, San Diego, CA 92130
10000 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite 140, Las Vegas, NV 89135
Office Tel.
619.515.3221
Fax
619.744.5459
Overview
John represents a broad range of public and private clients on mergers and acquisitions, as well as on public and private securities transactions, franchise formation and compliance, and general corporate matters. He also represents private equity and other investment firms on matters from structure and formation, to SEC compliance and transactions. He has represented publicly held companies in transactional matters including initial public offerings, secondary public offerings, registered direct offerings, alternative go-public transactions including reverse mergers, as well as private investments (PIPEs). John also routinely assists start-up companies primarily in the technology and action sports/lifestyle industries in seed and venture capital financings as well as ongoing corporate needs.
- Represents private equity and other buyers in stock and asset merger and acquisition transactions.
- Represents companies and management in sales of the business, merger and acquisition sale transactions and other joint venture arrangements.
- Serves as outside legal counsel for start-up and emerging growth companies in formation, seed and preferred stock financings and general business matters.
- Represents companies in Regulation CF “crowdfunding” offerings, as well as Rule 506(c) advertised offerings.
- Provides counseling to public companies in PIPE transactions, securities offerings, Rule 144 matters, SEC compliance and reporting and general business matters.
- Best of the Bar, San Diego Business Journal, 2014, 2016
- Top Attorneys, Corporate Transactional, The Daily Transcript, 2015
- JD, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, 1994
- BA (English Literature), The University of Kansas, magna cum laude, 1991
- Author. “Should You Consider a Crowdfunding Offering?” August 23, 2016.
- Author. “The Effect of ‘Shell Company’ Status on Rule 144,” March 8, 2016.
- “Compliance with the Rule 506(d) “Bad Actor” Obligations in Private Offerings,” July 1, 2015.
- Co-author. “The Trouble with Convertible Loan Financings for Small-Cap Companies,” North County Lawyer, February 2, 2015.
- Author. “Beware of ‘Gypsy Swaps’ and Other Unlawful Transactions Involving Free-Trading Stock,” September 23, 2014.
- Author. “Annual Corporate and Business Law Update,” San Diego County Bar Association, February 27, 2014.
- Author. “Structuring and Negotiating a Convertible Note Offering,” March 28, 2012.
- Author. “Beware of Internet Matchmaking Networks in Raising Capital,” April 2010.
- Author. “Investing in Death: Are Life Settlement Securitizations the New Trend?” October 2009.
- Author. “The Risks of Using ‘Finders’ to Raise Capital,” June 2009.
- Author. “FINRA Proposes a Limited Registration Category for Investment Banking Professionals,” March 30, 2009.
- Author. “The ABCs of Investment Adviser Regulation,” January 2009.
- Author. “Investment Advisers Get No-Action Relief Supporting Payment of Finder’s Fees in Connection With Investment Pools,” October 2008.
- Author. “SEC Grants No-Action Relief For Reporting Transactions on Forms 4 and 5,” July 2008.
- Author. “Clogging the PIPEs: The SEC Cracks Down on ‘Death Spiral’ Convertibles,” July 2008.
- Author. “How Management Suffers in Down-Round Financings,” July 2008.
- Author. “Negotiating the Buyer’s Right to Terminate an Acquisition Agreement Post-Cerberus,” July 2008.
- Betty Ford Center Alumni Association, San Diego Chapter, Chairman
- McAlister Institute, past Board President
- “Procopio advises in Kellermeyer Bergensons’ buy,” San Diego Daily Transcript, August 6, 2019.
- Meiling, Brittany. “As Cannabis Market Heats Up, Local Scientists Race To Build ‘Weed Biofactories,’” The San Diego Union-Tribune, September 28, 2018.
- Frisch, Randy. “Firm Makes Some Key Changes to Adapt to New Legal Landscape,” San Diego Business Journal, March 18, 2018.
- “Procopio Elects San Diego-Based Partner to Management Committee,” The Daily Transcript, March 12, 2018.
- “Procopio Helps Property Services Provider Change Hands,” The Daily Transcript, August 29, 2017.
