Business Details
11 Years
experience
Trusted Legal Partner for Tech & Life Sciences Startups
Crowley Law is a boutique corporate law firm dedicated to empowering emerging technology and life sciences startups through comprehensive legal counsel. With over 45 years of experience, our founder has guided companies from concept to market, offering expertise in business formation, intellectual property protection, and strategic legal advisory. Our team combines big-firm experience with agile, personalized service, acting as a long-term partner to navigate complex legal landscapes. We specialize in aligning legal frameworks with commercial goals, ensuring clients secure funding, protect innovations, and scale efficiently.Our proven track record includes advising on $2 billion+ in mergers, acquisitions, and licensing agreements, while maintaining a founder-first approach that prioritizes practical solutions and risk mitigation. Backed by testimonials from tech and biotech leaders, we deliver results-driven legal strategies tailored to each client's unique journey.
Services
Business Formation
Intellectual Property Protection
Mergers & Acquisitions
Licensing Agreements
Regulatory Compliance
Venture Financing
Contract Negotiation
IP Strategy
Corporate Restructuring
Dispute Resolution
Details
- Year established: 2015
Highlights and features
- 45+ years guiding tech and life sciences ventures through every growth stage
- Business-driven legal strategies that align with founder priorities and investor expectations
- Proven success in $2B+ of complex transactions across biotech and software sectors
- Venture-ready structures with clean IP ownership and investor-aligned governance
- Specialized expertise in FDA regulations, data privacy, and emerging tech compliance
Associations and certifications
- Super Lawyers
What people say
Trusted advisor
Quick and thoughtful counsel
Proven results
Business-oriented perspective
Extensive legal and business experience
Services
Business Formation
We help startups choose optimal legal entities and governance structures tailored to their growth trajectory. Our services include drafting bylaws, equity arrangements, and founder agreements that establish clear frameworks for scaling. With expertise in Delaware C-Corp formations favored by investors, we ensure legal foundations support future fundraising and exit strategies while minimizing long-term risks.
Intellectual Property Protection
Our IP services focus on safeguarding core business assets through comprehensive protection strategies. We assist with patent filings, trademark registration, and trade secret management while establishing clear ownership chains. The firm specializes in IP assignments, licensing agreements, and enforcement mechanisms that prevent disputes and maintain asset value throughout company growth and transactional activities.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Crowley Law represents clients in complex M&A transactions across tech and life sciences sectors. We provide due diligence support, deal structuring, and negotiation expertise for both buy-side and sell-side transactions. Our experience includes managing asset transfers, contingent payouts, and post-transaction integrations that maximize business value while protecting client interests throughout the deal lifecycle.
Venture Financing
We guide startups through all stages of capital acquisition, from seed rounds to growth equity financings. Our services include term sheet negotiation, equity structuring, and investor agreement drafting that balances founder protection with market expectations. With deep experience in convertible notes, SAFEs, and Series A+ financings, we help clients secure funding while maintaining favorable ownership positions.
Regulatory Compliance
The firm provides specialized compliance counsel for regulated industries including FDA oversight in life sciences and data privacy requirements in tech sectors. We help establish governance frameworks that meet evolving standards like GDPR and CCPA while implementing operational policies that ensure ongoing compliance with minimal disruption to business operations.
People
Philip P. Crowley
Founder & Managing Partner
With 45+ years of experience, Philip Crowley guides tech and life sciences startups through all growth stages. Former Corporate Counsel at Johnson & Johnson, he specializes in business formation, IP protection, and strategic counsel. Recognized in Super Lawyers and active in industry organizations, he combines corporate expertise with entrepreneurial insight.
Christian Jensen
Of Counsel
Specializing in business litigation and outside general counsel services, Christian Jensen advises companies on commercial disputes and corporate governance. With experience at top-tier litigation boutiques, he aligns legal strategies with business objectives while maintaining active court admissions in NY and NJ jurisdictions.
Anthony Wilkinson
Of Counsel
Anthony Wilkinson brings expertise in M&A and IP licensing transactions, serving technology and manufacturing companies. With a Yale law degree and electrical engineering background, he structures complex corporate deals and negotiates agreements that balance legal protection with business growth objectives.
Questions
Which legal entity is best for a venture-backed startup?
Delaware C-Corporations are typically preferred for venture-backed startups due to investor familiarity and governance flexibility. We help clients evaluate options based on their specific growth plans and ownership structure.
How do we ensure IP ownership from contractors?
We implement invention assignment agreements, NDAs, and clear contractual terms during onboarding to ensure IP ownership. Our processes establish unbroken chain-of-title documentation for all company intellectual property.
What slows down contract negotiations most?
Ambiguities in IP rights, liability terms, and service level agreements typically delay negotiations. We address these early by clarifying business objectives and establishing standardized templates that maintain legal protection while accelerating deal closure.
How should we structure licensing deals?
Effective licensing agreements define clear scope, exclusivity terms, performance milestones, and enforcement mechanisms. We negotiate terms that protect IP value while enabling commercialization opportunities through carefully balanced field-of-use and territory provisions.
Do you provide ongoing general counsel services?
Yes, we offer flexible GC arrangements covering contracts, compliance, employment matters, and coordination with specialty counsel. Our services scale with company growth while maintaining consistent legal oversight.
How to prepare for M&A due diligence?
We help organize corporate records, cap tables, IP assignments, and compliance documentation in diligence-ready data rooms. Early preparation of these materials streamlines transactions and enhances valuation outcomes.
Reviews (5)
Jeannette Mahoney
Aug 01, 2021
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I highly recommend Phil Crowley for all of your IP needs. His wisdom, experience and professionalism helped our company secure an exclusive license necessary to bring our product to market. It was truly a pleasure working with Phil, as he really listens to his clients and takes the time to make sure the team is comfortable with the entire process.
Joanna Stanicka
Feb 02, 2021
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Phil has been of tremendous legal help to the progress of our early-stage biotech start-up. He is very experienced and conducts his work in a time and cost efficient manner. Great counsel!
Michael Johnson
Jan 19, 2021
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Positive:Professionalism,Quality,Value
Phil was critical to assisting us with the formation of our company and raising funds to accelerate our growth. Along the way he has also been a great advocate for us and has always tried to assist us with making connections to potential collaborators and clients.
Phil was critical to assisting us with the formation of our company and raising funds to accelerate our growth. Along the way he has also been a great advocate for us and has always tried to assist us with making connections to potential collaborators and clients.
Krista Mckerracher
Dec 27, 2020
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I have been working with Phil Crowley Law for just over 2 years now. He has deep knowledge of the healthcare space, and is very strategic in his thinking. As a bonus he is timely, professional, thoughtful and priced reasonably. The best thing I can say as an endorsement is that I was so confident in his skill that I have referred several other Biotech CEOs who are clients of mine to Phil.
Joe DiPompeo
Sep 21, 2020
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Positive:Professionalism,Quality,Responsiveness
Phil is a fantastic, smart, experienced attorney with a wealth of knowledge and experience that has been incredibly helpful in guiding my businesses.
Phil is a fantastic, smart, experienced attorney with a wealth of knowledge and experience that has been incredibly helpful in guiding my businesses.
