Driscoll R. Ugarte

practices in the area of corporate law, including private equity financings, emerging companies, mergers and acquisitions and securities. Mr. Ugarte counsels public, domestic and foreign corporations through all stages of development, from formation and operation to capital-raising and exit, including public and private offerings of equity and debt, tender offers, proxy contests, going-private transactions and recapitalizations.

An increasing focus of Mr. Ugarte’s practice is advising single family offices on organization, tax-efficient structure and strategy with regard to direct investments and other acquisitions. He also advises start-up companies and entrepreneurs, venture capital investors and underwriters.

Mr. Ugarte regularly counsels businesses in the industries of life sciences, biotech, medical devices, pharmaceutical and biologics; real estate; agribusiness; and aerospace. In addition to advising domestic business, he guides multinational and foreign companies in Asia, North America, Europe and Latin America on cross-border direct foreign investment and mergers and acquisitions activities

Mr. Ugarte is a 2002 graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and a cum laude graduate of the University of Florida. Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Ugarte served as a law clerk in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth District.

Resume

Experience

•Duane Morris LLP
- Partner, 2016-present
- Associate, 2013-2015

•Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP (now Locke Lord LLP)
- Associate, 2005-2013

•Broad and Cassel, P.A. (now Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP)
- Associate, 2003-2005

•U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- Law Clerk, 2002-2003

Civic and Charitable Activities

•Palm Beach County School Board
- Member, Independent Sales-Surtax Oversight Committee, 2005-2016

Honors and Awards

•Lexology / International Law Office 2017 Client Choice General Corporate Award for Florida, 2017
•Recognized as a Young Attorney on the Rise by the Daily Business Review
•Named a Legal Elite Up & Comer for 2016 and 2013 by Florida Trend magazine
•Selected to the 2010 Florida Rising Stars list by Super Lawyers magazine

Publications and Speaking Engagements

Selected Publications

•Quoted, Tips on Buy-Sell Agreements, South Florida Business and Wealth, April 2019

•Author, Revamp of Partnership Audit Rules Will Have Broad Effect, Miami Herald, April 30, 2018

•Author, Radical Revamp of Partnership Audit Rules Will Have a Broad Effect, Miami Herald, April 27, 2018

•Co-author, Time to Update Partnership and Operating Agreements Under New Audit Rules, Duane Morris Alert, January 23, 2018

•Quoted, Duane Morris Partner Closes Stock Sale for Biopharmaceutical Company, Daily Business Review, December 12, 2017

•Quoted, Licensing Share Buy Arranged for Biopharma Firm, Daily Business Review, October 11, 2016
•Co-author, Florida Legislature Unanimously Approves New Limited Liability Company Act, Duane Morris Alert, January 31, 2014
•Co-author, SEC Eliminates Prohibition on General Solicitation in Certain Private Securities Offerings, Duane Morris Alert, July 15, 2013

Selected Speaking Engagements

•Speaker, Wealth Preservation: Are Your Assets Properly Protected From Creditors? Duane Morris Doing Business in South Florida Roundtable Series, August 14, 2019

•Moderator, The Role of Private Equity and Venture Capital in Seeding the Future: Challenge and Opportunity in Early Stage Impact Investing,” Opal Group's Impact Investment Forum, West Palm Beach, Florida, April 1-3, 2019

•Panelist, Meet the Angels, FAU Tech Runway, Boca Raton, March 29, 2019

•Panelist, Business Succession Planning, The Owner's Journey, FAU Tech Runway, February 2019