Paul H. Ode Jr.

Paul Ode provides general corporate and business advice to a range of Vermont businesses and assists clients in raising capital, acquiring assets, structuring contractual arrangements with third parties and meeting legal requirements. He also works with business owners to develop strategies for growing their companies and ultimately achieving a liquidity event. Paul has experience in balance sheet restructurings and loan workouts. His clients range from several of Vermont's larger businesses to growing entrepreneurial companies.

A sample of Paul’s recent transactional work includes:

Represented a significant Vermont-based fabricator and manufacturer in its sale of assets to a private equity group.

Assisted a Vermont-based outdoor products company in its acquisition of the brands, intellectual property and certain tangible assets of a manufacturer of mountaineering products based in the western United States, which resulted in a significant boost to the client’s brand portfolio.

Represented a Vermont-based outdoor power equipment manufacturer and marketer in a major recapitalization, which resulted in a liquidity event for the founders and additional capital to continue the growth and diversification of the company.

Represented a pet products business that had a nationwide customer base in a sale of assets, resulting in a liquidity event for the equity owners; negotiated incentive packages for key executives who assumed senior positions with the acquiring company.

Served as Vermont counsel to a publicly traded company with a leading position in the health care software field in its merger with a multinational corporation.

Served as Vermont counsel to the acquirer of a publicly traded energy supply company; represented the client in arranging for issuance of debt securities to fund the acquisition.

Represented a publicly traded Canadian corporation in restructuring the operations of five US-based direct and indirect subsidiaries.

Represented an international group of investors in its purchase of an equity interest in a company that has developed and patented innovations in the neuroscience field.

Negotiated the disposition of a California-based specialty footwear business and assisted the client in restructuring the operations of affiliated companies based in Colorado and Vermont.

Represented a New York-based niche software vendor in the sale of assets to a competing business; provided post-closing assistance to the client to enforce contractual obligations of the purchaser.

Assisted a start-up company in raising private equity capital and negotiating contracts with a major US bank and other parties in anticipation of the nationwide rollout of a new consumer finance product.

Organized a team of professionals to perform due diligence for a market-leading telecommunications infrastructure company in its contemplated acquisition of assets that are situated throughout the country.

Represented a manufacturing company in the disposition of plant and equipment assets in a series of sales, leading to a consolidation of the company’s operations in a single facility.

Represent, on a continuing basis, a family-owned business with significant real estate holdings in matters related to the transition of responsibility and ownership from one generation to the next.

Negotiated a joint venture arrangement among U.S. and Canadian participants that resulted in deployment of intermodal transportation assets throughout the United States.

Represented a Vermont-based manufacturing company that offers a unique product to the semiconductor industry in a corporate restructuring that facilitated the acquisition of venture capital funding; developed equity-based incentive program for management.

Paul is a former chair of the Business Association Law Section of the Vermont Bar Association. He has made presentations at Bar Association meetings on topics ranging from choice of entity issues to governance of common interest communities to career development.

Paul has been named the Burlington Best Lawyers Corporate Lawyer of the Year for 2010, based on Best Lawyers’ peer-review surveys that assess legal abilities, professionalism and integrity. He is selected annually for recognition in the areas of corporate law and mergers and acquisitions in the organization’s publication, The Best Lawyers in America®.

Paul is listed in the first tier of leading lawyers in Vermont for Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions in Chambers USA 2010: Guide to America's Leading Lawyers for Business. He also is ranked among the top five percent of attorneys in Vermont by Super Lawyers® magazine. Paul holds Martindale-Hubbell's AV® peer rating, the highest rating attainable.

Prior to joining DRM, Paul served as law clerk to the Honorable Albert W. Coffrin, Chief Judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont.

Paul received the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce's 2003 Community Excellence Award. He has served on the board of directors of the United Way of Chittenden County and raised over $3,700,000 as the chair of the 2002 United Way campaign. He received the 2004 Board Member of the Year Award for his service to the United Way. He has also served on the board of directors of the Greater Burlington YMCA and is a past chair of the board of directors of the Northern Vermont Chapter of the American Red Cross. He coaches youth soccer and has run eight marathons.