Firm News

RICHMOND, VA – Steve Baril, well-respected trial lawyer and business advocate, was named Partner and the head of the Richmond Litigation and Government Relations teams at Kaplan Voekler Cunningham and Frank, PLC (KVCF).

Grady Frank, KVCF’s General Counsel and head of the Alexandria Litigation team, explained, “It is a great time for the firm – new office space in downtown Richmond with new energy and a new practice area. I have known Steve for years and I am looking forward to practicing with him. His reputation as a successful litigator and business advocate will be a great addition.”

RICHMOND, VA – Kaplan Voekler Cunningham & Frank, PLC and Davis Consultants, Inc. are pleased to announce the formation of a business alliance between two of Richmond’s prominent legal and government and media relations firms.

“I’m excited to lead Kaplan Voekler Cunningham & Frank’s government relations practice and to form an alliance with a veteran lobbyist like Charlie Davis for the upcoming General Assembly Session. Our combined legal and lobbying expertise will greatly benefit our clients and allow us to compete with the many fine consulting firms in Richmond,” said Steve Baril who is leading Kaplan Voekler’s government relations practice.

On December 18, 2013, an open meeting of the Commissioners of the Securities and Exchange Commission was held to consider approval of proposed rules related to implementation of Title IV of the Jumpstart Our Business Start Ups (JOBS) Act, commonly referred to as “Regulation A+.”

The Regulation A+ provisions of the JOBS Act provided for an increase in the offering cap to $50 million in a trailing 12 month period and reaffirmed general solicitation and the free tradeability, as well as the “testing the waters” capability, associated with securities offered under Regulation A.

KVCF was cited over twenty times in the proposed rules on various issues upon which the Firm commented. “There are various aspects of the proposal where we will continue to work with the Commission,” said Rob Kaplan, Managing Partner, Practices, “but it is richly satisfying to see Commission produce a proposal which overall appears to be a well-crafted scheme for the genesis of a new public securities market in the United States.”

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 7, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — REISA (Real Estate and Investment Securities Association), the nation’s leading trade association serving the alternative investment and securities industry, has announced its board members for 2014 and the ACE Award Winners at the 2013 Annual Conference and Trade Show, October 6, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

We talked with Voekler – a lawyer with extensive experience with REITs, public and private financing, and corporate finance – about the private placement industry, the legal challenges facing managers involved in the alternative investment space, and what attendees can expect out of this year’s conference.

Rob Kaplan and Tom Voekler Interviewed by Phillip van Doorn from TheStreet.com:
Next SEC Chairman Can Prime IPO Pump, by Philip van Doorn

Recently, the bipartisan Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act became law, transforming how entrepreneurs can raise the money to grow their business. The JOBS Act expands the pool of potential investors, makes investing in small businesses more attractive and lowers the regulatory burden for more mature business of “going public.” Savvy entrepreneurs should be aware of what the new legislation entails when forming a comprehensive strategy for raising capital and growth.

Since its enactment, most of the discussion of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (JOBS Act) has centered on crowdfunding and the IPO onramp provisions of the Act. However, the legislation’s expansion of Regulation A actually promises to have the greatest impact on small and mid-sized business capital formation.