Charles D. Powell

Of Counsel
Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP

Houston
United States
T:+1 713 651 5431
Houston
United States
T:+1 713 651 5431
Charles D. Powell

Charles D. Powell

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Biography

Chuck Powell has been a leader in the Houston venture capital and technology sector for 30 years.  He handles venture capital, angel capital, private equity financings and public offerings. His clients are venture capital funds and technology companies, including businesses involved in the energy technology, life science and information technology industries.

Chuck has closed over 520 seed, angel, SAFE, venture capital, private equity, reverse merger, SPAC and IPO transactions ranging from $500,000 to $600 million, including:

ENERGY AND ENERGY TECHNOLOGY

IPOs and Other Public Listing Transactions 

  • IPO of oil and gas exploration company
  • IPO of energy service company/oilwell workover and well servicing company
  • IPO of natural gas trading company
  • IPO of offshore drilling company
  • Reverse merger SPAC/"UP/C" and public listing of Permian Basin oil exploration company
  • SPAC reverse merger and IPO of oil and gas secondary recovery energy company and PIPE financing

Venture Capital Financings 

  • Gas sensor technology
  • Oilwell downhole motor technology
  • Composite oil production riser technology
  • Oil well measure while drilling technology
  • Advanced composite material subsea riser development company
  • Microbacterial oil secondary recovery
  • Nanotechnology based fracking proppant

Private Equity

  • $100 million preferred stock financing of downstream refined products company
  • Recapitalization of deepwater exploration business
  • $200 million restructure of energy service manufacturer
  • Private equity financing of Eagleford Basin oil and gas production company
  • $60 million PIPE transaction for NYSE seismic products manufacturer

Mergers and Acquisitions:

  • $100 million acquisition of energy service tubular goods company
  • $45 million sale of mid stream portfolio company of private equity firm
  • Sale of upstream energy tool company
  • Sale of robotics drilling tool technology company
  • $60 million merger of an online well service and product procurement company

LIFE SCIENCE

  • Formation and representation of life science seed capital fund
  • Angel financing for cardiovascular monitoring device company
  • Venture capital Series A financing for pharmaceutical company
  • Venture capital funding for genome sequencing company
  • Large pharmaceutical spinoff, venture capital financing and capitalization of brain radio imaging technology

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

  • IPOs of computer software and computer hardware companies
  • Reverse merger and public listing of computer hardware company
  • Venture Capital Financing of an enterprise software company
  • Private Equity spin off of E&P software business
  • Venture Capital financing
  • Series preferring financing of gaming company

TELECOM

Venture Capital Financings

  • $150 million investment in wireless backhaul services company
  • Financing of antennae technology company
  • Financing of telecom site safety monitoring business
  • Financing of wireless company

Mergers and Acquisitions

  • Sale of telecommunications company
  • Sale of antennae technology company
  • Sale of telecom monitoring company

Professional experience

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JD, The University of Texas School of Law, 1979
BA, History, Columbia University, 1976

Chuck is admitted to practice law in the State of Texas.

  • Texas State Bar
  • The Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers, 2003 – 2021
  • Lawyer of the Year, Texas & Technology Law, Wall Street Journal, 2017
  • Lawyer of the Year, Houston: Technology Law, Best Lawyers, 2017, 2024
  • Lawyer of the Year, Houston: Venture Capital Law, Best Lawyers, 2014, 2016, 2024
  • Texas Top Rated Lawyer, LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell, 2013 – 2014
  • Legal 500 US, technology, The Legal 500, 2010
  • Chambers USA, Texas: Technology (Corporate & Commercial), Chambers & Partners, 2004 – 2017; 2019 – 2020
  • Banking, Financial and Transactional Lawyer, Expert Guides, 2013
  • Private Equity Lawyer, Expert Guides, 2005 – 2010; 2020
  • Texas Super Lawyer, Thomson Reuters, 2003 – 2013
  • The Best Lawyers in America, Corporate Law, Best Lawyers, 2006 - 2025
  • The Best Lawyers in America, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, Best Lawyers, 2006 - 2025
  • The Best Lawyers in America, Technology Law, Best Lawyers, 2009 - 2025
  • The Best Lawyers in America, Venture Capital Law, Best Lawyers, 2007 - 2025
  • "Venture Capital Best Practices," Aspatore Books
  • "Self Representation," Houston Business Journal
  • "Do's and Taboos of Raising Venture Capital," Houston Technology Center
  • "How to Avoid Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory: The Most Common Legal Problems Entrepreneurs Encounter and How to Solve Them,"  Houston Technology Center
  • "Current Trends in Venture Capital Financing,"  Houston Technology Center
  • "Term Sheet Forms," The Houston Angel Network, Inc.
  • "Multi-Classes of Stock and Preferred Stock Redemption Provisions," The Seminar Group
  • "Representing the Ailing Dot.Com," The New High Tech Industry Course, State Bar of Texas
  • "International Joint Ventures," World Trade Magazine
  • "Introduction to Securities Law," National Business Institute
  • "Buying or Selling a Business in Texas," National Business Institute
  • Panelist, "The 2012 JOBS Act: Fundamentally Changing the Way Companies Raise Capital," Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. Seminar, June 7, 2012
  • "Ethical Principles of Outside Counsel (Issuer's Counsel) to Outside Investors, Amendment to State Bar of Texas Rules," Houston Bar Association, 2010
  • "Avoiding Legal Mistakes in Technology Company Formation, Capitalization and Operations," Rice Alliance's Technology Entrepreneurship Workshop, 2009 
  • "Reverse Mergers-Panacea or Perilous?," Houston Technology Center, 2006
  • "Angel Investing in Houston," Houston Technology Center, June 2006
  • "Exit Strategies for Startup Companies," Houston Technology Center Educational Seminar Series, August 2005
  • "Ethical Principles of Counsel to Outside Investors," State Bar of Texas, 2005
  • "Legal Issues Associated with Raising Capital for the Startup," Rice Institute, 2005
  • "The Venture Capital Process and Angel Financing," TechLaw Conference, 2005
  • "Angel Investment Structures," Houston Angel Network, January 2003
  • "Investor Equity Expectations," President's Forum, The Entrepreneurship Institute, October 2002
  • "Startup and Early Stage Company Capital Formation," President's Forum, The Entrepreneurship Institute, October 2002
  • "Raising Capital: Mapping a Course for Success," Southwest Bio Venture Conference, 2001
  • "Revisiting the Venture Capital Term Sheet," State Bar of Texas, 2001
  • "Securities Law for the Non Securities Professional," National Business Institute, 1986
  • MIT Enterprise Forum of Texas
    • Director (1992 – 2003)
    • Chairman (1997 – 1998)
  • Houston Technology Center
    • Securities Counsel (1999 – 2011)
    • Vice Chairman of Board of Directors (2007 – 2008)
    • Chairman of Advisory Board of Directors (2005 – 2007)
  • Technology Executives Club of Houston
  • Houston Entrepreneurs Foundation - Steering Committee
  • Houston Angel Network - Legal counsel and Founder group
  • Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship - Faculty and Business Plan Judge (2006 – 2011)
  • DePelchin Children's Center, Chairman of Board of Directors 2015 – 2016