Joseph P. Derrigo
Partner
Joe Derrigo represents established and emerging companies at all stages of the business life cycle. He is a partner in the firm’s Transactions and Venture Capital Practices, the Technology and Health Care & Life Sciences Sectors, and the Cannabis and Sports & Entertainment Industry Groups, where he leads cross-disciplinary teams in the negotiation of complex mergers and acquisitions, venture financings, joint ventures, and commercial transactions.
In the emerging company space, Joe represents venture capital and other strategic investors placing growth capital and counsels operating companies on formation, governance, capital raising, and commercial matters. His emerging company clients have described him as a “de-facto member of the c-suite” on account of his practical, business-focused approach to negotiating critical commercial agreements, joint ventures, and other arrangements key to ongoing operations. His dual experience representing emerging companies and investors promotes a 360-degree approach to complex venture financing and governance issues.
Joe also has a dynamic mergers and acquisitions and commercial counseling practice, representing operating companies and financial and strategic buyers and sellers across a wide range of industries. In the cannabis industry, he negotiates mergers and acquisitions, complex joint ventures, and debt and equity financing transactions for both multistate operators and license holders in multiple jurisdictions. In the health care and life sciences space, he advises on controlling and non-controlling investments, technology-intensive joint ventures, royalty financings and other transactions underpinning product discovery and development. In sports and entertainment, he has advised on controlling and non-controlling investments, as well as media rights, sponsorship, licensing, and other strategic arrangements. His broad client base otherwise spans the software, consumer goods, finance, media, manufacturing, and government contracting industries, among others.
Awards and Recognition
- Super Lawyers Rising Star, transactional work in the technology and cannabis industries (2022 & 2023).
- “Top 40 Lawyers Under 40” in Washington, D.C.
- Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers — independently rated lawyers.
Community Involvement
- Joe maintains an active pro bono practice, regularly assisting low income, elderly Washington, D.C. residents with wills and powers of attorney and advising start-up founders in underserved communities on formation, corporate governance, and commercial issues.