Todd Taylor

Attorney at Law / 612-325-5036

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Outside General Counsel for Growth-Driven Companies

I serve as Outside General Counsel to companies and investors operating at the intersection of energy, technology, and innovation. With more than 25 years of experience working with entrepreneurs and leading complex transactions, I help clients structure and close deals that move the business forward—whether that means navigating a strategic acquisition, structuring project finance, raising venture capital, or managing day-to-day legal operations.

I regularly advise startups, mid-market companies, and investment funds—including venture capital, private equity, infrastructure funds, and angel investors—across sectors like software, AI, renewable energy, manufacturing, AgTech, and infrastructure. My clients value my ability to combine legal precision with business and practical insight to solve tough problems, unlock opportunity, and reduce friction.

A Strategic Legal Partner, Not Just a Deal Lawyer

In any given deal, I’m not just reviewing documents—I’m leading the process. Think of me as the air traffic controller: keeping complex, multi-party transactions moving, aligning legal, financial, and operational workstreams, anticipating roadblocks before they escalate, and ensuring that every contractual and commercial component lands where it should—on time, with minimal disruption, and aligned with the bigger picture.

I’ve built a practice around helping clients:

  • Raise capital—everything from SAFEs and Series Seed to Series A/B, Private Equity and beyond
  • Structure and close buy- and sell-side M&A deals
  • Navigate project development and project finance in highly regulated sectors
  • Negotiate technology and energy-related commercial agreements, including licensing, site control, offtake, and distribution
  • Operate effectively with tailored outside general counsel support

Whether I’m coordinating a multi-state infrastructure acquisition, helping a startup commercialize a new energy technology, or supporting an emerging AI company through its first venture raise, I bring the same goal: get the deal done smoothly, strategically, and with a clear view of what comes next.

Built on Experience, Driven by Growth

My legal career spans hundreds of deals across the U.S. and internationally, including work with European and Asian companies entering U.S. markets through licensing, joint ventures, and M&A. I’ve worked in throughout the U.S. and across industries that range from manufacturing, technology, conventional and renewable energy to emerging software applications and agriculture technology.

I co-founded Avisen Legal to bring a more collaborative, flexible, and business-minded model of legal support to clients who value partnership, not just paperwork.

Outside the Office

I live in Minneapolis, where I enjoy reading and all things Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy still tops my list). I am an avid oenophile – holding my Level 3 Certification from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust – a proud father to wonderful daughters, and husband to a caring ski-instructor wife. I was born in Canada, spent four years in Brussels (yes, I like mayo on fries), and I think a sense of humor, curiosity, and humility go a long way—especially when the stakes are high.

Renewable Energy

  • U.K. Technology company creating U.S. subsidiary for a sustainable product company. Startup company, startup financing, commercial contracts, lease,
  • Sell side. Family owned and operated business, sold to Platinum Equity. Multi-state operations, extensive diligence. Asset Purchase
  • Sell side. National Waste processing company. Sold to PE backed strategic. Ran a sales process as well as legal work. Asset purchase
  • Sell side. Regional waste management company. Sold to larger competitor. Asset purchase.
  • Diligence on buy-side to acquire the largest food waste RNG facility in the United States.
  • Outside general counsel for large national RNG developer, including commercial contracts and governance issues
  • Outside general counsel for multi-national advanced biofuels and RNG developer, including Commerical contracts and financing
  • Counsel for Canadian based biofuels and RNG developer
  • Counsel for large US based RNG developer, including Commerical agreements

Business + Corporate

  • Outside General Counsel for an Industrial Medtech and Pharmaceutical Product Manufacturer, including formation, financing, project financing, contracts, employment and licensing matters.
  • Outside General Counsel for a Smart Building Solution Company, including angel financing, then multiple rounds of preferred stock offerings involving some of the largest Venture Capital firms in the U.S. and world. Also worked on major commercial contracts, licensing agreements, employment and general corporate matters.
  • Represented major stockholder and board member in public company dealing with governance and securities law issues, involving a potential SPAC merger and financing.
  • Outside General Counsel to a waste recycling company, providing counsel on commercial agreements, ownership disputes, employment matters.

Startups + Financing

Type of Client: Medical Device Company
Client’s Issue: I was referred by the investor to help two young guys who wanted to start a medical device company. I helped them raise money to get funded, and through Fatigue Damage Spectrum (FDS)-level testing
My Approach: We worked with them to do their series A financing round, assisted on all employment contracts and all financing transactions
Result: Closed on financing and getting closer to commercialization

Type of Client: Manufacturing company
Client’s Issue: Needed to raise funds for growth
My Approach: I helped them with their series A round of venture capital financing, cleaned up corporate structure, advised board on a variety of areas related to growth; helped restructure management committee and structure the business for future growth
Result: Helped them move from an early stage company to nationwide distribution of their product

Banking + Lending

Type of Client: Manufacturing Company
Client’s Issue: Client needed investors and tax advice to pursue qualified opportunity zone tax benefits
My Approach: We worked with a company and two separate investors and potential investors to analyze the tax structure for qualified Opportunity Zone investments; Negotiated and finalized two separate investments. Worked with one of the Big 4 accounting firms on tax and corporate structure to maximize tax benefits
Result: Able to close the Opportunity Zone financing; project is up and running

Mergers + Acquisitions

Type of Client: Installer for Major Home Improvement Retailer
Client’s Issue: Client was approached by a strategic equity firm (Platinum) to acquire them as part of a roll out strategy. This company would fit with others they had acquired. Family-owned business who had never been through anything like this before.
My Approach: I served as counsel to the business, as well as helping family members with their personal issues surrounding the business
Result: Helped them sell to a private equity firm and get a purchase price significantly above the first offer. Navigated not just the business but the family members with a minimal amount of stress for everyone involved

Type of Client: Furniture Manufacturer
Client’s issue: the client was looking to buy the business from their parents as an alternative to selling to private equity. Representation involved negotiating a complex term sheet, asset purchase agreement, manage due diligence, negotiate loan agreements with SBA loan guarantees.
My approach: My role was as much a family counselor as legal counsel, helping my client navigate challenging family dynamics in a generational transfer of the Company. Helped my client understand the legal and financial aspects of buying a company.

Type of Client: Family Office buying a manufacturing business
Client issue: Client was buying a company whose owners had never sold a business before so they needed legal counsel that could understand how to get to closing.
My approach: Worked to help client to create a process that made the sellers feel comfortable and involved.

Type of Client: Private Equity client buying a food manufacturer
Client issue: Seller company had a complex due diligence challenge with multiple locations, products and no professional finance staff.
My approach: assembled and managed legal and accounting team of experienced professionals to simultanously conduct diligence and draft deal documents.

Type of Client: Searchfunder buying a technology company
Client issue: Entrepreneurship through Acquisition (ETA) buyer first time buying a business. helped client raise equity and find debt capital to buy the company, helped negotiate LOI and deal documents, including negotiating with sellers and sellers attorney.

Energy + Infrastructure

Type of Client: Building Climate Control Systems
Client’s Issue: My client needed securities counsel to help him set up company and do seed rounds of investment
My Approach: I served as outside general counsel related to growth, busing lease, option plans, key employee agreements, critical licensing agreements, negotiation and drafting, and all series A financing rounds
Result: They went from start-up to having had one of the largest venture rounds in 2019, one of the largest series A focused on an impact sustainability company; they have grown significantly in customers and revenue

Type of Client: Waste to Energy Company
Client’s Issue: I worked with this company during its early stage development
My Approach: I helped them with key agreements including- EPC contracts, licensing contracts, feed stock and bio tech off-take agreements, ITC (Investment Tax Credit) and qualified opportunity zone financing, infrastructure financing, Q0z investors, senior debt with one state-side sustainability lender and one European lender. Dealt with complicated tax structures
Result: Helped them move from a dream to a financially successful company

Type of Client: Aquaculture
Client’s Issue: Needed to create a company out of a great idea
My Approach: I helped the client create the company, did all seed financing, all of their second stage equity financing, project financing, technology licenses, public financing, equity, bank debt, bonds, and employment work; also serve as outside general counsel for this company
Result: A successful large-scale pilot facility that is fully operational – test facility was $10 million to build, and helped raise half billion dollars for the full-scale manufacturing facility

Type of Client: Biorefinery
Client’s Issue: Two developers were looking to build an advanced biofuel refinery
My Approach: Helped with seed round funding, infrastructure fund investment, project finance to build facility including debt, equity, green bonds; served as overall project counsel
Result: More successful biofuel companies in 2020

International

Type of Client: European manufacturer
Client’s Issue: Client needed to establish a U.S. subsidiary for U.S. sales and licensing agreements.
My Approach: I worked with the client and tax counsel to determine the best legal structure for the subsidiary, as well as helped draft contracts and licensing agreements.

Education

  • Mitchell Hamline Law School, 1998
  • University of St. Thomas, Bachelor of Arts, 1992

Bar Admissions

  • New York, 2022
  • Minnesota, 1998
  • North Dakota, 2007

  • American Bar Association, Business Law Section – Infrastructure, Energy, Corporate, Finance and Securities law committees
  • American Biogas Council
  • AURI Biogas Working Group, Member
  • AURI Green Hydrogen Working Group, Member
  • Bioeconomy Coalition of Minnesota, Member
  • Boundless Impact, Member
  • Great Plains Institute, Member
  • Hennepin County Bar Association, Member
  • Minnesota Solar Energy Association, Member
  • Minnesota Biofuels Association, Member
  • Minnesota Conservative Energy Forum, Member
  • Minnesota State Bar Association, Member
  • Renewable Fuels Association, Past Member
  • Minnesota High Technology Association, Past Member
  • Algae Biomass Association, Past Board Member

Publications

Presentations + Appearances

“Todd answers his own phone, responds quickly, is efficient and most importantly, gets my deals done.” – New York City Private Equity firm partner

“We are a start-up company and Todd has guided us masterfully through the process of raising capital. Carefully explaining the do and don’ts, he is a valued member of the tru Shrimp team and a real pleasure to work with through this exciting process.” – Michael B. Ziebell, President & CEO, The tru Shrimp Company

“Todd Taylor has been our corporate counsel since we were a start-up. He has been invaluable to us as our business has grown in helping us think about the key issues and risks in all of our transactions. Todd is not just our lawyer, but a trusted advisor.” – Keshav Rajpal, Principal, Biomass Solutions

“We had a very difficult corporate governance issue, and Avisen was very helpful in getting it resolved and then writing up the documentation. Great work!” – Al Matthys, CFO, Stock and Barrel

“Since 2008, I have experienced Todd’s advice helping me avoid conflict and litigation. His solutions and expertise are invaluable. Todd does an excellent job advising businesses. He partners with his clients and works with all the partners to close any transaction.” – Olaf Lee, President, Prototype Garage

“Many technical people focused as they are on technology development and deployment tend to consider lawyers a necessary evil. Todd takes the evil out of that necessity. This tongue- in-cheek description is meant to reflect that I actually look forward to my discussions with him and that he takes his roles as an enabler for entrepreneurs very seriously. His understanding of complex legal issues especially as they relate to corporate structure and business development is superb and because of that manages to explain the most intricate situation in a simple, no nonsense, this-is-what-really-matters, way that allows any person with scant legal training to understand the implication of what is being done and articulate appropriate business approaches. Also, he is sincerely passionate about technology which – while as a technologist I could consider a positive tract in itself – provides him an edge in supporting the all-important efforts that straddle technology and business development.” – Luca Zullo, Principal Consultant, VerdeNero, LLC

“It has been a pleasure to work with Todd over the past several years. Few lawyers are willing to work in a new industry that sacrifices today for tomorrow but Todd takes a big picture / long term view. A great asset.” – James Drage, Entrepreneur, Investor, and Coach

“It takes people who know how to collaborate and connect the dots to create successful projects, and in my experience Todd’s willingness to go the extra mile for his clients and get them connected to the right people is very effective.” – Kenneth Brown, Transformation Key, LLC

“Todd’s expertise in and passion for biomass as fuels, chemicals, and power is unsurpassed. I have found his ability to anticipate the future, provide leadership, and communicate insights in these areas to be invaluable. As a thought-leader, Todd also possesses the knowledge, drive, and concern necessary to enable you and your organization to realize your business objectives.” – Gregg Mast, President & CEO, Earthtech Energy

Recent Articles by Todd Taylor
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