Kim Kaplan-Gross, Partner

Kimberley J. Kaplan-Gross is a partner in Cooley's Venture Capital practice group and is a member of the Business department. She joined the Firm in 2008 and is resident in the Boston office.

Ms. Kaplan-Gross represents domestic and international private investment firms in fund formation, management and governance matters, secondary transactions and investment adviser regulatory matters. She represents venture capital, buyout and other direct private equity funds, as well as primary and secondary funds-of-funds. In fundraising, she advises fund sponsors on legal structuring matters, guides them in market positioning and setting proposed terms and conditions, and leads their investor negotiations. In addition, Ms. Kaplan-Gross represents institutional investors in their investments in private equity funds.

Ms. Kaplan-Gross was recognized in Chambers USA as a leading practitioner in venture capital in 2010 and fund formation in 2011. She was also recognized in the 2012 Best Lawyers in America report as a leading lawyer in venture capital law.

Prior to joining Cooley, Ms. Kaplan-Gross was a partner with DLA Piper's Boston office, as well as a partner in the private equity practice at Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault LLP.

Ms. Kaplan-Gross received her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law in 1994, where she was also the Senior Articles Editor for the University of Miami Law Review, as well as a member of the Order of the Coif. She received her B.S. in 1989 from Boston University.

She is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and is a member of the Boston Bar Association and the American Bar Association.

Speaking Engagements

• Panelist, "The Regulatory Landscape for Private Equity," NAIC 41st Annual Meeting, Palm Beach, Florida, October 3, 2011
• Panelist, "The Toughest Issues Our Fund Clients Have Been Facing Recently, and What We Have Been Telling Them," Cooley VC/PE Roundtable 2011, Boston, Massachusetts, January 20, 2011
• Moderator, "The Institutional Limited Partners' Perspectives - Trends in VC/PE Commitments, Fund Relations, and Their View of the Industry," Cooley VC/PE Roundtable 2011, Boston, Massachusetts, January 20, 2011
• Panelist, "Get Ready Now for the Year End Sprint on Portfolio Valuations: A Discussion of the Changing Landscape of SFAS 157," A Breakfast Briefing Presented by Cooley, Quist Valuations and KPMG, Boston, Massachusetts, July 21, 2010
• Panelist, "Global Fundraising at the Forefront," 2010 Venture Capital Investing Conference, International Business Forums, San Francisco, California, June 9, 2010
• Panelist, "Fund Formation in the Era of the ILPA PE Principles," New England Venture Capital Association Briefing, Boston, Massachusetts, May 21, 2010
• Panelist, "Raising a New Fund in a Challenging Market," National Association of Investment Companies Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, October 19, 2009
• Panelist, "Managing the Traffic:  How the GP Might Play Its Hand When an LP Desires to Transfer – ROFRs, Agents, Secondary Buyers, Securities Law Issues, Stapled Commitments and More," Cooley VC/PE Roundtable 2009, Boston, Massachusetts, July 23, 2009
• Panelist, "Trends, Developments and Best Practices in Fund Operations in these Unprecedented Times:  Commentary on Annex Funds, Successor Funds, Investment Pace, Team Challenges, Management Fee Technique Usage and More," Cooley VC/PE Roundtable 2009, Boston, Massachusetts, July 23, 2009
• Panelist, "Fundraising:  The New Criteria For Your Next Fund," 2009 Venture Capital Investing Conference, Internal Business Forums, San Francisco, California, June 5, 2009
• Panelist, "Private Equity Funds in Formation," J.P. Morgan Asset Management, New York, New York, May 4, 2009
  
• Panelist, "VC Firm Founders:  When Evolving Roles Becomes Necessary," Merrill Lynch Private Equity CFO Conference, Laguna Beach, California, September 19, 2008
• Panelist, "The Fundraising Climate," 2008 Venture Capital Investing Conference, International Business Forums, San Francisco, California, June 12, 2008
• Panelist, "Fund of Funds Spotlight," 2008 Venture Capital Investing Conference, International Business Forums, San Francisco, California, June 12, 2008
• Instructor, "Private Equity Partnerships:  Legal Structures and Economic Incentives," Kauffman Fellows Program Module, Wellesley, Massachusetts, November 16, 2007
• Panelist, "Venture Capital Funds: How Fund Terms Impact Investing," Advanced Venture Capital 2007, Practising Law Institute, San Francisco, California, August 9, 2007
• Panelist, "Fundraising and the Impact of Fund of Funds on the Venture Business," 2007 Venture Capital
• Investing Conference, International Business Forums, San Francisco, California, June 8, 2007
• Panelist, "Raising a Fund: The LP View," The Private Equity Analyst Limited Partners Summit 2007, New York, New York, May 22, 2007
• Panelist, "New Trends in Partnership Terms and Conditions," The 2006 Private Equity Strategic Financial Management Conference, Private Equity International, San Francisco, California, November 14, 2006
• Panelist, "Partnership Agreement Financial Terms 101," The 2006 Private Equity Strategic Financial Management Conference, Private Equity International, San Francisco, California, November 14, 2006
• Panelist, "Anatomy of a VC Deal," Kauffman Fellows Program Module, Wellesley, Massachusetts, October 25, 2006
• Panelist, "Terms to Live By: How to Structure Success in GP-LP Negotiations," National Association of Investment Companies 36th Annual Meeting and Convention, Lake Las Vegas, Nevada, October 17, 2006
• Moderator and Panelist, "Building a Sustaining Firm: What Does it Take?," The Private Equity Analyst Conference 2006, Dow Jones, New York, New York, September 26, 2006
• Panelist, "What It Takes To Get The Attention of LP's And Successfully Close A Private Equity Fund," The Private Equity Analyst Limited Partners Summit 2006, New York, New York, June 2006
• Moderator, "Next Generation Fund Managers & The ‘Transformation' Of The Venture Industry," 2006 Venture Capital Investing Conference, International Business Forums, San Francisco, California, June 9, 2006
• Panelist, "Anatomy of a VC Deal," Kauffman Fellows Program Module, Wellesley, Massachusetts, October 26, 2005
• Moderator, "The Case for a Minority Private Equity Fund Mandate," National Association of Investment Companies 35th Annual Meeting and Convention, Carlsbad, California, October 18, 2005
• Moderator and Panelist, "Emerging Manager Due Diligence: What Limited Partners Want to Know Before Backing a New Fund," The Private Equity Analyst Conference 2005, Dow Jones, New York, New York, September 21, 2005
• Moderator and Panelist, "Fund of Funds Investing Update," 2005 Venture Capital Investing Conference, International Business Forums, San Francisco, California, July 3, 2005
• Panelist, "Preparation is the Key to Success: Succession and Liquidity Planning for the Venture Capital Firm," Ernst & Young L.L.P., Herzliya, Israel, March 23, 2005
• Moderator, "Ducks in a Row: Be Prepared for the New Fundraising Market," The 2005 North American Private Equity COOs and CFOs Forum, Private Equity International, New York, New York, January 11-12, 2005
• Panelist, "Terms and Conditions In-Depth: Innovative Strategies for Private Equity and Venture Capital Fundraising," The Private Equity Analyst Conference 2004, Dow Jones, New York, New York, September 22, 2004
• Presenter, "Managing the Offering Process; Terms and Conditions," Effectively Administering Private Equity Funds, Financial Resource Associates, New York, New York, July 22, 2004
• Presenter, "Maximizing Returns: Participating in Initial Public Offerings of Portfolio Companies," The Road to Liquidity: What a Venture Capitalist Needs to Know, Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault, LLP, Boston, Massachusetts, July 15, 2004
• Program Chair, The Road to Liquidity: What a Venture Capitalist Needs to Know, Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault, LLP, Boston, Massachusetts, July 15, 2004
• Presenter, "Public Offerings," Securities Offerings, Private Placements and Resales, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Boston, Massachusetts, January 2004 and January 2002
• Panelist, "Information Please: Why the Tussle Over Performance Data May Be Coming to a Head," The Private Equity Analyst Limited Partners Summit 2002, New York, New York, June 2002

Publications

• "When a Partner Leaves:  Navigating the Issues," Private Equity Newsletter, DLA Piper US LLP, June 2006
• "Initial Public Offering Practice," Securities Offerings, Private Placements and Resales, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, January 2004
• "Microview-Registered Investment Advisers," Venture Update, Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault, LLP, Winter 2004
• "Protecting Sensitive Private Equity Data," Client Bulletin, Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault, LLP, October 25, 2002
• "Are Fund Performance Data Really Confidential?" Venture Update, Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault, LLP, Fall 2001

Memberships

• Vice-Chair, Corporate Law Committee of the Business Law Section of the Boston Bar Association, 2000-2002 
• Coaching, Screening and Recruiting Committees, Springboard: New England 2001, 2003 and 2004

Education

• University of Miami School of Law
  JD, 1994, cum laude
• Boston University
  BS, 1989

Admissions

• Massachusetts

Memberships

• American Bar Association
• Boston Bar Association