John P. Cleary

John P. Cleary, Co-Managing Shareholder of the San Diego office, represents public and private clients in a variety of corporate and securities matters. He focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, public and private securities transactions, franchise formation and compliance, and general corporate matters. John also works with private equity and investment firms on structure, formation, SEC compliance, and transactions.

In the realm of mergers and acquisitions, John represents private equity firms and other buyers in stock and asset transactions. He also assists companies and management in business sales, merger and acquisition transactions, and joint venture arrangements. For publicly held companies, John handles transactional matters including initial public offerings, secondary public offerings, registered direct offerings, and alternative go-public transactions such as reverse mergers.

John’s practice extends to counseling public companies on various aspects of securities law, including PIPE transactions, securities offerings, Rule 144 matters, SEC compliance and reporting, and general business matters. This approach allows John to support companies at various stages of growth, from early-stage startups to established public entities.

John also serves as outside legal counsel for startup and emerging growth companies, particularly in the technology and action sports/lifestyle industries. He guides these clients through formation, seed, and preferred stock financings, and ongoing corporate needs. John’s work in this area encompasses a wide range of services, from initial company setup to navigating complex funding rounds. Additionally, John represents companies in Regulation CF “crowdfunding” offerings and Rule 506(c) advertised offerings, providing guidance on these alternative capital-raising methods.

Concentrations

•Assist sellers in the sale of their businesses, including asset sales, stock sales and mergers
•Represent private equity buyers in acquisitions
•Fund formation and compliance including broker-dealer matters and 1940 Act issues
•Start-up company representation including venture capital financings

Recognition & Leadership

Awards & Accolades

•Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Corporate Law, 2026
•Listed, San Diego Business Journal, 'Best of the Bar,' Corporate Law, 2016