Johnson, R. Todd

Current Employment Position(s)

Partner

Lawyer Overview

Todd Johnson represents founders, investors, and companies pursuing renewable energy solutions, impacts on sustainable growth, energy efficiency, energy optimization, corporate governance transparency, and those pursuing "for-benefit" models, by advising on corporate financings (including offerings of debt and equity securities, venture capital financings, and private equity buyouts), joint ventures, restructurings, corporate counseling, and mergers and acquisitions. Todd founded Jones Day's Northern California practice in 2000 by opening its Silicon Valley Office. He presently leads the Firm's Renewable Energy and Sustainability Practice.

During his 20 plus years at Jones Day, Todd has represented SunPower in its acquisition of PowerLight and in its public offerings, Isuzu Motors of America in its North American restructurings with GM, Metering Technology in its sale to Echelon, and Bank of America in nearly $20 billion in structured financing transactions. Todd serves or has served as regular outside counsel to SunPower Corporation, Harman International, SearchMe, Funny or Die, Santur, GoodGuide, Metering Technology, Notiva, and LaborFair.com; works regularly with partners at Sequoia Capital and other top-tier venture funds; and represents a number of founders and start-ups through the formation, venture financing, and liquidity phases.

Todd actively serves as pro bono counsel to groups including the Grameen Trust, the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, and organizations expanding the "for-benefit" sector, including the Aspen Institute, Good Capital, GlobalGiving, B Labs, Fair Trade Pictures, and Pura Vida Coffee. Todd has been quoted for his work with "for-benefit" corporations in publications such as The New York Times, Inc. magazine, and BusinessWeek.

Areas of Practice

• Energy
• Private Equity
• Banking & Finance
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Climate Change
• Business Restructuring & Reorganization
• Energy Renewables and Sustainable Development
• Environmental, Health & Safety
• Financial Services
• Life Sciences
• Intellectual Property
• Joint Ventures & Strategic Alliances
• M&A
• Buyouts
• Fund Formation
• Venture Capital - Investor
• Venture Capital - Issuer

Representative Cases

• Blue Chip Venture, Hummer Winblad Venture, and Sequoia Capital invest in MarketWire
• Crimson Asia Capital purchases stock of Bravo Technology
• Gund Investment purchases Ophthonix stock
• Harmoic Communications issues stock in a private placement to Sequoia Capital
• Harmonic Communications issues $11.5 million of equity shares in a private placement to Dentsu Inc.
• Harmonic Communications places additional shares with Dentsu
• Houlihan Lokey acts as financial advisor in the acquisition of CompuCom by Platinum Equity
• Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin, as counsel to provider of solvency opinion in Ashland Inc.'s $2.93 billion sale
• Hudson Soft seeks advice regarding incorporation of U.S. subsidiary and various intellectual property licensing issues
• Ignite Innovations places shares with investor group
• Isuzu Motors America sells DMAX interest to GM Corp. , (2009)
• Notiva Corporation places Series B stock , (2009)
• Santur closes Series A financing round
• Smart Technology raises capital in Series D round
• Solar Integrated Technologies completes IPO for $22 million of Common Shares
• Sunplus Technology jointly acquires Oak Technology
• SunPower acquires PowerLight for $332 million
• SunPower acquires SunRay Renewable Energy for $277 million , (2010)
• SunPower announces public offering of Class A Common Stock , (2009)
• SunPower announces public offering of Class A Common Stock , (2009)
• SunPower completes concurrent public offerings of equity and convertible debt , (2009)
• SunPower completes public offering of $225 million of Senior Convertible Debentures , (2009)
• SunPower completes public offering of Class B Common Stock , (2009)
• SunPower issues $135 million of Class A Common Stock in public offering
• SunPower issues $200 million of Senior Convertible Debentures in public offering
• SunPower issues $206.5 million of Class A Common Stock in public offering
• SunPower re-negotiates EPC agreements in connection with the development of a solar park in Montalto di Castro

West Practice Categories

Banking & Finance Law, Business & Commercial Law, Business Organizations, Business Successions, Clean Air Practice, Cleanup & Superfund, Closely Held Businesses, Commercial Banks, Commercial Leasing, Copyrights, Corporate Governance, Credit Unions, Debtor/Creditor, Directors' & Officers' Liability, Dissolution, Environmental Law, Formation & Business Planning, Franchising, Hazardous Waste, Intellectual Property Law, International Banking, International Intellectual Property, Joint Ventures, Lending & Secured Transactions, Limited Liability Companies, Loan Workouts, Mergers, Acquisitions & Divestitures, Mortgages & Foreclosures, Non-profit & Tax-exempt Organizations, Partnerships, Patents, Permits, Public Finance, Regulatory Compliance & Auditing, Reorganizations, Savings & Thrifts, Shareholders' Rights, Solid Waste, State & Municipal Bonds & Financing, Technology Licensing, Trade Associations, Trade Dress, Trade Secrets, Trademarks, Venture Capital, Water Pollution, Wetlands & Wild Lands

Bar Admissions

• California
• District of Columbia
• Maryland

Education

• Catholic Univ of America (The)
• Miami University - Ohio

Address

1755 Embarcadero Road
Palo Alto, CA 94303

Phones

1.650.739.3999 (Business Phone)

Faxes

1.650.739.3900 (Business Fax)

Emails

Contact Us (Business Email)

Websites

http://www.jonesday.com