Michael Best is pleased to announce the addition of Partner Jordan Koss, Senior Associate Kenneth Rosenzweig, and Associate Ashley Cross to the firm. Koss, Rosenzweig and Cross join the Corporate Practice Group and Venture Best, the firm’s team committed to handling matters impacting high growth companies and investors. Koss and Cross will be based in the firm’s Chicago office while Rosenzweig will be based in Denver. All three attorneys come from McDonald Hopkins LLC.

Koss has over a decade of experience in the fields of venture capital, startup and mergers and acquisitions. He has represented technology startups from an outside general counsel role in venture capital financings, private debt and equity offerings, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and commercial technology transactions.

Rosenzweig has focused his practice in the startup and venture capital space, bringing firsthand experience to his clients as a founder of Rowgatta, a company he founded in 2017. Rowgatta is an innovative fitness business for which Rosenzweig built digital and physical fitness products, led a successful financing round, developed the brand, and provided in-house counsel for legal matters.

Cross, as an associate with a focus on Startup and Venture Capital Practice group, has assisted on numerous venture capital and startup transactions, including venture capital financings, mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance.

“Jordan, Kenny and Ashley all have strong track records of advising their clients in very nuanced finance matters and will greatly benefit the Venture Best and Venture Capital teams – which already consist of the most active group of venture lawyers in the country based on the 2020 Pitchbook rankings,” said Galen Mason, Co-Chair of Venture Best. “Their experience and initiative make them a great match for the firm, I’m confident that they will fit in well with the team in Chicago, Denver and nationally.”

Before joining the Michael Best team, Koss worked as a partner at McDonald Hopkins LLC in Chicago, where he served as the Head of the Tech Startup and Venture Capital Group. He previously worked in the tech startup, private equity and M&A groups at Fenwick & West LLP in San Francisco, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP in New York. He also was a partner at goodcounsel LLC, a top boutique firm in Chicago focused on early stage startup representation.

Prior to making his move to Michael Best, Rosenzweig was also an attorney at McDonald Hopkins LLC, where he served as an associate in the Startup and Venture Capital Practice Group. Before this position, he was a corporate associate at one of the largest law firms in New York City, Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Here, he advised financial sponsors, portfolio companies, corporations and senior executives, and developed a wide-ranging corporate practice where he gained experience working on all aspects of domestic and cross-border transactions.

Prior to her work at her previous firm, Cross served as a legal fellow for U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth where her work focused on solutions to voting rights issues, judicial nomination and confirmation processes, and tracking district and circuit court nominees. She also served as an in-house legal intern for Navistar Inc. where she drafted service contracts with international affiliates and analyzed corporate governance issues.

Michael Best’s Venture Best team is comprised of professionals who counsel early-stage businesses on financial, organizational and regulatory needs as they grow. Koss has years of experience working with emerging businesses and will continue focusing his practice in the space at Michael Best. Recognized by Illinois Super Lawyers in 2020 and 2021 as a Rising Star, Koss brings with him a strong reputation in the Chicagoland area.

Rosenzweig has also made a name for himself as an entrepreneur, having been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Men’s Journal, and NBC News on his accomplishments related to Rowgatta.

“Jordan and Ashley both come from positions of leadership, Jordan at his previous firm and Ashley within state government, demonstrating their strong ties in Chicago’s technology and venture capital scene, which is quickly growing,” said Kerryann Haase Minton, Managing Partner of the Chicago office. “I look forward to having additional teammates with venture experience join our growing Chicago office.”

Koss earned his B.A. in Public Policy Studies from Duke University, and his J.D., cum laude, from Cardozo Law School.

Rosenzweig earned his B.A. in Economics and History from The University of Michigan, and his J.D., magna cum laude, from Fordham University School of Law.

Cross earned her B.A. in Political Science, magna cum laude, from Carthage College, and her J.D. from Boston College Law School.