MARK W. KLEIN is a principal of Brody Wilkinson PC and a member of the firm’s Business & Finance and Real Estate Groups.. His primary practice areas include mergers and acquisitions, business transactions, securities law, general contract matters, commercial real estate transactions, franchise law and entertainment law.
As part of his practice, Mark represents business owners in all stages of the business cycle. He assists start-up companies with forming business entities and raising seed money from investors. Mark helps businesses grow and develop by preparing operating agreements that govern the company’s operations and all necessary contracts specific to the company’s industry. These include but are not limited to supply and distribution agreements for manufacturing companies, service agreements for service providers, terms of use and privacy policies for online retailers and leases for commercial and residential real estate holding companies. Mark also creates business succession plans to transition the ownership of family-owned businesses to next generations. In addition, he helps many business owners successfully sell their assets or equity interests, often in multi-million dollar deals that involve complex elements such as earn out payments and escrowed funds.
Mark is admitted to practice in Connecticut. He is on the Executive Committee of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Business Law Section. He is also a member of the American Bar Association’s and Connecticut Bar Association’s Franchise Law Sections, the American Bar Association’s Business Law Section and the Greater Bridgeport Bar Association’s Business Law and Real Estate Sections. Mark was a member of the CUSA Regulations Task Force that worked with the Connecticut Department of Banking to propose revisions to Connecticut’s securities regulations. Previously, he served on the drafting committee for a comment letter submitted jointly by several American Bar Association committees regarding the SEC’s final crowdfunding rules. Active in the community, he has performed pro bono legal services for Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and the Pro Bono Partnership. He graduated from the Bridgeport Regional Business Council’s Leadership Greater Bridgeport program.
Mark received a B.A. in Public Policy Studies from Duke University and a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law. He also attended the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies in London, UK. Prior to joining Brody Wilkinson, Mark worked for a general practice firm in West Haven, Connecticut.
Feb 13, 25
The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) was enacted in 2021 to enhance financial transparency and to combat money laundering and other financial crimes by requiring most business entities to file a Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) report with the federal Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The law officially took effect on January […]
Jul 3, 24
On January 1, 2024, the federal Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) took effect, mandating that “reporting companies” register with, and provide certain information to, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). We discussed the CTA in detail in our electronic update in December 2023 (which can be found on […]
Apr 2, 20
The biggest challenge facing start-up companies is how to pay for ongoing expenses until there are sufficient revenues. Start-ups often need to raise capital from outside sources in order to grow and become successful. This article outlines the most common methods start-ups use to raise capital and the benefits and […]
Feb 11, 19
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a comprehensive set of European Union (EU) data protection rules that became effective in May 2018. The GDPR applies to any company regardless of where it is located (including any US-based company) that collects, maintains or uses any personal data belonging to EU […]
Mar 15, 17
Business and property owners, creditors and other commercial parties in Connecticut must draft their consumer contracts carefully in order to avoid unintended consequences and ensure that they are enforceable. This is because Connecticut’s consumer protection laws invalidate certain provisions which are commonly found in consumer contracts. These laws also grant various rights […]
Feb 22, 16
Effective October 1, 2015, Connecticut’s security breach notification statute was amended to increase the legal obligations of any business that sustains a security breach. The statute defines a breach of security as any “unauthorized access to or unauthorized acquisition of” electronic files or other data containing personal information if the information […]
Feb 20, 15
The Connecticut Benefit Corporation Act, which became effective on October 1, 2014, authorized the formation of benefit corporations (also known as B-corporations) under state law. A benefit corporation is a for-profit corporation that is allowed to consider the needs of society, in addition to the needs of its shareholders, when making […]
Jan 9, 14
On September 23, 2013, the amendments to Rule 506 of Regulation D under the JOBS Act (Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act) became effective following the adoption of implementing rules by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These amendments lift the longstanding ban on general solicitations and advertisements to accredited investors. […]
Nov 27, 12
There is a common misperception that struggling homeowners cannot request any mortgage relief until they are behind on their payments. Many homeowners have even been instructed by their mortgage lenders to stop making their payments for at least three or four months so they can apply for a modification of their […]
Nov 27, 12
When a Connecticut company issues any equity interests (such as stock in a corporation or membership interests in an LLC) to an investor, those interests will be deemed “securities” under federal and state law. In general, a company must register securities for offer and sale under both federal and applicable state […]
Nov 19, 10
Purchasing a franchise is an attractive option for people who are looking for new challenges or who are unable to find work in their previous careers. Becoming a successful franchise owner requires a significant investment of money and time. Before you sign the franchise agreement, here are some important things […]
