123 South Broad Street
Avenue of the Arts
Philadelphia, PA 19109
P: 215-772-7426
F: 215-772-7620
Biography
Ernest D. Holtzheimer is a member of the firm’s Business Department, where he provides transactional and business advisory services to clients, including individuals, mid-sized and emerging companies, multinational corporations, and investors on a wide variety of matters.
Focusing in the technology, education, life sciences, and financial services industries, Ernie counsels businesses at every stage of their lifecycle, from entity formation to exit. This includes litigation, angel and venture capital financing transactions, intellectual property protection, mergers and acquisitions, corporate partnerships, joint ventures and other general corporate matters. He also represents the seed, venture capital, private equity, institutional, and strategic investors that help finance business growth.
As an active member of the emerging business and venture capital community, Ernie serves on advisory boards for an institutional venture fund and an international angel investment group. He writes and speaks frequently on topics such as planning profitable exit strategies and obtaining angel and venture capital financing for early-stage companies. Ernie also serves as editor of Montgomery McCracken’s Private Business Counsel blog.
Prior to joining the firm, Ernie was a legal honors intern for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in the Division of Enforcement, where he focused on securities law issues concerning insider trading and market manipulation. He was also a Student Attorney in the Entrepreneurial Law Clinic at the Thomas R. Kline School of Law and an intern for the U.S. Department of Education in the Office for Civil Rights and the City of Philadelphia Law Department in the Commercial Law Unit.
Ernie is also a member of the firm’s Diversity Committee.
Selected Publications
- Authored, “SEC Enforcement Measures to Change for 2018,” Philadelphia Bar Reporter, April 13, 2018
- Authored, “The Eagles are back in the big game – don’t get sued over it,” Philadelphia Business Journal, January 30, 2018
- Authored, “More unicorns might finally IPO in 2018,” Techincal.ly, January 17, 2018
- Authored “JOBS Act changes could coax more ‘unicorns’ to IPO in 2018,” Venture Beat, January 14, 2018
- Authored “Spotlight on Diversity, Advisory Role of General Counsel,” Philadelphia Bar Reporter, November 2017
- Authored “SEC Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies Completes Final Report and Recommendations,” ABA Business Law Today, October 2017
- Authored “What to make of the SEC’s rule change on confidential IPOs,” Technical.ly Philly, July 11, 2017
- Featured in “14 lawyers inspired by startup ‘godfather’ Steve Goodman,” Technical.ly Philly, June 22, 2017
- Authored “Advancing Your Career with Grit, a Growth Mindset and Relationships,” The Legal Intelligencer, June 12, 2017
- Authored “Could the proposed Pa. tech tax threaten Philly’s status as a ‘lean startup’s paradise’?” Technical.ly Philly, 2017
- Authored “The U.S. House just passed a bill that will make startup demo days more accessible,” Technical.ly Philly, 2017
- Authored “What Bai Brands’ $1.7 billion exit could mean for Philly startups,” Technical.ly Philly, 2016
- Authored “A Modern Analysis for Modern Day Unpaid Internships,” ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section, Business Litigation Committee Newsletter, 2016
- Authored “Accommodations in the Air: Travelers with Disabilities and the Air Carrier Access Act”; Embracing Diversity: ABA Tort Trial and & Insurance Practice Section, 2015
- Authored Case Note: In re Deepwater Horizon ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section, Business Litigation Committee Newsletter, 2015
- Authored “Technological Advancements Assisting Attorneys with Disabilities,” The Business of Diversity Inclusion: ABA Business Law Section, 2015
- Authored “Barriers to Disability Employment Create the Path to Entrepreneurship,” Embracing Diversity: ABA Tort Trial and & Insurance Practice Section, 2014
- Authored “Disability in the Legal Field: Talent Created Through Adversity,” Embracing Diversity: ABA Tort Trial and & Insurance Practice Section, 2014
Selected Speaking Engagements
- Moderator, “ABA Resources: Service Offerings for State & Local Bar Associations,” 2018 ABA Business Bar Leaders Conference, May 18, 2018, Chicago, Illinois
- Course planner, “Dispelling Myths and Shedding Light on the Challenges and Value of Attorneys with Disabilities,” 2018 American Bar Association Business Law Section Spring Meeting, April 13, Orlando, Florida
- Panelist, “Philadelphia Diversity Law Group Boot Camp,” The Kline School of Law – First Annual Pre-Law Diversity Day, March 2018
- Moderator, “Born & Raised in Philadelphia: Raising Startup Capital Outside of Silicon Valley,” Young Involved Philadelphia’s State of Young Philly 2017, October 2017, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Moderator, “Lawyers with Disabilities Subcomittee Meeting,” American Bar Association’s 2017 Business Law Section Annual Meeting, September 2017, Chicago, Illinois
- Panelist, “Hot Topics in Intellectual Property Law,” Philadelphia Bar Association, August 2017, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Vice-Chair, “ABA Resources Available to Other Bar Organizations,” American Bar Association’s 2017 Business Bar Leader Conference, May 18-19, 2017, Chicago, Illinois
- Moderator, “The Business Advantage of Diversity: A Luncheon and Panel Discussion,” Philly Tech Week 2017, May 2017, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Presenter, “Private Equity and Venture Capital Jurisprudence, The TransPerfect Global Decision,” American Bar Association’s 2017 Business Law Section Spring Meeting, April 6-8, 2017, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Panelist, “Mocktails: The Art of Networking,” Rowan University William G. Rohrer College of Business Alumni Advisory Council, February 2017, Glassboro, New Jersey
- Moderator, “From Founding to Funding: Entrepreneurs Finding Their Success in Philadelphia,” Young Involved Philadelphia’s State of Young Philly 2016, November 2016, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Presenter, “Chinese Venture Capital Update,” ABA Business Law Section, International Private Equity & Venture Capital Subcommittee, September 2015, Chicago, Illinois
- Presenter, “Developments and Trends in Venture Capital within the United States and European Union,” 6th International Forum for Law Students, May 2015, Beijing, China
Community Involvement
- Drexel University Kline School of Law Alumni Council
- Vice President
- Rowan University Entrepreneurship Advisory Council
- Finance Committee Chair
- Rowan Innovation Venture Fund
- Advisory Committee Member
- Rowan University Rohrer College of Business
- Alumni Advisory Board
- The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia
- Young Professionals Council
- SCORE Association
- Small Business Mentor
- Vice Chair for Gloucester County, NJ
- South Jersey Technology Park at Rowan University
- Board of Directors
- Special Olympics Pennsylvania
- Executive Advisory Board
- Young Involved Philadelphia
- Supporting Member
- Covenant House Pennsylvania
- Associate Board
- Young Friends of the Philadelphia Orchestra
Professional Activities & Achievements
- Deaf and Hard of Hearing Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- Business Law Section
- Business Law Fellow
- Business Bar Leaders Conference Planning Committee (2017-Present)
- Technology Chair – Private Equity and Venture Capital Committee
- Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section
- Vice Chair – Business Litigation Committee
- Vice Chair – Diversity and Inclusion Committee
- Business Law Section
- Philadelphia Bar Association
- Business Law Section, Executive Committee
- Young Lawyers Division, Executive Committee
- New Jersey Bar Association
- Camden County Bar Association
Academic Achievements
Ernie received his J.D. degree, cum laude, from Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, with a Business and Entrepreneurship Concentration. He was the recipient of the Rising Advocate Scholarship, the Firstrust Bank Award in Business & Entrepreneurship Law, and the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Eve Biskind Klothen Law Student Pro Bono Distinction Award. He earned an M.B.A. degree in Finance and B.S. degrees, cum laude, in Entrepreneurship and Business Management with a focus on International Studies, from Rowan University William G. Rohrer College of Business.