Mar 2, 2020

0 Message : Lindsay Karas Stencel Joins as a Partner Thompson Hine LLP is pleased to announce that Lindsay Karas Stencel has joined the firm’s Columbus office as a partner in its Early Stage & Emerging Companies practice. Stencel spent the past 12 years at NCT Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm based in Columbus that focuses on investing in high-growth startups. There, she managed and oversaw all venture fund formation and structuring and emerging company deal structuring, portfolio management, limited partner relations and fundraising. “Joining Thompson Hine in the venture capital and emerging companies practice is the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Stencel. “The Columbus venture capital community, and the Midwest at large, is flourishing with potential. Thompson Hine is a firm with an entrepreneurial spirit and an established, well-respected emerging markets team. The firm’s innovative platform presents a unique opportunity to make a strong impact in the Columbus market.” Stencel served as Chief Legal Counsel and a Managing Partner at NCT Ventures, becoming one of the first female venture capital partners in the state of Ohio. In this capacity, she acted as a venture finance professional and lawyer for the firm’s family of venture capital funds and investment vehicles. While serving as investor-side counsel at NCT Ventures, Stencel became engaged with Launch New York, Inc. in 2016. This Buffalo-based venture development organization provides mentorship and funding to seed-stage businesses across all industries in the western counties of New York. Initially joining the firm as Chief Operating Officer and Fund Manager, Stencel subsequently moved into the Chief Investment Officer and Fund Manager role. During her tenure, she led the firm to become the most active seed fund in the state of New York and one of the most active in the country, garnering her the 2018 Upstate Capital Association Early Stage Dealmaker of the Year Award and the 2019 Upstate Capital Association Investor of the Year Award. “We are excited to watch the Columbus venture capital ecosystem continue to flourish and thrilled to have Lindsay represent us and others in the region as she progresses to the next level in her career,” said Rich Langdale, Managing Partner of NCT Ventures. In 2010, while working for NCT Ventures, Stencel started and grew her own legal practice, representing venture capital firms, emerging companies and small businesses. Emerging fund managers nationally seek out Stencel for her unique skillset. She closed in excess of 1,000 pre-seed, seed and early stage transactions and led numerous companies through their M&A transactions. “Lindsay will be a tremendous addition to our emerging markets practice and our Columbus office,” said Partner-in-Charge Michael V. Wible . “Her leadership of Launch New York propelled it to become one of the most active seed funds nationally. Lindsay’s work at NCT Ventures and the growth of her practice are equally impressive. Lindsay’s energy and expertise in this area will further complement the firm’s work with early stage and venture capital transactions.” Stencel is an adjunct professor teaching “Venture Capital and Dealmaking” at The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law and a co-founder of The W Fund, an organization seeking to get more venture capital dollars into the hands of women across the country. She is also a frequent guest speaker at the Moritz College of Law and instructs investors, entrepreneurs and economic development groups across the country on market standard deal structuring. She received her J.D. from the Moritz College of Law and her MBA from The Max M. Fisher College of Business. She is a member of the Ohio, Michigan and New York bars. About Thompson Hine LLP. Thompson Hine LLP, a full-service business law firm with approximately 400 lawyers in 8 offices, was ranked number 1 in the category “Most innovative North American law firms: New working models” by The Financial Times and was 1 of 7 firms shortlisted for The American Lawyer’s inaugural Legal Services Innovation Award. Thompson Hine has distinguished itself in all areas of Service Delivery Innovation in the BTI Brand Elite, where it has been recognized as one of the top 4 firms for “Value for the Dollar” and “Commitment to Help” and among the top 5 firms “making changes to improve the client experience.” The firm’s commitment to innovation is embodied in Thompson Hine SmartPaTH® – a smarter way to work – predictable, efficient and aligned with client goals. For more information, please visit ThompsonHine.com and ThompsonHine.com/SmartPaTH . View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200302005779/en/ © Business Wire 2020