Bridging the gap between traditional legal service and strategic advice, Wendy Brasunas Heilbut is an attorney who advises her clients through critical changes.  Wendy’s expertise shines when she guides companies and individuals through situations of corporate organization and management, intellectual property protection and transactions, fundraising, and strategic growth.  

After helping a client identify its objectives, she deftly navigates the simplest and cleanest path forward. She has an innate ability to understand and communicate with parties on all sides – this skill allows her to solve problems quickly and concisely. Wendy is well connected in the start-up, investor and female founder ecosystems of New York City. As well as working with her clients, she loves making connections for them and others in her network.

Areas of Expertise and Representative Clients:

Strategic Partner to Investing Organizations

Wendy is sought out by investing organizations and venture capital teams for her support and advice in deal evaluation and deal structure as well as a fund’s own management and fundraising.  Examples of her expertise include:

• The creation of a multi-million-dollar SPV to invest in the aeronautical and space fields;

• Fund I investment evaluations for Shatter Fund (an all-female VC with the thesis of investing in female founded and managed tech companies); and

• Advice and fund organization for an emerging investment team in the healthcare industry.

General Outside Counsel to High Growth Entities

From swimsuits to breast-feeding spaces; from SaaS platforms for building financial models to book publishing; from a franchised bakery to a VR-supported app for plants; Wendy guides a bevy of high-growth and emerging companies through the early stages of development.  Clients come to her for strategic advice on fundraising, employment matters, intellectual property protection and internal disputes.

Wendy is particularly passionate about working with female founders and counts Rebecca Minkoff’s Female Founder Collective, Kitty & Vibe, and Erin McKenna’s Bakery among her dozens of female-run clients.  She can often be seen speaking to female founders at events, heard on podcasts and attending various panels supporting the ecosystem.

Intellectual Property Management for Established Entities and Emerging Content Creators

Wendy’s expertise also includes managing domestic and international intellectual property portfolios from inception through registration and into protection and monetization. She works with international corporations to manage cross-border trademark strategies and the protection and licensing of their assets.  For significant mergers, acquisitions, and other corporate deals, she has overseen full intellectual property diligence.  

She has worked with every type of client from billion-dollar pharmaceutical companies, multi-national private equity firms, international alcohol companies and fashion houses to non-profits like a rock and roll camp for young girls.

Wendy Mentors and Advises Emerging Companies in Connection with the Below Organizations

• Monarq Incubator

• WeWork/Labs

• Almaworks/Columbia University

• Endeavor

• Dreamers//Doers

• The Upside

• Backstage Capital

• The Female Founder Collective

• HeyMama

• New, Inc.

• Luminary

Previously, Wendy was an associate at Jones Day in New York, worked at the Groupon-esque start up for moms called Gaggle of Chicks and ran her own non-profit to support moms in her network called MamaLove.  

She took several years off to stay home with her children and fine tune the art of supporting others when they need her most. During this time, she ran significant events for her children’s schools and oversaw large fund-raising efforts and programs.

When not practicing law, Wendy is gardening, cooking or getting outside, usually with her family. She is also an angel investor with 37 Angels and an active advisor to a number of emerging companies.