Partner
Washington DC, D.C.
Brian Heller has more than 20 years of experience advising technology, media, retail, and growth-stage companies on complex commercial transactions, strategic partnerships, and revenue-generating business initiatives. Based in Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, Brian serves as a transactional attorney and fractional general counsel for clients nationwide and even internationally. Having served in both senior legal and business leadership roles, including corporate development, business development, and startup leadership, Brian brings a practical, business-focused approach to helping companies structure, negotiate, and scale commercial relationships. His practice focuses on technology and commercial agreements, including artificial intelligence and AI contracts, SaaS contracts, software and data licensing, cybersecurity, privacy, digital media, advertising and Adtech, e-commerce, cloud services, FinTech, and other strategic business transactions.
Prior to joining Practus, Brian spent 15 years with Outside General Counsel, advising clients ranging from emerging startups to established market leaders across the technology, media, retail, healthcare, manufacturing, finance, and energy sectors. Earlier in his career, he served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Business Development for GlobalSpec, where he helped lead the company’s successful sale to HIS for $135m exit, and spent 12 years at AOL in senior legal and business development roles supporting approximately $1 billion in annual revenue. Brian began his legal career in private practice with Shearman & Sterling in New York City, and Akin Gump in Washington, D.C., advising clients on sophisticated finance, corporate, and commercial transactions.
Brian is originally from Shaker Heights, Ohio (near Cleveland), and has lived in Michigan, Boston, New York City and Washington, DC. He now lives in Vienna, Virginia (near Washington, D.C.) with his wife, Stacey (who is also a lawyer for Practus). Their two kids are in graduate school. He spends his free time serving on the Board of Advisors to several startups, ventures and non-profits, including an Electric Vehicle (EV) battery technology company, a content publishing & distribution consulting service, and an AI based legal marketing tool. One of these non-profits, Chess 4 Charity, Inc. was created by his children, so he holds the unenviable position of working for his kids!
“Do the right thing.”
All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum
Anything by the Beatles (or Billy Joel)
Spaceballs
Pizza
If I didn’t work for a law firm, I’d rent out umbrellas at the beach…no wait, I’d own the company that rents out umbrellas on the beach!
Brian Heller has more than 20 years of experience advising technology, media, retail, and growth-stage companies on complex commercial transactions, strategic partnerships, and revenue-generating business initiatives. Based in Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, Brian serves as a transactional attorney and fractional general counsel for clients nationwide and even internationally. Having served in both senior legal and business leadership roles, including corporate development, business development, and startup leadership, Brian brings a practical, business-focused approach to helping companies structure, negotiate, and scale commercial relationships. His practice focuses on technology and commercial agreements, including artificial intelligence and AI contracts, SaaS contracts, software and data licensing, cybersecurity, privacy, digital media, advertising and Adtech, e-commerce, cloud services, FinTech, and other strategic business transactions.
Prior to joining Practus, Brian spent 15 years with Outside General Counsel, advising clients ranging from emerging startups to established market leaders across the technology, media, retail, healthcare, manufacturing, finance, and energy sectors. Earlier in his career, he served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Business Development for GlobalSpec, where he helped lead the company’s successful sale to HIS for $135m exit, and spent 12 years at AOL in senior legal and business development roles supporting approximately $1 billion in annual revenue. Brian began his legal career in private practice with Shearman & Sterling in New York City, and Akin Gump in Washington, D.C., advising clients on sophisticated finance, corporate, and commercial transactions.
Brian is originally from Shaker Heights, Ohio (near Cleveland), and has lived in Michigan, Boston, New York City and Washington, DC. He now lives in Vienna, Virginia (near Washington, D.C.) with his wife, Stacey (who is also a lawyer for Practus). Their two kids are in graduate school. He spends his free time serving on the Board of Advisors to several startups, ventures and non-profits, including an Electric Vehicle (EV) battery technology company, a content publishing & distribution consulting service, and an AI based legal marketing tool. One of these non-profits, Chess 4 Charity, Inc. was created by his children, so he holds the unenviable position of working for his kids!
Prior to joining Practus, Brian spent 15 years with Outside General Counsel, advising startups, high-growth companies, and established businesses on commercial transactions, technology agreements, and strategic partnerships. His clients spanned a broad range of industries, including AI, software, cybersecurity, digital media, advertising, retail, healthcare, manufacturing, and energy.
Brian has held senior legal, business development, and corporate development roles at AOL and GlobalSpec. As Assistant General Counsel at AOL, he supported advertising, e-commerce, and commercial transactions for the company’s digital media business, and later led strategic partnership initiatives in a business development leadership role. He began his legal career with Shearman & Sterling and Akin Gump, representing clients in corporate, finance, and commercial transactions.
Brian’s areas of experience include:
Serves on the Board of Advisors to several startups, ventures, and non-profits, including:
At Practus, we handle complex and challenging legal matters. I look forward to talking to you about how we can best meet your goals.
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