Bar & Court Admission

Bar Admission:

• Washington

• New York

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Court Admission:

• Western District Court of Washington

• Eastern District Court of Washington

• Southern District Court of New York

• Eastern District Court of New York 

Education

Fordham University School of Law, J.D., Commentary Editor, Fordham International Law Journal, 1987

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Harvard University, B.A., Government, Harvard-Shrewsbury Fellowship Recipient, 1981

Professional Background

Mr. Otto began his law practice on Wall Street in New York City in 1987, working with the law firm of Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP, where he concentrated on significant corporate acquisitions, equity and debt offerings, and regulatory compliance. 

In 1991, Mr. Otto returned to Seattle in order to dedicate his experience in corporate law and finance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, public and private securities offerings, and private equity and venture capital financing to entrepreneurs, technology investors, start-ups, and emerging growth and middle-market businesses. He founded the Otto Law Group, PLLC in 1999 and co-founded Martin Davis, PLLC in 2011.

Related Activities

Mr. Otto has authored Venture Capital Financing, Taking Your Company Public and Structuring the Deal: Fundamental Issues to Consider In Connection With Buying or Selling a Business and has lectured to businessmen, accountants, lawyers, and graduate students at the University of Washington Foster School of Business on private financing, going public, and mergers and acquisitions. 

Currently, Mr. Otto is a Managing Director of Saratoga Capital Partners, LLC and Otto Capital, LLC. 

Mr. Otto also developed, designed, and copyrighted the Business Assessment Matrix ("BAM") (©2010 by David M. Otto), an analytical and diagnostic framework that enables one to ascertain the relative strengths or weaknesses of a start-up, early-stage, or venture-backed business proposition and, in turn, the likelihood of success or failure from an operational and financial perspective. Specifically, the BAM is used in connection with the design and establishment of (i) a business plan, (ii) corporate and capital structure, (iii) an operational team and board of directors, and (iv) financing.

Membership and Community Involvement

• American Bar Association, Member

• Washington Bar Association, Member

• King County Bar Association, Member

• New York Bar Association, Member

• Bishop Blanchet High School, Mock Trial Coach

• Downtown Seattle Association, Member

• Fulcrum Foundation, Advisory Board Member

• Harvard Varsity Club, Member

• Harvard Club of NY, Member

• Harvard Club of Seattle, Member

• Old Salopian Club (Shrewsbury School, Shropshire, England), Member

• Seattle Youth Baseball, Coach

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About 

David M. Otto formed Otto Capital, LLC in October 2008.  Otto Capital identifies and secures private equity, venture capital and debt financing for startup and emerging growth companies.Mr. Otto’s work with Otto Capital centers on the development and completion of business plans, financial projections, corporate and capital structure and early stage investments.  Additionally, Otto Capital, in evaluating and undertaking prospective opportunities, applies a proprietary framework for analyzing the principal elements of, and better ensuring the likelihood of success with respect to, a particular business.  This framework, created by Mr. Otto, is known as the Business Assessment Matrix and is used as an analytical and transactional device in connection with the design and establishment of a business plan, capital structure, operational team, and financing.

Representative transactions completed by Mr. Otto include an initial public offering for a digital technology company, acquisition and financing of an education services and products public company, private financing for the expansion of a window coverings manufacturer and “reverse” mergers and financings for companies in the medical and pharmaceutical products, alternative energy, environmental products and services, security technology, alternative power and gas production, internet domain and network construction and plastics recycling industries. Mr. Otto also handles ’34 Act compliance work for several technology and service businesses, share exchanges and filings for publicly held companies, renders opinions regarding various financings and acquisitions and advises businesses on entity governance and fiduciary standards, commercial contracts, executive employment agreements and intellectual property transfers.

In June of 2011, Mr. Otto co-founded, and is the sole Managing Partner at, Martin Davis, PLLC, in Seattle, Washington.  Martin Davis, PLLC serves privately-held and publicly traded technology-based start-up, emerging growth and middle-market companies with a focus on securities, corporate formation and governance, corporate finance, business recapitalization and restructuring and transactional matters.  Prior to his work at Martin Davis, PLLC, Mr. Otto was the President and founder of the Otto Law Group, PLLC.