Startup Terms Glossary
What is an Institutional Investor?
An institutional investor is a startup that invests money on behalf of other individuals. Institutional investors are often known to buy and sell high-level blocks of stocks, bonds, or other securities. Consequently, institutional investors are typically seen as more sophisticated than the average retail investor. Because of their stature in the stock community, institutional investors often have less rules than their average investor counterparts.
Institutional Investor Examples
Examples of Institutional Investor investment opportunities:
- Example 1. Mutual Funds
- Example 2. Pensions
- Example 3. Insurance Companies
- Example 4. Credit unions and banks
This web page also discusses the institutional investor concept and provides more information.
ContractsCounsel is not a law firm, and this post should not be considered and does not contain legal advice. To ensure the information and advice in this post are correct, sufficient, and appropriate for your situation, please consult a licensed attorney. Also, using or accessing ContractsCounsel's site does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and ContractsCounsel.
Meet some of our Startup Lawyers
Lynn C.
I am a transactional attorney based in the Metro Atlanta, GA area, with a focus on real estate transactions, nonprofit, municipal law, corporate governance, and estate planning.
"Lynn is very knowledgeable and resourceful, she was able to explain me the process in details and provide all necessary information. Highly recommend. thank you"
September 24, 2025
David A.
David M. Abner is a practicing attorney with over 30 years of experience representing clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies in California and Texas. Mr. Abner is currently based in Los Angeles, California, and his practice focuses on negotiating the purchase and sale of businesses; negotiating equity and debt financing agreements; drafting and negotiating revisions to a variety of commercial agreements; and investigating and responding to law enforcement and regulatory compliance investigations. Additionally, Mr. Abner has considerable experience dealing with litigation involving ownership and valuation of privately held companies. He has tried nearly a dozen cases in private practice, including cases involving breach of contract, products liability, fraud, and officer and director liability. As in-house counsel for Ashland Inc., Mr. Abner worked with business leaders daily to assess, manage and prevent a variety of legal risks that threatened the viability and profitability of products, services and customer relationships. His efforts produced results that included settling a $700M anti-trust class action lawsuit for less than $7M; assisting in closing the sale of the company’s joint venture interests in an oil and gas subsidiary; assessing and quantifying the liabilities associated with the acquisition of other businesses; and supervising Ashland’s responses to DOJ, FBI and EPA investigations. Mr. Abner has been licensed to practice law in Texas since 1993, and in California since 2012. Mr. Abner obtained his Juris Doctorate from the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University in 1993, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Carolina in 1990.
October 8, 2025
Katherine B.
Attorney and former in-house counsel with 15+ years of leadership and project management experience in corporate & business law, risk management, compliance, strategy, and regulatory oversight in the private and federal sectors. Primary areas of practice are corporate governance & business law, compliance & financial services regulation, transformation & change management, regulatory response & remediations, consumer regulation & employment law, and conduct / ethics & investigations at regional, large and complex corporations. My experience includes banking, payment & ecommerce regulations, trade & product law, consumer regulations, employment & labor law, contracts and privacy laws. I have extensive experience advising firms on consumer protection and regulatory law, and I have specialized experience with firms engaging in large-scale transformations and remediations. I am admitted to the Washington State Bar Association and licensed to practice law, I am a Federal Reserve System commissioned Examiner, and I am a Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM). At Phoenix Law PLLC, I advise individual clients and provide legal and regulatory guidance, corporate counsel services, as well as strategic consulting services to businesses. I leverage my unique experience and skillset to provide innovative solutions and achieve favorable results, with the goal of empowering clients to move successfully forward. www.phoenixlawpllc.com kbrandt@phoenixlawpllc.com
Sean D.
After 15+ years at leading firms in Silicon Valley, Boston, and DC, I started Supernova Law to partner with the clients who inspire me most—start-ups, mission-driven companies, B-Corps, and non-profits. My goal is simple: provide accessible, affordable, high-quality legal support to innovators creating positive change for our society. At Supernova Law, your vision and values come first.
October 10, 2025
Matthew K.
Member CA State Bar since 1978. Martindale-Hubbell rated A-v Preeminent. Avvo 5-stars
October 13, 2025
Vivek S.
Vivek Singh is a real estate attorney who brings clients far more than legal theory — he brings the perspective of a business owner, investor, and developer who has personally navigated the same challenges they face. With almost 20 years of experience in real estate law, construction, development, and property management, Vivek combines deep legal knowledge with real‑world operational insight. In addition to running his own law practice, Vivek has founded and managed construction and property management companies, invested in and developed real estate, and handled his own business disputes and litigation. This hands‑on experience gives him a unique advantage as an attorney: he understands the practical, financial, and strategic stakes behind every contract, negotiation, and deal. Vivek represents buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants, investors, and developers in transactions, commercial leasing, construction agreements, land use approvals, and complex negotiations. Clients appreciate that he speaks their language, anticipates risks before they arise, and approaches every matter with the mindset of both a lawyer and a fellow business operator.
Find the best lawyer for your project
Browse Lawyers Now
Quick, user friendly and one of the better ways I've come across to get ahold of lawyers willing to take new clients.
View Trustpilot ReviewStartup lawyers by city
- Atlanta Startup Lawyers
- Austin Startup Lawyers
- Boston Startup Lawyers
- Chicago Startup Lawyers
- Dallas Startup Lawyers
- Denver Startup Lawyers
- Fort Lauderdale Startup Lawyers
- Houston Startup Lawyers
- Las Vegas Startup Lawyers
- Los Angeles Startup Lawyers
Contracts Counsel was incredibly helpful and easy to use. I submitted a project for a lawyer's help within a day I had received over 6 proposals from qualified lawyers. I submitted a bid that works best for my business and we went forward with the project.
View Trustpilot Review
I never knew how difficult it was to obtain representation or a lawyer, and ContractsCounsel was EXACTLY the type of service I was hoping for when I was in a pinch. Working with their service was efficient, effective and made me feel in control. Thank you so much and should I ever need attorney services down the road, I'll certainly be a repeat customer.
View Trustpilot Review
I got 5 bids within 24h of posting my project. I choose the person who provided the most detailed and relevant intro letter, highlighting their experience relevant to my project. I am very satisfied with the outcome and quality of the two agreements that were produced, they actually far exceed my expectations.
View Trustpilot Review