ROBERT W. MCDONALD is an associate in Taft's Business & Finance group. He focuses his practice on corporate, securities, venture capital and sports law work. Rob assists both private and public company clients with a variety of corporate and securities related matters, including mergers and acquisitions and offerings of securities. He also assists start-up and emerging companies through business formation, early-stage investments, and other issues that entrepreneurial businesses encounter.

Rob is a co-founder and board member of The Brandery, a top 15 seed stage business accelerator. The Brandery has graduated more than 26 emerging technology companies. In addition to his work with The Brandery, Rob co-manages Vine Street Ventures Fund I, a venture capital fund dedicated to investing in web and mobile technology companies.

Civically, Rob serves as the vice president of strategic initiatives on the executive board of the Dan Beard Council (Boy Scouts of America) and as the co-chair of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Encore Committee. In addition, he co-founded the Professional Leadership Network (a group of local professionals dedicated to actively impacting youth). Rob is a graduate of C-Change, the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber's leadership development program.

With The Brandery team, Rob was the winner of the 2012 Association for Corporate Growth Dealmaker Award in the Service Provider category. He was also named to the Cincinnati Business Courier's list of “Forty Under 40” for 2012. For his work in the community, in 2010, Venue Magazine named Rob one of the inaugural awardees of the Inspiring Volunteer award. He is a frequent speaker on entrepreneurship and venture capital.

Rob received his bachelor's degree in public policy with a minor in political science and markets and management from Duke University. While at Duke, he chaired the honor council. In 2003, Rob studied comparative law at New College, Oxford University. He earned his Juris Doctorate at Washington University School of Law, and during his last term of law school, he worked in the Division of Enforcement at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Rob grew up in the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Japan and Belgium.