July 10, 2026

Founded in 1996 to serve entrepreneurial companies in technology and life sciences, Hutchison celebrates three decades of supporting the innovation economy to help build what’s next. 

Built for Entrepreneurs 

Thirty years ago, Hutchison PLLC was founded on a simple belief: entrepreneurial companies need lawyers who understand their pace, their challenges and their ambition. 

 At the time, North Carolina’s startup ecosystem was still emerging. Hutchison was built to serve companies operating in uncertain, fast-moving environments, and to provide the practical guidance needed to help them navigate the road ahead. 

Reflecting on the firm’s beginnings, founder Fred Hutchison said, “Entrepreneurs see opportunities where others see uncertainty. They move quickly, take risks and build businesses in environments where there are rarely clear answers. We founded Hutchison because we believed those companies deserved advisors who could keep pace with them while helping them navigate the road ahead.” 

That founding vision continues to guide the firm today.  Hutchison has grown alongside its clients, advising companies and investors across a wide range of industries as they navigate company formation, financings, strategic transactions, growth and long-term success. 

Supporting Founders and Investors 

 Entrepreneurial companies rarely follow a straight path. Hutchison supports clients through the key inflection points that shape growth, from company formation and early fundraising to strategic partnerships, acquisitions, exits and long-term expansion. 

 Since 2006, the firm has established more than 4,500 client relationships, many beginning in a company’s earliest days and continuing for years as businesses scale and evolve. Across its history, Hutchison has advised on thousands of transactions representing billions of dollars in aggregate transaction value. 

“It has been great working with Hutch since the early days of our company,” said Kurt Sysock of Radformation. “Hutch has been a great resource for us as we’ve grown from three people to now over 200 people.” 

The firm’s work with investors has likewise grown alongside the entrepreneurial ecosystem, as venture funds, angel investors and other capital providers increasingly rely on Hutchison’s experience navigating venture financings and supporting high-growth companies. 

“The attorneys at Hutchison are very responsive and very thorough. We always feel like Hutchison has our back,” said David Mendez, Managing Partner at Good Growth Capital. “Their experience in venture transactions is top-notch, and it’s great to have a firm that can work with both entrepreneurs and investors effectively.” 

Supporting Growth 

Over the last three decades, Hutchison has worked alongside founders and investors through many of the transactions that define a company’s growth journey. From early-stage financings and technology licensing arrangements to acquisitions, strategic partnerships and exits, the firm has helped entrepreneurial companies navigate critical inflection points as they scale. 

 The scope of that work has expanded alongside the innovation economy itself. Since 2021 alone, Hutchison has supported more than 1,000 financings, exits and licensing matters. Across its history, the firm has advised on thousands of transactions representing billions of dollars in aggregate transaction value, while also representing venture capital investors managing approximately $5 billion in assets. Along the way, Hutchison has earned consistent recognition from PitchBook for its work in venture capital transactions, reflecting the firm’s longstanding role supporting founders, investors and emerging growth companies throughout the growth cycle. 

“Venture deals are a foundation of our economy, and the result of years of hard work, risk-taking and execution by both founders who build growth companies and investors who raise venture funds. It’s our privilege to work on transactions that sit at the intersection of these combined efforts and help position our clients for continued success,” said Justyn Kasierski, Managing Partner at Hutchison. 

Supporting the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem 

Entrepreneurial companies do not grow in isolation. They grow within communities of mentors, investors, advisors, universities and support organizations that help founders access the knowledge, capital and connections needed to succeed. 

For decades, Hutchison has worked alongside organizations such as CED, First Flight Venture Center, ATDC, university technology transfer offices, incubators, accelerators and founder support programs to help strengthen that ecosystem. 

Hutchison attorneys regularly contribute to educational programming, founder office hours and startup mentorship initiatives, while also advising university spinout companies emerging from leading research institutions throughout the region. The firm maintains a long-standing focus on connecting founders with investors, operators, advisors and other resources that can help companies move forward. 

“One of the things that has always made this region special is the willingness of people across the ecosystem to help founders succeed,” said Scott Bryant, Managing Partner at Hutchison. “Organizations like CED, First Flight Venture Center, ATDC, our universities, investors and countless mentors have helped create an environment where tech and life sciences entrepreneurs can build great companies. We’ve been fortunate to work alongside those groups and help founders access the relationships, resources and opportunities that can make a meaningful difference in their growth and ability to drive innovation.” 

Organizations throughout the entrepreneurial ecosystem frequently point to Hutchison’s willingness to contribute time, expertise and connections in support of founders and emerging companies. 

“First Flight Venture Center has valued Hutchison’s continued support of entrepreneurs and early-stage companies across the region,” said Krista Covey, President and CEO of First Flight Venture Center. “Their team has consistently contributed time, expertise and guidance to help founders navigate critical stages of growth.” 

Built for What Comes Next 

As Hutchison looks ahead, the firm remains focused on evolving alongside the founders, companies, investors and industries shaping what comes next. While the entrepreneurial landscape looks very different today than it did in 1996, the firm’s core mission remains unchanged: helping entrepreneurial technology and life sciences companies and their venture investors navigate uncertainty, seize opportunities, finance and build transformative businesses. 

“Entrepreneurship is fundamentally an exercise in building something that doesn’t exist yet,” said Anna Tharrington, Managing Partner at Hutchison. “The founders who will shape the next decade are creating markets, technologies and industries we can’t fully predict today. That’s what makes me so optimistic about the future. Those companies move fast, adapt constantly and challenge conventional thinking. The advisors who serve them have to do the same. One of the things that excites me most about Hutch’s future is that we’ve never stood still. We’ve spent 30 years evolving alongside our clients. We continue to adapt and grow with them, helping founders and investors navigate change while building the next generation of companies, technologies and industries.” 

That perspective reflects the firm’s continued focus on innovation, adaptability and collaboration. As industries evolve and new technologies reshape the business landscape, Hutchison remains committed to providing practical, forward-looking counsel to the entrepreneurs, growth companies and investors driving that change. 

About Hutchison PLLC 

Founded in 1996, Hutchison is a leading law firm serving entrepreneurs, growth companies and investors in the innovation economy. Consistently recognized by PitchBook among the most active law firms supporting venture capital transactions, the firm advises clients on financings, mergers and acquisitions, licensing transactions and other strategic growth matters. Hutchison combines deep transactional experience with a practical understanding of entrepreneurship, innovation and the realities of building high-growth businesses. For more information, please visit www.hutchlaw.com or follow @hutchlaw.