Nathan E. Hagler

Hagler represents companies creating some of today’s most buzz-worthy technology to streamline autonomous mobility, tax matters and finances.

“Our clients are doing some really cool stuff,” said Hagler. “It gives me a glimpse into the future for what tomorrow’s going to hold.”

He and partner Larry Chu advised financial technology pioneer Kabbage Inc. in its acquisition last year by American Express for an undisclosed sum. The transaction was made more complex by Kabbage’s role in distributing Paycheck Protection Program funds to small businesses during the pandemic.

Kabbage’s online lending platform is well known among financial technology companies that compete with traditional methods of delivering financial services.

Hagler also co-led the team that advised robotaxi company Zoox in its billion-dollar acquisition by e-commerce giant Amazon. Zoox developed an autonomous mobility system that could be key to Amazon’s prospective automated and robotic delivery services.

More recently, Hagler’s team advised TaxJar — a provider of cloud-based sales tax compliance software for internet businesses — in its planned acquisition by financial services technology company Stripe. The deal was announced in April.

The ever evolving e-commerce marketplace means Hagler applies old and new business laws to modern transactions.

“In some instances, we’re working with our clients to understand how existing laws might apply to what they’re creating,” he said. “It’s about understanding the business, what they’ve been working on, why the deal is being done, and reflecting on strategy points.”

Hagler has been with Goodwin for more than six years and a partner for nearly four. While he specializes in mergers and acquisitions for technology companies, he also advises clients in various industries on pre-incorporation planning, venture capital financing and corporate governance.

He’s also a part of Goodwin’s PropTech Initiative, which works with clients at the juncture of real estate and technology.

“I’m really proud of the team and the work that we’re doing at Goodwin. We’ve created a great platform for our clients to be able to advise them in strategic transactions to accomplish their goals,” he said. “And we’re having a little fun while we’re at it.”

— Jennifer McEntee