Rising Stars

Firms To Watch: Venture capital and emerging companies

Foley Hoag LLP has a strong team of venture capital lawyers, including practice co-chairs Patrick Connolly and Peter Korn. The team represents investors and start-ups out of Boston and New York.
Mayer Brown has a ‘creative and super smart’ emerging companies and venture capital team, led by Paul Chen in Silicon Valley, which has expanded significantly in recent years. The team fields practices in Salt Lake City and Northern California.
Sullivan & Worcester LLP has a strong foothold in the venture capital market and an edge in the booming Israeli market through its Tel Aviv office. New York’s Scott Kaufman and Boston’s Lewis Segall are the two lead partners.

Venture capital and emerging companies in United States

Cooley LLP

Cooley LLP is ‘a fantastic firm‘ which allocates ‘resources appropriately and is tremendously collaborative‘. The team covers all corners of the venture capital space, representing investors and start-ups through all stages of the investment journey, including advice to VCs on fund formation. The breadth of the firm’s offering extends to its geographic reach, with an impressive selection of leading individuals spread across the US and beyond, including key European and Asian hubs. Peter Werner, an ‘exceptional partner‘ who is ‘plugged into the tech community and on the leading edge of advice‘, jointly leads the team with the ‘hyper-responsiveMatt Bartus, who is ‘as good as they come‘. Other key individuals include Laurie Bauer in Chicago, corporate partners Adam Dinow and Stephane Levy in New York, Mark Tanoury, Sale Kwon and Eric Jensen in Palo Alto, Craig Jacoby and Rachel Proffitt in San Francisco, and Michael Lincoln in Virginia.









Practice head(s):

Peter Werner; Mattthew Bartus


Other key lawyers:

Mark Tanoury; Sale Kwon; Michael Lincoln; Rachel Proffitt; Adam Dinow; Stephane Levy;  Laurie Bauer; Craig Jacoby; Eric Jensen


Testimonials

‘Matthew Bartus is as good as they come. He’s hyper-responsive, a subject-matter expert, develops creative alternatives, and he has a solid understanding of the wider business context. I’d recommend him without hesitation as “go-to” counsel.’

‘Cooley is a fantastic firm and they are truly full service. They allocate resources appropriately and are tremendously collaborative.’

‘Peter Werner is an exceptional partner. He understands the business needs and always provides advice taking into account our specific needs and business objectives. He is plugged in to the tech community and on the leading edge of advice.’

‘Market intelligence, both broad and deep relationships. Excellent at explaining legal view in a way balanced with risk and business opportunity. We rely on the team from corporate matters to patents to TM to deal brokering.’

‘Integrity, smart. Relaxed, informal style allows for easy relationship building and space to think creatively together.’

‘I’ve found the Cooley team to be exceptionally thoughtful, detail oriented and an ideal partner in successfully navigating the choppy waters of the issue at hand. It’s great to be able to have all of these practices under one roof, so our team can collaborate seamlessly with each other.’

Work highlights


  • Advising Within, a Los Angeles-based firm responsible for developing immersive virtual reality fitness app Supernatural, on its agreement to sell to Meta.
  • Advising Movable Ink, a leading content personalization provider, on its definitive agreement to acquire artificial intelligence-powered content engine Coherent Path.
  • Advised Packable, the holding company for technology-led ecommerce marketplace enablement platform Pharmapacks, on its  agreement to merge with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Highland Transcend Partners I Corp.

Fenwick & West LLP

Fenwick & West LLP has a ‘practical and ultra-responsive‘ team of lawyers, who are considered by clients as ‘industry leaders and precedent setters‘. The firm handles the full spread of matters for investors and startups operating in the technology and life sciences sphere, including support on day-to-day corporate issues, M&A, capital markets and venture fundraisings. The team includes specialists with experience in several key emerging technologies, from fintech through to AI, food tech and medtech. The startup leadership team saw a changing of the guard in early 2023, with Dawn Belt  and New York’s Ian Goldstein taking over from Cynthia Hess and Mark Leahy. Other key partners include Gordon Davidson, who has an impeccable track record for guiding startups through to becoming market leaders. The ‘exceptionalMichael Esquivel  ‘has excellent judgement and communicates extremely well with CEOs and board members‘. Steven Levine and Mark Stevens, who divides his time between Silicon Valley and New York, are also very active in this space. Will Black is a name to note among the associates. All lawyers are based in Silicon Valley unless otherwise stated.

Practice head(s):

Cynthia Hess; Mark Leahy; Dawn Belt; Ian Goldstein


Other key lawyers:

Gordon Davidson; Michael Esquivel; Steven Levine; Will Black


Testimonials

‘Fenwick’s M&A partners are very knowledgeable about the practice and the market.’

‘Fenwick has one of the best teams in the world for startup work. We’ve worked with them from incorporation all the way through Series E. This team has been a loyal and dependable partner on our journey.’

‘Michael Esquivel is an exceptional partner for any venture-funded startup. He has excellent judgement and communicates extremely well with CEOs and board members.’

Key clients

6Sense


Alchemy


Apeel


Bolt


Carta


Cerebras Systems


Databricks


Devoted Health


Faire


Freenome


GupShup


Honor Technologies


Lyra Health


Roofstock


Sonoma Biotherapeutics


Tekion


TripActions


Mainspring


Material Bank


Work highlights


  • Represented Bolt, an online checkout experience platform, in its Series E financing.
  • Represented TripActions, a business travel and spend management platform, in its $154 million Series G at a valuation to $9.2 billion, including new and existing investors, and $150 million structured debt led by Coatue.
  • Represented Freenome, a privately held biotechnology company, in its US$300 million Series D financing.

Goodwin

Goodwin has a top tier venture capital practice, noted for its ‘very professional, knowledgeable and responsive’ teams of lawyers who are ‘real partners in growing the business‘. The ‘very business oriented, extremely practical‘ group offers ‘expert legal advice‘ to investors and startups, and stands out for its market-leading life sciences group, primarily based in the firm’s Boston office and co-chaired by Mitchell Bloom  and Kingsley Taft. The firm’s ability to guide clients from early financing rounds through to later stage M&A, can be seen through its advice to Navitor Pharmaceuticals on the sale of Anakuria Therapeutics to Janssen Pharmaceuticals – a deal led by Danielle Lauzon, co-chair of the firm’s PropSci practice. The firm’s technology group, jointly led by Kenneth Gordon  and Silicon Valley’s Anthony McCusker, has also played a key role on investments into digital health, fintech, mobility tech and blockchain. Other lead partners include Bill Schnoor on the technology side and William Collins  in life sciences. All partners based in Boston unless otherwise stated.

Practice head(s):

Mitch Bloom; Kingsley Taft; Ken Gordon; Anthony McCusker


Other key lawyers:

William Schnoor; William Collins; Danielle Lauzon


Testimonials

‘The teams we work with at Goodwin are very professional, knowledgeable and responsive.’

‘Anthony McCusker and the team are all appropriately deployed based on the matter and any time sensitivity. Each of them knows their area of responsibility very well.’

‘Business, results and solutions focus; excellent responsiveness; real partners in growing the business.’

‘Very business oriented, extremely practical, in the mode of solving problems, and of course, bringing expert legal advice.’

Key clients

Workato


Circle


Milk Makeup


Intellia Therapeutics


Dutchie


Blueprint Medicines


Olo


Coalition


Psi Quantum


Tessera Therapeutics


Vida Ventures


Avenge Bio Inc


Salsify


Poshmark


Navitor Pharmaceuticals


Work highlights


  • Represented Milk Makeup in a $1.2 billion three-way business combination with Waldencast and Obagi.
  • Advised PsiQuantum, a Palo Alto, CA-based company building the world’s first commercially viable quantum computer, in completing a $495 million Series D financing round.
  • Advised Workato on the closing of its $200 million Series E Preferred Stock financing, valuing the company at $5.7 billion.

Gunderson Dettmer LLP

Gunderson Dettmer LLP has an incredibly large footprint in the venture capital and start up ecosystem, representing over 2,500 emerging companies in the technology and life sciences sectors. The firm has established an especially strong sweet-spot for early stage investments, though also has an increasingly good capacity to handle high value exits. This was demonstrated through its advice to the cloud-native business performance platform, Anaplan, on its $10.7 billion acquisition by Thomas Bravo. The fund side is also busy, with advice to major investors such as Tiger Global on a range of Series A to E investments. Clients benefit from an impressive office network throughout the US, including Boston and Silicon Valley, as well as major international jurisdictions including Beijing and Singapore. Marc Dupre leads the team from Boston, with other key partners including managing partner David Young, Kenneth McVay in New York and Ivan Gaviria. Founding partners Scott Dettmer and Robert Gunderson also continue to practice. All partners based in Silicon Valley unless otherwise stated.

Practice head(s):

Marc Dupre


Other key lawyers:

David Young; Robert Gunderson; Scott Dettmer; Ivan Gaviria; Kenneth McVay


Key clients

Bolt Financial


Anaplan, Inc.


Course Hero


Flexport, Inc.


Cityblock Health, Inc.


Kavak Holdings Limited


Theseus Pharmaceuticals


Sequoia Capital


GigaFund


Tiger Global


Work highlights


  • Advised Anaplan, Inc., the provider of a leading cloud-native platform for orchestrating business performance, on its definitive agreement to be acquired by Thoma Bravo, a leading software investment firm, for approximately $10.7 billion.
  • Represented Tiger Global in its a range of investments including a $26 million Series B investment in Bravado and a $200 million Series D investment in Sensors Data.
  • Represented Bolt Financial, a leading checkout and shopper network company, on its definitive agreement to acquire Wyre, a cryptocurrency infrastructure provider.

Latham & Watkins LLP

Latham & Watkins LLP has an extremely well-balanced practice which ‘is comprehensive in respect to the legal aspects, as well as practical and business realities’. The firm’s national and global reach, in addition to its broader full service offering, ensures that it caters for all aspects of the venture life cycle. The group’s scale, particularly for corporate finance and M&A, makes it especially strong on later stage exits, including SPAC combinations, M&A and IPOs, with clients commending the team’s ability to ‘perform efficiently and strategically in complex transactions‘. The leadership team comprises global chair John Chory (Boston) and the ‘excellent‘ vice-chair Benjamin Potter (Silicon Valley), and they are backed by an impressive bench of highly experienced partners. Key individuals include Los Angeles-based Alex Voxman  (‘brilliant, tough, high-quality and direct‘) and Emily Taylor (‘a great guide and sounding board‘), who divides her time between London and Boston. The firm is also well represented in Austin, with partners Jenifer Smith and Scott Craig.

Practice head(s):

John Chory; Benjamin Potter


Other key lawyers:

Alex Voxman; Emily Taylor; Jenifer Smith; Scott Craig


Testimonials

‘I think Benjamin Potter and the team are excellent corporate partners. They have deep legal knowledge but also lots of practical experience, and they are easy to work with.’

‘The team is comprehensive in respect to the legal aspects, as well as practical and business realities. I am especially impressed with the performance of the junior members of the team and the autonomy demonstrated by them.’

‘I have nothing but the highest regards for Alex Voxman and Eduard Grigoryan, the team that supports us from Latham. Alex has been my lawyer across five companies over 20 years. I trust him with everything. He is efficient, brilliant and always gets things done with the highest quality. Eduard is brilliant and responsive. This duo will always be involved with any company that I am involved with.’

‘Alex Voxman: brilliant, tough, high-quality and direct. He knows the law like the back of his hand and exudes confidence.’

‘Latham is a full service firm that can perform efficiently and strategically in complex transactions.’

‘Deep expertise in variety of subject matters, very responsive, good at progressing the ball forward, trusted partners.’

‘The team we have worked with at Latham has always been responsive, clear in their communication, goes to great lengths, and also an effective sounding board as we have navigated ambiguity and evolved.’

‘Emily Taylor – Emily has always been a great guide and sounding board, helping distill information in an easy-to-understand way. She has also been candid with her feedback on what is necessary and not. Lastly, she has always been reliable and steady no matter what curve balls have been thrown our way.’

Key clients

Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)


Atmosphere TV


Autograph (dba LFG NFTs Corp)


Ayana Bio


Canva


Grammarly


Hydrow


ICON Technologies


InnovaHealth


IntelinAir


Plaid


Planet Labs


Rent the Runway


SoftBank Vision Fund


Solvvy


TravelPerk


UPSIDE Foods


Verb Biotics


Wander.com


Work highlights


Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP has an excellent pedigree within the technology sector where it represents over 4,000 venture-backed companies and over 100 unicorns. In addition to its company-side work, where newly established unicorns such as Athletic Greens, Merama and Unstoppable Domains, have featured prominently in the team’s workload over the past year, the firm is also strong on the investor front. Clients on this side of the table range from market-leading accelerators such as Y-Combinator, through to big ticket funds including Coatue. Santa Monica-based co-practice head Josh Pollick, is backed by an extremely experienced team of partners, including technology co-head Stephen Venuto (Facebook’s first lawyer), John Bautista in Silicon Valley, and corporate partner Amanda Galton in San Francisco. Samir Bakhru  in New York and Laura Bloxham  in Seattle are also forging prominent reputations. Firm chairman Mitchell Zuklie in Silicon Valley remains a prominent figure.

Practice head(s):

Josh Pollick; Amanda Galton; Stephen Venuto; Mitchell  Zuklie


Other key lawyers:

John Bautista; Samir Bakhru; Laura Bloxham


Key clients

Coatue


Solugen


Unstoppable


Supabase


CelLink


Anthropic


Curebase


Bessemer Ventures


Fuse Venture Partners


Athletic Greens


Industrious National Management Company


Bright Machines


Merama


Griffin Gaming Partners


Marcy Venture Partners


Samasource


Dave


Getaround


Work highlights


  • Advised Coatue on more than $5bn in financings.
  • Advised Solugen, a Texas based company that is the developer of a specialty chemicals platform designed to replace petroleum-based products with plant-derived substitutes, in its US$200 million Series D financing.
  • Advises Getaround on its $1.2bn SPAC Merger.

DLA Piper LLP (US)

DLA Piper LLP (US) has a versatile practice which is ‘extremely knowledgeable and experienced with corporate transactions in venture capital financing, M&A, and many other areas‘. In addition to being firmly embedded in the Silicon Valley ecosystem, clients also appreciate the firm’s ‘global presence, which makes them ideally suited for cross-border transactions‘. The group’s investor client base is demonstrative of its market standing, with the likes of Softbank and M 12 (Microsoft’s corporate venture arm) regularly using the team.  Jeffrey Lehrer  chairs the practice from Northern Virginia, while other key individuals include Silicon Valley’s Curtis Mo  (‘a highly experienced lawyer who knows all the legal issues inside out‘). Trenton Dykes  in Seattle gives ‘great advice based on the depth of his experience‘, with Randy Socol  and the ‘very knowledgeable, always available’ Richard Bull  serving as key names in San Diego. Over in New York. Charles Torres is a key figure.

Practice head(s):

Jeffrey Lehrer


Other key lawyers:

Curtis Mo; Trenton Dykes; Charles Torres;  Richard Bull; Randy Socol


Testimonials

‘Curtis Mo (partner, corporate) – strong cross-disciplinary advisor with great ability to channel the entire firm’s resources to support a multitude topics — from venture capital investments to bankruptcy and litigation. Solid business judgement and commercial sense.’

‘DLA Piper is extremely knowledgeable and experienced with corporate transactions in venture capital financing, M&A, and many other areas. One of their many strengths is their global presence, which makes them ideally suited for cross-border transactions.’

‘Curtis Mo is a highly experienced lawyer who knows all the legal issues inside out but also has deep awareness of the business implications as well as industry norms. He is extremely responsive when needed on an urgent basis, including on weekends and holidays, and has excellent client-facing interpersonal skills. It is always a pleasure to work with Curtis and I trust his judgment completely.’

‘The DLA team collaborates effectively together in service of their clients. Every member of my DLA team is informed about my business and our current legal needs. My partner is exceptional, and the junior staff is also highly competent also. This helps us get what we need even when our partner isn’t available, and also helps keep fees down. The team is responsive and available at all times of day and night if I need them / we are in the middle of a deal, etc.’

‘Trenton Dykes is a CEO’s trusted advisor. He gives me great advice based on the depth of his experience and is both strategic and calmly logical. When I’m in the middle of a financing or other deal, I feel more confident with Trent in my corner.’

‘Richard Bull is always quick to responds and provide alternative ideas for us to consider. He’s always proposing good suggestions for negotiating what we want in the financing documents. We would highly recommend him to other VCs.’

‘Given the international nature of our business and investments, we need a law firm that can smoothly and professionally operate across multiple countries and geographies and still deliver the high quality of service and advice that we require. On that front, DLA Piper has been our go-to law firm for several years now because they are a truly global firm that has supported us in North America, Europe, and Asia.’

‘Richard Bull – very knowledgeable, always available, broad experience, creative thinking, great communicator, strong work ethic.’

Key clients

M12/Microsoft


H.I.G. Growth Partners


New Enterprise Associates


Elysian Park Ventures


Softbank Vision Fund


Point72 Ventures


Tribeca Venture Partners


Updata Venture Partners


Fintech Collective


Optimal Dynamics, a developer of logistics optimization technology designed to bring advanced AI to the entire logistics industry


Flock Freight, a freight technology platform


Salesloft


Flock Safety


Aspen Neuroscience


Chargebee


Work highlights


  • Represented Aspen Neuroscience, a private biotechnology company developing autologous cell therapies, in the closing of its $147.5 million Series B venture funding, which would go towards the clinical trials of the company’s first iPSC-derived autologous neuron replacement treatment for Parkinson’s disease.
  • Advising Softbank Vision Fund as lead investor in the $150 million Series B financing of Firework, a leading livestreaming commerce and digital transformation platform.
  • Represented Flock Safety, a developer of an ALPR camera system designed to capture images while the proprietary machine-learning algorithm identifies a vehicle fingerprint, in its $150 million of Series E and Series E1 venture funding in a deal led by Tiger Global Management, putting the company’s pre-money valuation at $3.76 billion.

Morrison Foerster

Morrison Foerster fields a ‘well resourced team that his highly proficient within their domains‘. The firm has established a long track record representing global investors and disruptive companies across a wide range of technology and life science sub-sectors. All stages of the investment journey are catered for, and the team has established particularly good connections with some of the market’s most active incubators, in addition to major global funds such as Softbank. Practice co-heads Murray Indick  (‘more than a lawyer to our fund, he is a thought partner’) and Steve Rowles  respectively lead the team from San Francisco and San Diego. Other key individuals include Silicon Valley-based Timothy Harris, praised for his ‘ability to quickly come up to speed in complex financing situations and add value immediately‘, and San Diego’s Jim Krenn, in whom clients have ‘100% trust‘. Susan Mac Cormac  in San Francisco is noted for her energy and clean technology experience.











Practice head(s):

Murray Indick; Steve Rowles


Other key lawyers:

Timothy Harris; Susan Mac Cormac; Jim Krenn


Testimonials

‘Timothy Harris is the primary attorney. Overall, Tim is fantastic and has become our preferred attorney, especially for deals involving high complexity, interpersonal sensitivity, and short timeframes. Tim has many strengths, but there are several that stand out. He has an ability to quickly come up to speed in complex financing situations and add value immediately, which we have rarely if ever seen matched by other attorneys that we work with.’

‘Well resourced team that his highly proficient within their domains. I’ve been particularly impressed with how the team has engaged with all levels of our company (analysts to CEO) as true partners to get the information needed to produce their work. They manage our case extremely well and have proven to be ahead of their peers when it comes to appreciation of the evolving commercial M&A and regulatory landscapes.’

‘Responsiveness, thoroughness of counsel, and the humanity of the team – particularly when it comes to “being there” during tough economic times or during other times of adversity.’

‘What keeps us with MoFo over the years is Jim Krenn and his team. I have 100% trust in him and I know that he will always provide me with the advice I need.’

‘The MoFo team – led in my case by Murray Indick – are top-notch lawyers and, more importantly, provide strategic and risk mitigating advice that goes well beyond paperwork. They are thought partners, and this is so valuable. With MoFo I have gotten the best of the best of legal services. I could not be happier.’

‘Murray Indick is more than a lawyer to our fund, he is a thought partner. And an indispensable one. Before working with Murray I thought lawyers completed paperwork/ did compliance but with Murray I get someone who is a mentor and thought leader for me in venture capital. I consult with him for any non-investing big structural decision and to mitigating long term existential risks to the business.’

‘The team is more than just a legal team, they understand how business is done in the start-up world, and what companies prioritize (speed & efficiency). They are also very good at leveraging legal tech for efficiency and encourage their clients to do so.’

‘Murray Indick (who we work with primarily) is a fantastic legal partner. He focuses on the core issues that we need to handle from a business perspective and is always trying to help us achieve our business objectives quickly & efficiently. He often recommends 3rd party providers who can do a better job at a lower cost in regulatory matters (which has worked out very well for us).’

Key clients

Verkada, Inc.


9am Health


Fever Labs


SpinLaunch


Fictiv


Creyon Bio


Carlsmed


SoftBank


Geneos Therapeutics


Foxen Holdings


Squadra Ventures


NextSense, Inc.


Moxion Power


Work highlights


  • Advised Verkada, a technology company, in its $205 million Series D financing. The company is now valued at $3.20 billion.
  • Advised SpinLaunch, a space technology company, in its $71 million Series B financing.
  • Advised Fever in its $227 million Series E financing. The company is now valued at over $1 billion.

WilmerHale

WilmerHale combines legal expertise with ‘the creativity, flexibility and business mindset that is required in a fast-moving industry like ours’. The firm’s highly experienced team is popular with a broad range of venture capital funds and emerging companies. The comprehensive service ranges from business launch and seed funding through to successful, high value exits, including sales and IPOs. The group has developed a strong track record across many key sub-sectors, including biotech, medical devices and healthcare, as well as fintech, cybersecurity, robotics, mobile technology and digital media. New York partner Gary Schall (‘absolutely instrumental to our success‘) co-chairs the team with Daniel Zimmermann in Silicon Valley. A strong Boston arm includes partners Mick Bain, Jason Kropp, and Rosemary Reilly, all of whom have good credentials in the life sciences sphere.

Practice head(s):

Gary Schall; Daniel Zimmermann


Other key lawyers:

Mick Bain; Jason Kropp; Rosemary Reilly


Testimonials

‘As a venture-backed start up, we are fortunate to have engaged Wilmer Hale from the beginning. They have handled all aspects of our corporate needs: enterprise set up, several funding rounds, venture debt, contracts and employment law. Across all of these areas, WH has consistently demonstrated not only legal expertise, but always with the creativity, flexibility and business mindset that is required in a fast-moving industry like ours.’

‘Gary Schall and the team have been absolutely instrumental to our success. Their raw intelligence and knowledge of the law is coupled with unparalleled business acumen and a sense of humor when we most need it.’

‘The team consists of a wide range of specialists for every area of law. Personally, I appreciate the prompt response time and good synchronization among lawyers.’

‘Every lawyer has deep knowledge about some specific area, and they give helpful and clear advice to my company.’

 

Key clients

Immuta


Stash Financial


LogRocket


Spark Capital


Introhive


RightHand Robotics


TwentyEight-Seven


Workramp


General Catalyst


PyrAmes


Work highlights


  • Advised Immuta in its $100 million Series E financing.
  • Advised Forendo Pharma in its $954 million sale to Organon (NYSE: OGN), a global, women’s healthcare company.
  • Advised Adore Me, Inc., a digitally-native intimates brand, in its acquisition by Victoria Secret & Co.

Dentons

The scale of Dentons‘s global and domestic practice lends itself to the venture capital and emerging companies space, with clients commenting that the firm ‘always has a go-to lawyer with an exceptional knowledge base‘. Many clients spring from the firm’s dedicated venture tech center in New York, where global practice head Victor Boyajian has established a good name. The strong domestic offering, which represents start-ups and founders in early stage growth through to exit, is complemented by a cross-border transactional practice that works closely with offices in key centers in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Other key individuals include the ‘superbChris Errico, the chair of the firm’s US start up program, and Ilan Katz, whose team is ‘always highly responsive and straight to the point‘. All named lawyers are based in New York.


Practice head(s):

Victor Boyajian


Other key lawyers:

Chris Errico; Ilan Katz


Testimonials

‘Dentons always has a go-to lawyer with an exceptional knowledge base for me. If I have an issue pop up tangentially or not to something I am working on, Dentons has a large team of lawyers to slide in. Importantly, they work as a team and the relationship manager knows what’s going on.’

‘Chris Errico is a superb attorney who gets to know how clients like to work and adapts to that well. He knows how to balance commercial points with legal points so that we have reasonable negotiations and get a lot of what we want. Chris helps us think out of the box and keeps us up to date on the pulse of the market. He is more than just our attorney, he is one of our best collaborators.’

‘The global print of Dentons’ team is very unique in particular in a cross border deal has we have done in 2022.’

‘Ilan Katz’s skills and workforce are really impressive.’

 

Key clients

Helena Special Investments


PayPal


Acuity MD


LL Funds


KKCG


Octopus Ventures


Scalefast


Labster


Lumio


Umba


Work highlights


  • Advised LL Fund, which led on $53 million Series B-1 and Series B-2 venture funding for Poplar.
  • Advised Labster in raising $47 million of venture funding in a deal led by Sofina and Pirate Impact Capital.
  • Assisted AcuityMD in raising $31 million of Series A venture funding in a deal led by Redpoint Ventures, putting the company’s pre-money valuation at $270 million.

Hogan Lovells US LLP

Hogan Lovells US LLP has strong credentials in the venture fund space and is especially active on the investor side, representing a broad range of institutions, funds and family offices. The team also has good experience on the company side, and assisted Walmart on a joint venture with Ribbit Capital to launch a new fintech startup. The overall breadth of the firm’s offering is enhanced by its geographic reach, with a combination of teams in key US hubs such as Silicon Valley and Washington DC, as well as Europe and Asia. The private equity and funds group is led by Robert Welp  out of Northern Virginia. Key partners include Mark Heimlich in Denver, Mahvesh Qureshi and Kevin Clayton  in Washington DC, and Houston’s Andrew Strong who co-leads the firm’s emerging companies and investor group and has a strong track record on the life sciences and biotech front.

Practice head(s):

Robert Welp


Other key lawyers:

Mahvesh Qureshi; Kevin Clayton; Andrew Strong; Mark Heimlich


Work highlights


  • Advising Walmart, an American multinational retail corporation, on its joint venture with Ribbit Capital, a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm, to create a new fintech startup.
  • Represented Sanergy, an organic waste upcycling business with operations in Kenya, in its preferred stock financing led by Anglo American.
  • Represented Cerro Capital, a specialized growth capital fund investing in the future of sports, in its investment in MSP Sports Capital, which purchased a controlling stake in the X Games.

Jones Day

Jones Day has a deep bench of lawyers with strong experience in the start-up and venture capital space. The firm represents a broad mix of emerging companies and investors across all stages of their venture-backed journey. Later stage work is a typically strong area for the team, with lawyers offering regular exit support on IPOs and mergers. The team’s industry expertise is equally diverse, with lawyers spanning key growth sectors including technology, healthcare and energy-tech. Global private equity co-head Michael Earley leads the practice from Chicago and has a good track record advising funds and entrepreneurs. On the West Coast, lead individuals include Timothy Curry  and Jeremy Cleveland in Silicon Valley, and Taylor Stevens and Cameron Reese in San Diego.










Practice head(s):

Michael Earley


Other key lawyers:

Timothy Curry; Taylor Stevens; Cameron Reese


Key clients

Koch Strategic Platforms


ABB Technology Ventures


Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P.


Five9


GreatPoint Ventures


LendingTree, Inc.


Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company


Shiseido Co Ltd.


Raine Capital


GRA Venture Fund


Hookit


Work highlights


  • #Advised Koch Strategic Platforms on the US$150 million investment in the Series A Preferred Stock of GameChange Solar Holdings Corp.
  • Advised LendingTree on the USD$31 million Series C financing round of EarnUp, a San Francisco-based Fintech company.
  • Represented ABB Technology Ventures as lead investor in the Series C financing of Cassia Networks.

King & Spalding LLP

King & Spalding LLP has invested heavily into its emerging companies and venture capital team in recent years, and this continued into 2022 with the opening of its Miami office, led by partner and practice co-head Daniel Kahan. The firm has a strong following among the venture arms of major companies, including Capital One Ventures, ConocoPhillips, and Moody’s. The team also represents a broad range of startups, both on early stage financings and later stage exits, including SPAC mergers. Kahan co-leads the practice with Tom Knox in Northern Virginia, who represents companies and investors, and Laura Bushnell in Silicon Valley, who assists small and mid-cap companies. Other key individuals include Linda Lorenat  in Silicon Valley and Charles Katz in Northern Virginia.

Practice head(s):

Tom Knox; Laura Bushnell; Daniel Kahan


Other key lawyers:

Linda Lorenat; Charles Katz


Key clients

Applied Cognition


Analyst!


Atom Power


Avatar Growth Capital


Bessemer Venture Partners


Capital One Ventures


Caresave Technologies (Homecare.com)


Collective Hotels and Resorts


Cox Enterprises


Dapple Security


Eleanor Health Holdings


Glide Holdings/Welcome


HeartFlow Holding


Idyllo


Kiyatec


Mesmerise


Netography


Oh Snap!


Onera Health


Palmetto Clean Technology


Progressive


Sozo Ventures


Steadfast Capital Ventures


Tul


Virtru


Yondr


Work highlights


  • Advised Virtru in its Series C financing co-led by Foundry Capital and including ICONIQ Capital and Tiger Global.
  • Advised Eleanor Health Holdings in its $50 million Series C financing, which was led by General Catalyst.
  • Advised NewView Capital in its $105 million Series C financing of Human Interest.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP has established a good track record for guiding companies from startup through to maturity. Lawyers in different offices in the US, Asia, Europe and the Middle East regularly work together on cross-border matters. Life sciences and healthcare, including biotechnology and medical devices, are key areas of focus, though the firm also carries out plenty of work on technology investments, with Silicon Valley partner John Park  particularly active on this front. Steven Cohen chairs the practice from Princeton, and receives strong support from Julio Vega and Michael Conza in Boston. Philadelphia-based partner Jeffrey Bodle also comes highly recommended by clients who consider him and his team ‘instrumental throughout multiple fundraising rounds‘.










Practice head(s):

Steven Cohen; Jeffrey Bodle


Other key lawyers:

Julio Vega; Michael Conza; John Park


Testimonials

‘Jeffrey Bodle and his team have been instrumental throughout our multiple fundraising rounds. From their expertise to their attentiveness, every interaction has enabled my company to make critical decisions that have resulted in fundraising success.’

‘There have been numerous tricky situations where we were facing tight timelines, exploding term sheets, unconventional investors and deal terms, and key negotiations – each time, the team helped us overcome the challenges smoothly’

Key clients

Fanatics


CapitalG


Third Point


Comcast Ventures


G20 Ventures


New Science Ventures


OMERS


SandboxAQ


bloXroute Labs


SpotOn Technologies


Work highlights


  • Represented Third Point Ventures in the more than $900 million Series E financing of N26, a company focused on mobile banking.
  • Represented Fanatics, an online sports retailer, in its $1.5 billion funding round which now values the company at $27 billion.
  • Represented CapitalG in the $150 million Series C funding of Whatnot, a livestream shopping platform for collectors.

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP represents entrepreneurs, emerging companies and venture capital funds on the full range of issues, from formation and incubation, through to financing and eventual exit. The firm has guided several companies to unicorn status and recently advised the technology company Netskope on a $300m insider investment round that valued the company at $7.5 billion. The team’s lawyers have experience across many key sectors and technologies, including food, healthcare, software, AI, semiconductors, big data, space technologies and fintech. Stanley Pierson leads the team from Silicon Valley and is backed by a deep bench of highly experienced lawyers. New York’s Ronald Fleming has almost 30 years in the market, while Justin Hovey (San Francisco), Allison Leopold Tilley and Riaz Karamali in Silicon Valley have also built good reputations.

Practice head(s):

Stanley Pierson


Key clients

Tomo Networks


Stoke Space Technologies


Nomad Health


Vori Health


Milo Credit


Anvyl


Xendit


Hasura


Thesis


Core Loop Games


Netskope


Selector Software


Infinitus Systems


VirSec Systems


Atmosic Technologies


KlearNow


Robin Systems


MycoTechnology


Concept Art House


Proof of Learn


Work highlights


Choate, Hall & Stewart

Choate, Hall & Stewart has a strong focus on the investor side of the market, representing several leading venture capital and growth equity funds. The team regularly assists investors on every stage of the venture process, from seed and series A financings, later stage equity financings and onwards to IPO or sale. Clients also benefit from the firm’s broader expertise in related areas such as patent portfolio strategy, licensing and collaboration. The firm’s advice to Surveyor Capital, as co-investor on a $300 million series C investment into the biotech company Acelyrin, was a recent highlight. Partner Brian Goldstein  leads the largely Boston-based team and has especially good credentials on the life sciences and healthcare side. Tobin Sullivan also has a strong track record.

Practice head(s):

Brian Goldstein


Key clients

5AM Ventures


Andreessen Horowitz


Bain Capital Life Sciences


Broadview Ventures


Cultivate Next


Eventide Asset Management


Surveyor Capital (Citadel)


Transformation Capital Partners


Vertical Venture Partners


Xontogeny, LLC


Work highlights


Reed Smith LLP

Reed Smith LLP has a ‘knowledgeable and caring‘ team which does ‘an excellent job in taking care of all corporate needs‘. The firm represents a broad range of technology and life sciences start-ups and emerging companies operating at different stages of the venture-backed life cycle. The group is chaired by San Francisco’s LiLing Poh whose clients include the venture arms of several major companies. Other key partners include Pittsburgh’s Matthew Mohn, vice-chair of the firm’s business and finance department, and the ‘exceptionalMichael Sanders in Los Angeles, who has a particular emphasis on the life sciences industry. With almost 40 years’ experience, Donald Reinke in Silicon Valley remains a leading market figure.

Practice head(s):

LiLing Poh


Other key lawyers:

Matthew Mohn; Donald Reinke; Michael Sanders


Testimonials

‘They are knowledgeable and caring. Very service oriented – work hard.’

‘Michael Lee– 24/7 skilled and informed availability. Donald Reinke– same as Michael; and also experienced in providing governance confidence to board of directors.’

‘I have worked with Reed Smith for approximately 23 years. They do an excellent job in taking care of all corporate needs including agreements, financings, HR matters, and IPO’s/Change of Control. They have many members of the team who are experts in their individual areas and I am always assured of getting the best assistance possible. All work is done in a very timely manner with an eye on costs.’

Work highlights


Greenberg Traurig LLP

Greenberg Traurig LLP has a multidisciplinary team of lawyers with ‘a level of expertise, sharpness and quick turnaround that is a cut above the rest‘. In addition to representing early stage and emerging growth companies, the firm is regularly instructed by a broad range of investors, including venture capital funds and the venture arms of companies and other institutions. The team is jointly led by Boston-based co-heads Chinh Pham and Emily Ladd-Kravitz who has ‘a deep knowledge bank of venture capital, is extremely responsive and a delight to work with‘. In addition to the firm’s strong Boston team, clients also have access to highly experienced partners in Washington DC, Miami, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Atlanta.

Practice head(s):

Emily Ladd-Kravitz; Chinh Pham


Testimonials

‘Emily Ladd-Kravitz has been amazing to work. She has a deep knowledge bank of venture capital, is extremely responsive and a delight to work with.’

‘Greenberg has a level of expertise, sharpness and quick turnaround that is a cut above the rest for their competition. I would love to work with them on ever deal if I could.’

‘Emily Ladd-Kravitz in Boston and the wider team know the venture capital financing space nuances and current market conditions so well. I’m so impressed every time I get the chance to work with them. I can trust their decision and advice immediately in order to make swift action.’

 

Key clients

ByteChek


PAVmed


ImagineAR


Citrus CBD Industries


Spring Labs


B2B2C Web 3.0 Platform


Prota Fiori PBC


Work highlights


Katten

Katten has a longstanding track record of representing investors, growth companies and entrepreneurs. The fund space remains a core area for the team, with regular work coming from a diverse mix of hedge funds, corporate venture funds and family offices. Porsche Investments is a major client and the firm recently represented it on several investments into the automotive space, including a $100 million investment into Group 14 Technologies, which develops materials for lithium-silicon batteries. Chicago-based partners Matthew Brown and Jeffrey Patt co-head the entrepreneurial ventures practice, which also fields strong teams in New York, Los Angeles and Dallas.

Practice head(s):

Matthew Brown; Jeffrey Patt


Key clients

4CGE


Aimé Leon Dore


Castle Creek Biosciences


Catalytic


Clarix Imaging Company


Constellation NewEnergy


Deerfield Management


Hudson Bay


InterPop, Inc.


LHM Investment


Mediafly


Myplas


Paragon Biosciences Emalex Capital


Porsche Investments


PSP Growth


RISE Brewing


Sompriya Fine Spirits


Trust Ventures


Work highlights


  • Represented PSP Growth in its investment in OpenSpace’s $102 million Series D financing round.
  • Represented Catalytic on its sale to PagerDuty for $70 million.
  • Represented Hudson Bay Capital, a multi-strategy investment manager, on multiple transactions, including an investment in the $489 million Series X funding round for Gopuff, an instant grocery startup.

Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.

Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. has an active venture capital and emerging companies practice which represents a wide variety of investors and startups in the technology and life sciences space. The firm’s funds practice is particularly experienced, advising traditional venture funds, as well as family offices, hedge funds and private equity growth funds. Start up companies also benefit from the firm’s MintzEdge program, which offers fixed or deferred fee programs. The geographic spread of the leadership team reflects its reach, with co-chairs Daniel DeWolf in New York, Jeremy Glaser in San Diego, and Lewis Geffen in Boston. The firm also works closely with incubators and accelerators.

Practice head(s):

Dan DeWolf; Jeremy Glaser; Lewis Geffen


Key clients

SYN Ventures


Antler


Quip NYC


Matrix Capital Management


Gotham Greens


T-Rex Group


Cardurion Pharmaceuticals


Spark Capital


Nanoview Technologies


Quaise Energy


Work highlights


  • Ongoing investor counsel to SYN Ventures, a venture fund focused on investing in disruptive, transformational solutions that reduce technology risk.

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP is ‘extremely experienced on startups’  and offers a ‘practical and appropriate‘ pricing approach to its company clients. The nationwide team has key individuals throughout the country, including New York, Miami and Atlanta. Cross-border and Latin America-related work is an area of strength, with the ‘tremendous‘ Miami-based partner Leandro Molina offering ‘a deep understanding of emerging markets‘. Atlanta’s Paul Rothstein leads the team with New York’s Joe Daniels  (‘a trusted counsel, advisor and protector’).  Jackson Hwu in Miami has also built a prominent reputation and co-chairs the firm’s Latin America practice group.

Practice head(s):

Paul Rothstein; Joe Daniels


Other key lawyers:

Jackson Hwu; Leandro Molina;


Testimonials

‘The team that we deal with is extremely experienced on startups and it’s exactly what we need. They understand every aspect of startup constitution, investment and daily legal operations. They helped us avoid many pitfalls due to their experience. Also, the price is attractive and payment methods are practical and appropriate for a startup.’

‘Our main focal point is Leandro Molina. Besides being a tremendous lawyer, he has a deep understanding of emerging markets, since he is Brazilian and worked in renowned local law firms before practicing law in USA. He is very proactive, taking care of the legal side of our business even when we don’t know what we have to do. He makes us feel very safe in the legal side of the company, so we can have the peace of mind to make the business happen.’

‘Our work with NM has centered around both the acquisition and sell side of M&A. I have found that what is unique to them is the follow-through. Unlike other practices, once the agreement is signed, they stay on the players to ensure that the forward tasks and milestones (earn outs, data handling, etc) are well understood, are kept statused, and discussed in a timely fashion.’

‘Joe Daniels: Ideal in that he’s a practical lawyer. He will explain the ideal, the acceptable, and the not acceptable when working on modifications requested by third parties to NDAs, contracts, or other agreements. Joe is not doctrinaire but explains the shades of gray, the risks and the practical compromises that are part of negotiations. I feel the same sense of urgency to get a workable agreement.’

‘For us, what makes this firm unique is Joe Daniels. Joe has been a trusted counsel, advisor and protector in more ways than we can describe. The fact that he chose Nelson Mullins as his home is enough for us. The resources of a firm such as Nelson Mullins also allows Joe to bring in the right person for whatever our current ask, whether it be contract, advisory or litigation. We can’t say enough about Joe and his team.’

‘Joe Daniels is what makes Nelson Mullins stand out. His background and expertise with regard to funding rounds, negotiation, agreements, and the due diligence process, has proven itself time and again.’

 

Key clients

Stord, Inc


Michelin Ventures SAS


Battleface, Inc


DGB USA, Inc (Formerly Digibee)


Upload Ventures (Formerly Early Stage Softbank)


Softbank Latin America Fund


Visuwell


Lotus Money


Elementus


Boticario Group


RentRedi


Mech Inc


Marqii


Oncology Analytics d/b/a Oncohealth


Work highlights


  • Advised Stord, Inc., a cloud supply chain company, in its $100 million + Series D-3 preferred stock financing with Franklin Templeton as the lead investor.
  • Advised Softbank as the lead investor in the Series A financing round of Medway, which raised $15 million from Softbank and seven other co-investors.
  • Advised RentRedi, which provides an all-inclusive landlord-tenant app with everything you need as a DIY landlord, in a $12 million Series A financing.

Ropes & Gray LLP

Ropes & Gray LLP has long been a lead player in the private equity fund space, though the firm also has a good track record advising emerging companies on the full range of issues. The team has been especially active for life sciences companies and advised Camp4 Therapeutics in its $100 million Series B financing. Venture capital funds naturally form a large part of the overall workload, and the firm is popular with funds, such as BlueYard Crypto, that target niche assets. Boston-based partners Marc Rubenstein and Brad Flint jointly lead the team, with strong input from Melissa Bender in San Francisco, who leads the firm’s crypto blockchain taskforce.

Practice head(s):

Brad Flint; Marc Rubenstein


Other key lawyers:

Melissa Bender


Key clients

LianBio


Population Health Partners LLC


Genesis Therapeutics, Inc.


CAMP4 Therapeutics Corporation


Neurogastrx


Chroma Medicine


BlueYard Crypto


NorthPond Ventures


Protocol Labs


Golden X Company


Work highlights


  • Represented LianBio, a biotechnology company operating in China and other Asian markets, in its $325 million initial public offering.
  • Represented CAMP4 Therapeutics in a $100 million Series B financing.
  • Represented BlueYard in multiple investments including, Braneframe, Subconscious, Cowri Labs, Tephra, among others.

Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth

Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth has a strong network of offices throughout California which serve a broad range of investors, entrepreneurs and emerging growth companies. Clients commend the firm’s ‘strong, broad-based knowledge of business law and practical applications‘ and its ‘ability to assist in delicate negotiations‘. The past year saw the team active across a range of key sectors, including software, medical devices, big data, fintech and consumer goods. Mark Skaist in Newport Beach jointly leads the team with Los Angeles-based Ryan Azlein (‘a fantastic attorney: smart, knowledgeable, dedicated and friendly‘).

Practice head(s):

Mark Skaist; Ryan Azlein


Testimonials

‘Strong, broad-based knowledge of business law and practical applications. Strong ability to assist in delicate negotiations, and ability to help bring those to a close without excessive litigation. Solid experience in drafting and editing contracts with an eye for avoiding future conflicts and issues.’

‘Ryan Azlein is a fantastic attorney: smart, knowledgeable, dedicated and friendly. He has a strong ability to push deals forward in a way that protects client interest without causing undue aggravation to the opposing side.’

 

Key clients

Frontier Venture Capital


Restaurant 365


Ivantis, Inc.


Arrowroot Capital


Scotch Porter


Act One Ventures


Ticketsauce


Investment Group of Santa Barbara


Turtle Rock Studios


Kayne Anderson


Super73


ArtCraft Entertainment


Pledgeling Technologies


Vertos Medical


Okapi Ventures


AEA Growth Equity Fund


Work highlights


  • Advised Frontier Venture Capital Participates in Project Canary’s $111 million Series B Funding Round.
  • Represented Arrowroot Capital in its AUD $42 million Series A investment in Protecht Group.
  • Represented Restaurant 365 in a $25 million Series E Preferred Stock financing, with IQONIC Capital as the lead investor and advised in Restaurant 365’s $45 Million purchase of Everee Inc’s source code for its Payroll+ software consisting of both cash and shares of common stock of Restaurant 365.