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Choate, Hall & Stewart

Choate, Hall & Stewart

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United States • M&A/corporate and commercial

4

Venture capital and emerging companies

Housed within the firm’s private equity and M&A department, Choate, Hall & Stewart venture capital and emerging companies practice is predominantly active in investor-side representations. The Boston-based team is adept at advising on the financings of technology, life sciences, and healthcare companies from seed to later-stage growth equity. The core team consists of: Tobin Sullivan, who specializes in assisting venture capital investors and is praised for his ‘eye for detail’ and for being ’highly responsive’; John Pitfield, who is a key client contact for Bain Capital, and special counsel Brian Lenihan who is a go-to for Canadian and UK companies and investors in cross-border transactions with US funds or issuers.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Accolades

Client satisfaction: Sector knowledge

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Tobin Sullivan has an eye for detail that goes beyond that of average lawyers. He is pragmatic, detail-oriented, and highly responsive. An excellent attorney.’

  • ‘Choate, Hall & Stewart seamlessly combines top-tier legal craftsmanship with true investor judgment. The team doesn’t just “paper” deals. They actively help us drive outcomes by anticipating negotiation pressure points, translating legal risk into business tradeoffs, and proposing practical paths to resolution.'

  • 'What potential clients should know is that Choate brings both deep growth equity pattern recognition and exceptional process discipline. They run complex transactions with a high degree of organization—tight drafting control, thoughtful issue lists, and strong coordination across counterparties and (when needed) local counsel—so the legal work accelerates the deal rather than slowing it down. They’re also proactive in spotting “hidden” issues (e.g., equity/incentive and tax election dynamics, governance protections, and diligence gaps) early enough that we can address them before they become closing problems.'

  • 'Choate has also stood out on the service model side: transparent communication, collaborative working style, and a refreshingly pragmatic approach to billing—including flexibility when deals don’t close and a willingness to problem-solve with us on budgets and timing. Overall, it’s a differentiated platform: technically excellent, highly responsive, and genuinely aligned with how growth equity investors operate.’

  • ‘Tobin Sullivan is an absolute legend. He's a workhorse, effective, works well with lawyers on the other side of the table, and is honest. For example, if Choate doesn't have the expertise in-house, he will be very upfront about the need to engage additional counsel.’

Key clients

  • 5AM Ventures
  • Ampersand Capital Partners
  • Andreessen Horowitz
  • Bain Capital Life Sciences
  • Haven Ventures
  • Denali Growth Partners
  • Enhanced Healthcare Partners
  • Sofinnova Ventures
  • Transformation Capital Partners
  • Vertical Venture Partners
Practice head

Brian Lenihan; John Pitfield; Tobin Sullivan