Gunderson Dettmer Announces Attorney Promotions

SILICON VALLEY, CA – Gunderson Dettmer is pleased to promote nine attorneys, effective January 2025. The promoted attorneys are resident in five of the firm’s U.S. offices: Austin, Boston, Los Angeles, New York and Northern California.

“As we look to our 30th anniversary in 2025, we remain true to our founding mission: to be the top legal choice for the best funds and companies in the innovation economy by delivering exemplary client service through extraordinary individuals. These nine attorneys embody our shared mission,” said Jeffrey P. Higgins, Gunderson Dettmer’s Managing Partner. “I am deeply proud of all that they have accomplished so far – and what they will be able to do for clients and the broader innovation economy we serve.”

The following associates have been promoted to Partner:

Ibrahim M. Elshamy, Corporate & Securities, Los Angeles. Ibrahim has broad experience in corporate formations and structuring, venture capital financings, private secondary markets, cross-border transactions, mergers and acquisitions, public offerings, and general corporate governance and strategic matters. Ibrahim brings prior experience as in-house counsel for a venture-backed startup and also represents leading venture capital firms in their global portfolio company investments.

Jared E. Mayberry, Corporate & Securities, Los Angeles. Jared represents technology companies throughout their lifecycle and across a range of industries, including consumer, defensetech, software, telecom, and entertainment. He also represents a number of leading venture capital firms in their investments in technology companies.

Emily P. O’Brien, Fund Formation, Boston. Emily counsels venture capital and other private equity funds in all stages of their fundraising and organization, and counsels fund managers on all aspects of day-to-day operations. Emily represents a number of leading venture capital firms and routinely advises first-time fund managers on a range of key issues.

Luke Thomas, Corporate & Securities, Austin. Luke’s practice focuses on representing emerging and high-growth companies and investors on a broad range of transactional matters. He provides strategic, practical advice at all stages of a company’s lifecycle and has substantial experience representing both buyers and sellers in M&A transactions involving strategic and private equity acquirers.

The following associates have been promoted to Counsel:

Nick C. Feldman, Corporate & Securities, Los Angeles. Nick represents founders and high-growth companies from inception to exit, providing legal and strategic advice in connection with formation, financings, M&A transactions, and IPOs, and acting as outside general counsel on day-to-day legal matters. He also represents leading venture capital firms that finance these companies in equity, debt, and token investments.

Timothy J. Kulis, Corporate & Securities, Boston. Tim maintains a broad practice that spans the entire corporate lifecycle, from formation through liquidity, including representing life sciences companies in the biotech, pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostics and healthcare IT industries as well as technology companies in the consumer, software, telecom and energy industries. He also represents a number of prominent venture capital funds in their financing activities.

Matthew G. Martinez, Mergers & Acquisitions, Northern California. Matt specializes in M&A across a broad range of industries. He has represented sellers and buyers in complex M&A transactions, including mergers, stock purchases and sales, asset purchases and sales, and other strategic transactions.

Anand Mehta, Corporate & Securities, New York and Los Angeles. Anand works closely with entrepreneurs on a variety of issues, ranging from financings to corporate governance, strategic partnerships and securities law matters. Anand also represents leading venture capital and growth equity firms on their investment activities, with a focus on minority and control investments, tender offers and exit transactions.

Vanessa A. Smith, Corporate & Securities, Boston. Vanessa represents emerging growth companies in a wide variety of industries, including software, medical device, life sciences and biotech, telecom, fintech, healthcare information and management, and consumer, as well as a number of top-tier venture capital funds. Prior to joining the firm, she was in-house counsel for a venture-backed software company.

About Gunderson Dettmer

Gunderson Dettmer is the preeminent international law firm with an exclusive focus on the innovation economy. The firm serves market-leading venture capital and growth equity investors and pioneering companies through inception, growth and maturity, as well as groundbreaking public companies that result from the global venture capital ecosystem. The firm’s clear-cut focus and well-honed technical skill enables an accelerated pace and unmatched efficiency, delivering best-in-class value at each phase of a client’s business.

Gunderson Dettmer has hundreds of attorneys across eleven offices in key venture markets throughout the world – Silicon Valley, Ann Arbor, Austin, Beijing, Boston, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, São Paulo and Singapore.

*This news item was updated February 2025