Katherine S. Gardner

Katie has over a decade of experience in the EC/VC space, and specializes in strategic partnering, intellectual property and technology licensing and protection, product counseling, data and privacy strategy, and the commercialization of intellectual property, software, data and other technology assets. Katie represents technology and venture-backed companies in nearly every industry, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, consumer products, health tech, financial technology, insurance technology, supply chain technology, SaaS, cloud, blockchain and web3.

She is a strategic thought partner for her clients in all types of commercial arrangements; acquisitions, spin-outs, software/SaaS licenses, intellectual property and confidentiality counseling, reseller, referral, manufacturing and distribution, support and maintenance, promotion and marketing, collaboration and development, evaluation and beta testing, and a variety of other in- and out-licensing deals and services arrangements pertaining to the creation, distribution and commercialization of products and services. Katie also advises the leading venture capital firms on their investments in these companies.

Katie had led Gunderson's leadership in the artificial intelligence space, and is a frequent speaker on the cutting edge issues companies are facing as they raise money and develop innovative products.

Katie negotiates commercial and corporate transactions across from the world’s largest technology companies, including Alphabet, Apple, Adobe, Amazon, Google, Oracle, Meta, Microsoft, Twitter, the largest retailers, including Target and Walmart, telecoms, including Comcast and Verizon, financial companies and banks, including Stripe, Mastercard, American Express, and Visa, major hospitals and health systems, universities, media companies, and other parties in the technology and venture ecosystem.

Katie founded the firm’s privacy practice. As a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP), she leverages her expertise with the international privacy regulation framework to counsel clients on risks and opportunities with respect to use and exchange of personal data in their business transactions and product development, including machine learning models.

Katie is also a member of the firm’s Management Committee and previously served on the firm’s Governance Committee and as a partner sponsor of the Women’s Affinity Group.

Select Deals Represented:

• Giphy’s acquisition by Shutterstock in its divestiture from Meta
• Ayoconnect in its partnership with Mastercard
• SevenFifty in its acquisition by Provi
• Frame.io in its acquisition by Adobe
• ShopKeep in its acquisition by Lightspeed
• Playdots in its acquisition by Take-Two
• BetterCloud in its acquisition by Vista Equity Partners
• GIPHY in its acquisition by Facebook
• CrowdTwist in its acquisition by Oracle
• Founders Fund as it led the $150 million Series D financing of Faire
• Gigafund as it led the $9 million Series Seed financing of Luminous
• Managed by Q in its acquisition by WeWork
• Valor as it led the financing of BookingPal
• Censys in its $2.6 million Series Seed financing
• Andreessen Horowitz in the $300 million Series B financing of Devoted Health
• Chain in its acquisition by Lightyear Corporation
• Opcity in its $210 million acquisition by News Corp
• Dragoneer in the $427 million Series H financing of Slack
• Peloton in its $325 million Series E financing
• Moat in its acquisition by Oracle
• Clarifai in its $20 million Series B financing
• Complex Media in its acquisition by Verizon Wireless and Hearst
• Recombine in its acquisition by CooperSurgical
• TapAd in its acquisition by Telenor
• eXelate in its acquisition by Nielsen