The depth and breadth of our team’s knowledge and experience is unmatched by any of our competitors. We work on thousands of strategic transactions each year that are critical to our clients' success and keep their businesses moving forward. We come to the negotiating table with serious firepower, having negotiated every type of deal and counseled clients in every industry within the innovation economy, including AI, cyber security, consumer products, food tech, health tech, medical devices, biotech and life sciences, financial technology, insurance technology, media, ad tech, software and SaaS, as well as disruptive technologies, including blockchain, crypto and web3. We have guided clients through every situation that venture-backed companies face as they develop, acquire and monetize technologies, even creating new business models to bring products to market. We know what it takes to close deals with all types of counterparties, and our vast experience helps our clients avoid pitfalls that can become barriers to additional deals and/or exit strategies.

Emerging Companies Focus

While other firms prioritize work with large public technology and life sciences companies, we formed Gunderson Dettmer to focus on the innovators whose vision sparks change. We leverage unmatched business knowledge and sophisticated insights gained through repeated negotiations against the biggest companies in tech, pharma and other industries. In essence, we serve as part of your management team and as “outside in-house” counsel. We provide practical business-minded advice not otherwise available to early-stage companies. We specifically counsel the earliest-stage companies on: formations, protecting their intellectual property assets, financing transactions, commercial transactions and other operational matters.

Accelerating Maturing Companies

Our practical guidance and sophisticated perspectives become even more valuable as our clients mature and grow. We see around corners for our clients, and can help plan for any future outcome, including buy-side and sell-side transactions or an eventual IPO. As companies grow, we frequently advise them on complex strategic transactions, reducing friction in their day to day commercial transactions, inbound and outbound licensing and channel partner agreements, intellectual property strategy, contractual liability and strategy, and privacy compliance and strategy.

Regardless of the stage of our clients, we understand the structures and strategies that produce win-win deals. With our clear-cut focus and unmatched efficiency, we know better than any other firm how to help our clients create the leverage they need to successfully negotiate strategic deals with other entrenched market players. We use our depth of experience to help clients identify and navigate the changing risks and opportunities that come with rapid growth through the lifecycle of their business. Because we’ve advised thousands of innovation economy companies, we are uniquely able to identify these obstacles and find the best ways to eliminate or navigate them at every stage of a company’s lifecycle.