Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP has elected 15 new partners, effective January 1, 2022, in its largest new partner class to date. In a year of unprecedented growth to more than 400 attorneys in 10 offices, these elevations add to the firm’s corporate and securities, fund formation, growth equity, public offerings/public companies, data privacy, technology transactions and tax practices.

“I am deeply proud of this new partner class, each of whom exemplify Gunderson Dettmer’s focus on technical excellence, client service and best-in-class guidance for clients at every business phase,” said David T. Young, Gunderson Dettmer’s Managing Partner. “Further, we continue our commitment to a more diverse partnership with nine women and people of color joining 28 fellow partners from underrepresented groups, who together will represent one-third of our partnership. This class also includes attorneys from seven of our 10 offices, as well as the elevation of seven of counsel to the partnership.”

“More than half of this partner class spends a significant portion of their practice serving our more than 500 late-stage and public company clients and growth equity investors, which reflects our recent substantial investments in our mergers and acquisitions, public offerings/public companies and growth equity financings practices. We look forward to the many contributions this partner class will continue to make to the firm in the coming years.” 

The new partners are:

Hilary M. Adams, Corporate & Securities, New York. Hilary’s practice focuses on representing emerging growth companies from inception through maturity, and venture capital firms in their investment activities. She has significant experience representing both companies and investors in early stage and growth stage venture financings, as well as mergers and acquisitions for a wide variety of technology companies, including those in the consumer internet, healthcare, agriculture, financial and entertainment technology industries.

Richard Chang, Corporate & Securities, Beijing. Richard’s practice focuses on the representation of emerging growth companies throughout their corporate lifecycles, with particular emphasis in the life sciences, TMT and fintech sectors across the greater China area. He regularly advises public and private companies and investors in a wide range of corporate transactions, including venture capital and growth equity financings, mergers and acquisitions, IPOs and other public offerings.

David He, Corporate & Securities, Singapore. David works closely with venture and growth equity investors, startups and technology companies on a variety of matters, including cross-border equity and debt financings, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings, and corporate governance. He has advised on hundreds of venture-backed deals and has led negotiations involving parties based in the U.S., India, China, Korea, Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia.

Lily H. Kim, Tax and Funds, Northern California. Lily’s practice encompasses all areas of general corporate and partnership income taxation for high-growth companies and venture capital and growth equity funds.  She advises clients on tax matters in a variety of transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, IPOs and growth equity financings. Lily’s practice also focuses on the formation and general representation of venture capital and growth equity funds and related entities.

Tyler L. Kirtley, Funds, Boston. Tyler counsels venture capital and growth equity funds in all stages of their fundraising and organization, and counsels fund managers on all aspects of day-to-day operations. Tyler represents a number of leading venture capital firms and promising first-time fund managers.

Bradley D. Krack, Corporate & Securities, Northern California. Brad is a member of the firm’s Latin America practice group with a special focus on Spanish-speaking markets. He represents high-growth companies and venture capital funds in a variety of matters, including cross-border equity and debt financings, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings, and corporate governance. 

Billy Kwon, Mergers & Acquisitions, New York. Billy has a broad practice focused on mergers and acquisitions for a wide variety of emerging growth and technology companies. His transactional experience includes companies in the software, telecommunications and entertainment technology industries, as well as a number of leading venture capital firms.

Christel H. Moreno, Corporate & Securities, New York. Christel represents both high-growth companies and venture capital funds in Latin America, with a special emphasis on Brazil. She provides insightful guidance at every business phase, including formation and governance, cross-border venture capital financings and M&A transactions.

Mark E. Oblad, Growth Equity, New York. Mark represents several of the world’s most active growth equity funds in their complex investments. He represents investors in their investments in later-stage companies in various jurisdictions worldwide with an eye on the expansion, liquidity and diversification issues associated with minority investments.

Cody R. Peterson, Corporate & Securities, Los Angeles. Cody’s practice focuses primarily on supporting early-stage founders at every business phase, with a special emphasis on helping first-time founders navigate the corporate lifecycle from formation through financing rounds and strategic transactions, including public offerings and mergers and acquisitions. He has represented startups and venture capital funds in a variety of industries, including e-commerce, social and digital media, fintech, edtech, augmented and virtual reality, life sciences, esports and blockchain technology.

Shawna M. Reeder, Licensing, Strategic Partnering and Commercial Transactions, Northern California. Shawna focuses on transactional technology, IP and commercial issues related to our company and venture fund clients’ financing and M&A activities, as well as corporate partnering, product counseling, strategic alliances, technology protection, and the licensing and commercialization of intellectual property and technology assets. Shawna represents company clients that have sold to Proctor & Gamble, Synopsys, LinkedIn and others and continues to work with several public company clients.

Keith J. Scherer, Public Offerings/Public Companies, Boston. Keith represents high-growth companies and investment banks in numerous IPOs, PIPEs and other complex public and private offerings, as well as public companies in connection with their ongoing needs. He regularly advises late-stage private companies on a wide variety of topics relevant to the IPO process, corporate governance, disclosure matters and strategic transactions.

Brian J. Snyder, Growth Equity, New York. Brian’s practice focuses on representing venture capital and growth equity funds in their investments in various industries. Having worked in New York, Asia and Europe, Brian has advised on a wide range of financings, acquisitions and other strategic transactions across multiple regions.

Rosie Stein, Licensing, Strategic Partnering and Commercial Transactions, New York. Rosie has a broad practice representing high-growth technology and life sciences companies in connection with strategic alliances, technology protection, data privacy, and the licensing and commercialization of intellectual property and technology assets. She also advises venture capitalists and companies on the intellectual property and technology aspects of financings and merger and acquisition transactions.

Anna C. Westfelt. Data Privacy & Security, Northern California. Anna, who leads the firm’s Data Privacy and Security Practice, counsels clients on a broad range of U.S. and European data privacy and security issues, as well as complex cross-jurisdictional data privacy matters. She also advises on data privacy and security issues in venture capital financings, mergers and acquisitions, and IPOs.