Lara Alice Pender, who has represented private equity investors including corporate venture capital, sovereign wealth and pension funds in connection with financings of high-valuation companies, has joined Gunderson Dettmer as its newest growth equity partner. Lara will focus on structuring, negotiating and managing minority- and majority-stake investments, as well as cross-border acquisitions and divestitures, for growth equity, venture capital and other private equity firms.

She also works with startup companies and has helped secure financing for over a dozen "growth stage" companies.

Pender told Law360 Pulse on Thursday that she was drawn by Gunderson Dettmer's reputation among growth equity and venture capital investors.

"Gunderson has a best-in-class venture practice, and everybody is focused on technology companies and the venture space, including growth equity," Pender said. "Every partner that I interviewed with really understood my practice and what it was, and they were just so familiar with the space."

Read more at Law 360.