San Francisco

The innovation economy began in Northern California. We opened our first office in 1995 with six partners and the understanding that technology was about to take a primary position in the global economy. Today, our Northern California presence has grown to over 300 team members, including more than 120 attorneys working seamlessly between our offices in Silicon Valley and San Francisco.

Progress can be stalled out by complacency, and so we do everything we can to push our clients forward. We ask questions. We learn. We seek to uncover what’s next.

To that end, we’re singularly focused on the rapidly evolving industries that drive the innovation economy and hire talent eager to be a part of that change. We help our company and fund clients position themselves optimally for long-term stakeholder returns and navigate the complexities of financings, strategic transactions, M&A, and public offerings.

Our Northern California team serves as outside general counsel to over 1,300 pioneering private and public companies in every high-growth industry, from B2B and B2C software to consumer products, from financial technology and web3 to media and entertainment, and from biotechnology to digital health. Since 2020 our Northern California team closed over 3,800 financings raising over $190 billion in fresh capital, handled thousands of licensing and other strategic transactions, bought and sold scores of companies, supported IPOs and other capital markets transactions, and ensured these clients could attract and retain the best talent in a tight labor market.

The spark of an idea can change the world — and that idea requires investment. We represent more top-tier venture capital and growth equity funds in their fund formation and investment activities than any other law firm in the world. Our fund formation partners, led by the world’s preeminent fund attorney and NorCal partner Steve Franklin, are internationally recognized for their work and routinely negotiate 1/3 of every venture dollar raised worldwide..

Further, as the life sciences industry has established itself as a significant player in the world economy, we have grown our own capacity to support its needs. Our clients in this industry are deeply ingrained in technology, from producing life-saving medical devices and diagnostics to improving healthcare IT. Our focus on life sciences has powered immense growth in the firm and we provide a range of services to our life sciences clients — from financing and capital markets support, to licensing, strategic partnering, and collaboration, often opposite some of the most prominent life science companies in the world.

Our team has preeminent experience in what are the most important strategic needs of high-growth companies, venture capital and growth equity funds.