PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the premier provider of legal services to technology, life sciences, and growth enterprises worldwide, today announced that the firm has elected 18 new partners from its attorney ranks. The promotions will be effective February 1, 2023.
“Our 2023 class of partners is remarkable in how closely it reflects our values and the strength of our business,” said Doug Clark, Wilson Sonsini’s managing partner. “These attorneys have accomplished much in their careers and showcase not only the deep expertise within our firm, but also our diversity—both of which help define us. We are excited to welcome this group as our newest class of partners and look forward to continuing to work with them to provide clients with the sophisticated legal services we are known for.”
The 2023 partners-elect are:
Lester Ang, Corporate. Based in Palo Alto, Ang represents start-up and late-stage private companies in matters ranging from incorporation and initial capitalization to venture capital, debt financing, and initial public offerings. He also represents public companies in securities offerings, M&A transactions, SEC reporting, and corporate governance matters. In addition, Ang advises investment banks, venture capital firms, and private equity firms. He received his J.D. from UC Davis School of Law.
Haley Bavasi, Privacy and Cybersecurity. Based in Seattle, Bavasi focuses primarily on advising digital health companies across a range of privacy, transactional, research, and healthcare regulatory issues. In particular, she leverages her expertise in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to provide early-stage companies with practical day-to-day counseling, as well as to advise in the context of complex commercial transactions, M&A, and go-to-market strategy. She received her J.D. from UC Berkeley School of Law.
Robert Broderick, Corporate. Based in New York, Broderick practices corporate and securities law and focuses on start-ups and venture capital. He regularly works with high-profile technology companies, with an emphasis on capital raising through complex financings. He also provides advice with respect to corporate governance, strategic transactions, and day-to-day corporate matters. Broderick received his J.D. from Columbia Law School.
Jose Campos, Corporate. Based in London, Campos advises U.S. and European technology start-ups and scale-ups through all stages of their life cycles, including incorporation, venture capital financings, mergers and acquisitions, and other strategic transactions. Campos also supports investors that invest in technology companies. He is well-versed in assisting non-U.S. technology companies with their U.S. expansion plans and “flipping” them into U.S. holding companies. He received his J.D. from UC Hastings College of the Law.
Jonathan Chan, Corporate. Based in San Francisco and Palo Alto, Chan works in the emerging companies practice, and represents private technology companies and investors in formation, venture capital financings, and mergers and acquisitions. He focuses on representing companies and investors in the fintech, blockchain, and gaming sectors. Before joining the firm, Chan was a co-founder and COO of a venture-backed investment platform and previously served as a senior director of business development at Electronic Arts. He received his J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Andy Cordo, Litigation. Based in Wilmington, Cordo focuses on corporate governance litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery. His experience includes representing stockholders, officers, and directors of Delaware corporations and alternative entities in appeals, disputes over corporate and alternative entity control, fiduciary duties and management, corporate appraisal actions, and contract and other commercial disputes. Cordo received his J.D. from the Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law.
Elina Coss, Energy and Climate Solutions. Based in Seattle, Coss represents borrowers and sponsors in project and structured finance, acquisitions, and project development transactions, with a focus on financing cash flow streams from the renewable energy technology sector. Coss advises clients on complex asset-based financings at all levels of the capital stack, including joint ventures, construction, back-leverage and mezzanine financings, tax and cash equity financings, capital market securitizations, and forward flow financings. She also advises lenders, tax equity investors, private equity funds, and other investors in the renewable energy space. She received her J.D. from New York University School of Law.
Jake Gatof, Corporate. Based in Boston, Gatof represents life sciences and technology companies, as well as their sponsors, through all stages of growth and investment. He represents companies with respect to venture capital financings, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, and other complex strategic transactions. He also advises leading growth equity, venture capital, and other institutional sponsors. Gatof received his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.
Broderick Henry, Corporate. Based in Palo Alto, Henry focuses on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, equity investments, and other strategic matters involving public and private companies. He primarily represents clients in the technology industry, but he has represented clients in a wide range of sectors, including aviation, financial services, consumer products, energy and infrastructure, security, and manufacturing. Henry received his J.D. from New York University School of Law.
Jocqui Kaup, Corporate. Working virtually in Washington, Kaup focuses on corporate and securities matters for emerging growth companies and venture capital and private equity firms in both equity and debt financing transactions and mergers and acquisitions. She also advises on strategic alliances, spinouts, recapitalizations, and other corporate reorganizations. Kaup represents private technology growth companies ranging from start-ups to late-stage enterprises, with an emphasis on larger private companies. She received her J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.
Megan Kayo, Privacy and Cybersecurity. Based in San Francisco, Kayo advises clients on information security and privacy issues under various laws and regulations, specializing in data breach response and mitigation. She has worked on hundreds of security incidents and acted as the lead counsel, directing the investigation, notifications, and responses to regulators and consumers in connection with global data breaches. Kayo received her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Brendan Mahan, Mergers and Acquisitions. Based in Seattle, Mahan advises public and private companies on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, minority and controlling investments, and other strategic transactions. His experience includes public and private mergers, tender offers, asset and stock purchases, and spin-off transactions, as well as financings and structured finance transactions, across North America, Asia, and Europe. He received his J.D. from Cornell Law School.
Chris McAndrew, Patents and Innovations. Based in Boston, Dr. McAndrew advises early-stage life sciences companies on intellectual property issues and helps clients develop and build a meaningful IP portfolio from inception through their exits. He specializes in representing companies within the complex life science biologics space, including antibodies and cell therapies. Dr. McAndrew was a patent agent at the firm before becoming an attorney. He received his J.D. from the George Washington University Law School.
Victor Nilsson, Corporate. Based in Seattle, Nilsson practices corporate and securities law with a focus on representing issuers, investment banks, and strategic investors on a broad range of capital markets transactions. These include IPOs and follow-on offerings, ADS offerings, ATMs, PIPEs, private placements, and convertible note offerings, as well as high-yield and investment-grade debt offerings. He also advises public companies on SEC reporting, securities law compliance, and corporate governance matters. Nilsson received his J.D. from the University of Arizona College of Law.
David Pirko, Technology Transactions. Based in Palo Alto, Pirko represents leading life sciences companies and venture capital investors in strategic transactional and corporate matters, including partnering and collaboration agreements, licensing agreements, services agreements, clinical trial agreements, manufacturing and supply agreements, and other complex matters. His practice extends from start-ups to public companies operating in all sectors of the life sciences industry. Pirko received his J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Deborah Smith, Patents and Innovations. Based in San Diego, Dr. Smith advises companies on IP strategy beginning from early platform development through commercialization. This includes venture capital, capital markets, and M&A transactions in the fields of chemistry, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology. Dr. Smith specializes in advising clients that use platform technologies to bring new therapeutics to market. She received her J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law.
Stephen Strain, Litigation. Based in Palo Alto, Strain is part of the firm’s complex litigation and investigations group. He focuses on representing clients in government and internal investigations, including matters involving allegations of insider trading, complex financial reporting and accounting fraud, violations of the FCPA, and disclosure violations, among others. Strain also frequently represents companies, as well as their officers and directors, in securities class actions, shareholder derivative suits, and related litigation matters. He received his J.D. from New York University School of Law.
Eva Yin, Regulatory. Based in Seattle, Dr. Yin is part of the firm’s FDA regulatory, healthcare, and consumer products practice. She focuses on conducting FDA and healthcare regulatory due diligence for corporate transactions; providing legal counsel to manufacturers regarding FDA approval/clearance for various products, including medical devices, mobile apps, and drugs; FDA compliance; regulation of promotional materials and labeling; and manufacturer compliance. Dr. Yin received her J.D. from UC Hastings College of the Law.
About Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
For more than 60 years, Wilson Sonsini’s services and legal disciplines have focused on serving the principal challenges faced by the management and boards of directors of business enterprises. The firm is nationally recognized as a leading provider to growing and established clients seeking legal counsel to complete sophisticated corporate and technology transactions; manage governance and enterprise-scale matters; assist with intellectual property development, protection, and IP-driven transactions; represent them in contested disputes; and/or advise them on antitrust or other regulatory matters. With deep roots in Silicon Valley, Wilson Sonsini has 19 offices in technology and business hubs worldwide. For more information, please visit www.wsgr.com.
