Mountain View, CA (April 26, 2016) – Fenwick & West is pleased to announce that the Daily Journal has named startup and venture capital co-chair Cindy Hess one of the Top Women Lawyers of 2016. The Journal’s annual list honors the most outstanding women lawyers in California.
In selecting Hess, theDaily Journal pointed to her work representing wearable health-tracking devices maker Fitbit in its $732 million IPO, the largest venture capital-backed IPO of 2015.
"Helping to take Fitbit public was a notable achievement," Hess told the Journal. "Fitbit is a fast-moving business with lots of things that needed to come together."
Hess highlighted the challenges surrounding counseling fast-growing companies like Fitbit whose “growth curve goes up like a hockey stick.” Not only is Fitbit growing faster than it can bring on new talent, but the company must adapt quickly to increased government scrutiny brought by its public company status.
The Journal also featured Hess’ 2014 representation of GoPro in its $427 million IPO.
“At the time, [it] was the largest stock debut by a consumer electronics company in more than two decades,” the Journal wrote.
Both nationally and internationally, companies look to Hess’s strong business and legal experience for their corporate transactional matters, from formation and venture capital financing to mergers, acquisitions and public offerings.
In addition to her work for the United States’ hottest emerging and established technology companies, she also has a robust Israel practice. Israeli companies make up about 15 to 20 percent of her clients, Hess told the Journal.
Hess has received significant recognition for her work and leadership. This year, The Recorder named her one of the top 10 most trusted corporate counselors on its Trusted Advisors list. Also this year, Silicon Valley Business Journal named Hess as one of Silicon Valley’s leading Women of Influence. In 2015, The Recorder named her to its Women Leaders in Tech Law list for the third straight year. Hess is also recognized by both Best Lawyers and The Legal 500, which noted that she’s “well reputed with a range of prominent clients” including Lending Club, Fitbit and GoPro.
About Fenwick & West
Fenwick & West provides comprehensive legal services to ground-breaking technology and life sciences companies – at every stage of their lifecycle – and the investors that partner with them. We craft innovative, cost-effective and practical solutions on issues ranging from venture capital, public offerings, joint ventures, M&A and strategic relationships, to intellectual property, litigation and dispute resolution, taxation, antitrust, and employment and labor law. For more than four decades, Fenwick has helped some of the world's most recognized companies become and remain market leaders. For more information, please visit fenwick.com.