Mountain View, CA (May 24, 2016) – Fenwick & West, the leading technology and life sciences law firm, today announced that it will launch its New York office in June. The firm will bolster its service offering to the New York technology, life sciences and investment communities with seven attorneys who will anchor the office at inception. Fenwick partners Daniel Brownstone (patent), Kristine Di Bacco (startup) and Ken Myers (M&A), counsel Brian Hicks (startup) and several associates and staff are relocating from the West Coast to the firm’s New York office. Silicon Valley veteran Mark Stevens and private equity chair Scott Joachim will provide leadership and will continue to split their time between Silicon Valley and New York. Ian Goldstein, a recent lateral partner to Fenwick, will base his thriving corporate transactional practice in New York.
“Our competitive advantages in the New York legal market are the same as they are in Silicon Valley and everywhere else across the globe where we do business – our unwavering focus on technology and life sciences and our collaborative ‘one-firm’ culture,” said Fenwick chair Richard Dickson. “Our strategy in New York is rather simple – we’re listening to our clients. We’re expanding our commitment to the New York market just as our New York-based clients expand their commitment to technology and to the legal services we offer.”
Dickson also emphasized the firm’s opportunity to attract top talent in the largest legal market in the world, saying, “As we continue to build for the future, we see a compelling opportunity to attract some of the best lawyers across a breadth of practice areas in New York.”
“New York is the clear winner among emerging markets driven by fostering innovation through technology,” said Stevens. “Increasingly, technology is enabling the evolution and disruption of other industries. In New York, emerging technology companies focused on finance, media, advertising, commerce, healthcare and fashion are thriving, drawing on the dramatic increase of venture capital invested in the region.” Stevens is one of Silicon Valley’s top startup and venture capital lawyers.
“Private equity and financial services are rapidly converging with technology alongside the broader economy – this is not just a trend,” said Joachim. “Established companies that used to look at technology solutions as ancillary support now consider technology core to their businesses and to their future. Increasingly, we are sought out by more mature, global companies looking to invest in and adopt the emerging technologies we help clients develop and commercialize.”
Regarding Fenwick’s newest partner, Dickson continued, “Ian Goldstein’s depth of experience in complex strategic transactions over more than 20 years and focus on the technology and life sciences industries are tremendous assets for our clients. Leveraging the knowledge, insights and connections of our Silicon Valley roots, Ian will deepen Fenwick’s presence in the growing startup and venture capital market in New York.”
Goldstein’s practice is focused on advising emerging growth companies in the technology and life sciences industries as well as the venture capital firms and strategic investors that finance, partner with and acquire these innovative companies.
“Fenwick’s focus on technology and life sciences is incredibly appealing,” Goldstein said. “Tech startups, VCs and strategic investors and acquirers consider Fenwick the go-to firm for innovative corporate legal work. This singular focus is a great complement to my practice.”
“The demand for counsel with deep technology expertise has never been higher and this is increasingly true in New York where we represent some of the most exciting emerging growth companies, the leading venture capital and private equity investors and the world’s largest financial institutions focused on the broader technology sector,” concluded Dickson.
Fenwick services the technology and life sciences needs of clients around the globe from its five offices, located in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Seattle, Shanghai and now New York.
About Fenwick & West
Fenwick & West LLP provides comprehensive legal services to ground-breaking technology and life sciences companies – at every stage of their lifecycle – and the venture capital, private equity and strategic 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.