Fenwick Deepens Executive Compensation and Benefits Practice with Partner Nancy Chen
Mountain View, CA (May 8, 2019) – Fenwick & West today announced that Nancy Chen has joined the firm as a partner in its Silicon Valley office, further enhancing the firm’s recognized executive compensation and benefits practice.
“Nancy’s approach to providing practical, actionable guidance is a great fit for the firm,” said Alan Smith, corporate chair of Fenwick. “We sought out Nancy’s expertise due to the tremendous growth of our corporate practice which has driven the need for additional executive compensation bandwidth. Nancy adds additional depth to our sophisticated and differentiated offering in this specialty, which is important to technology and life sciences companies at all stages of growth.”
“Nancy’s deep experience advising technology and life sciences companies on complex compensation and benefits issues makes her a great fit for Fenwick and for our clients,” said executive compensation and benefits partner Shawn Lampron. “We’re thrilled to have her join us during a time when compensation and benefits decisions are increasingly complex and demanding, as sophisticated cash compensation arrangements and RSUs have become much more important to clients.”
Chen advises clients on executive compensation and employee benefits at every stage of growth from startups to public companies. She has more than 25 years of experience counseling clients on tax and securities issues related to equity-based compensation, including stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, employment agreements and deferred compensation arrangements. Chen also helps organizations navigate these issues in the context of initial public offerings and acquisitions.
Chen highlighted Fenwick’s deep industry experience as a key element that attracted her to the firm: “Fenwick’s focus on serving the legal needs of technology and life sciences companies and the firm’s amazing client base are very appealing. I’m excited to join Fenwick and to work closely with the startup and M&A practices at a time when executive compensation and employee benefits are especially significant issues for clients.”
Ranked among the leading U.S. practices, Fenwick’s executive compensation and employee benefits group counsels companies ranging from early-stage startups to the Fortune 500. The group advises on the issues that regularly arise with equity plans, executive compensation agreements and other employment benefit arrangements when clients are involved in mergers, acquisitions, public securities offerings, onboarding and terminations.
In addition to Chen, Fenwick’s executive compensation and employee benefits group added partner Matthew Cantor in New York last year, offering additional local knowledge and counsel to East Coast clients.
One of the top law firms focused on technology and life sciences, Fenwick was recognized among North America’s most innovative law firms by the Financial Times. The firm serves the needs of clients around the globe from its six offices located in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Seattle, Shanghai, New York and its newest office in Santa Monica.
About Fenwick & West
Fenwick & West LLP provides comprehensive legal services to leading 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 in areas 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.