Fenwick & West LLP

Equipped to represent emerging companies and investors in deals across all key industry sectors, Fenwick & West LLP is primarily recognized for its technology prowess. More than three-quarters of the firm’s client base is composed of technology companies, which ensures that the team keeps busy advising a comprehensive spread of software, AI, space-tech, and med-tech start-ups on corporate and financing matters. The national team is led jointly by Silicon Valley-based Dawn Belt, who advises emerging and high-growth companies across a broad scope of formation, financing, and securities matters, and New York-based Ian Goldstein, whose practice is well weighted between company- and venture capital-side mandates. The Silicon Valley office additionally draws on Cynthia Hess, who represents a raft of clients in the internet, mobile, SaaS and social media spheres; Michael Esquivel, who is a go-to name for health-tech-related work; and Mark Leahy, whose emerging companies practice spans venture capital financings, corporate governance, M&A, and securities offerings. Michael Brown splits his time between San Francisco and Santa Monica and had a key role in one of the team’s marquee transactions during 2023/24, when he represented CoreWeave in its $1.1bn Series C funding.