28 Bay Area Lawyers to Know for Private Equity, M&A and Legal Leadership

This guide profiles 28 lawyers across 20 firms with offices in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. It is written for CFOs, general counsel, founders and private equity investors looking for experience in acquisitions, financing, fund formation, governance and technology.

How this list was made

Every profile below is drawn from the firm's own published biography, which is linked at the end of each entry. Where someone has taught, spoken or moderated publicly, that appears alongside the transaction work, again with a source.

Two disclosures. Louis Lehot and Emily Jones are Open Future Forum clients, and both hold positions with our General Counsel Executive Forum. They are featured first and identified as clients rather than mixed anonymously into the list. Nobody paid for inclusion, and no other person here has a commercial relationship with Open Future Forum.

Practice groupings are approximate. Several of these lawyers work across more than one of the four categories.

Featured clients

Louis Lehot, Foley & Lardner

Louis Lehot works with founders, management teams and investors on raising capital, buying companies and planning exits. His practice spans venture capital, growth equity, private equity and M&A, with offices in Silicon Valley, San Francisco and Los Angeles. His transaction experience includes advising Matterport on its sale to CoStar.

Louis has taught at Stanford Directors' College and serves on the NACD Northern California Leadership Advisory Council. He is co-chair of Open Future Forum's General Counsel Executive Forum, contributing to its work with senior in-house lawyers. Foley biography

Emily Jones, Simmons & Simmons

Emily Jones heads Simmons & Simmons' US office in San Francisco. Her work focuses on international technology, privacy and cybersecurity matters. She serves on the board of Open Future Forum's General Counsel Executive Forum.

Emily also organises and moderates discussions about AI governance, investor diligence and accountability. After one panel, fellow panelist Kari Kelly thanked her "for moderating (and co-organizing) with real skill." Kari Kelly's LinkedIn post

M&A and corporate transactions

Jamie Leigh, Cooley

Jamie Leigh chairs Cooley's global M&A practice from San Francisco. Her work includes acquisitions and company sales in technology and life sciences. She has represented companies including Zoom, Uber and Datadog, as well as investment banks advising on transactions. Cooley biography

Ben Beerle, Cooley

Ben Beerle is a San Francisco M&A partner working with corporate buyers, financial investors and sellers. His practice includes cross-border acquisitions, joint ventures and minority investments, particularly in technology and life sciences. Cooley biography

Robert T. Ishii, Wilson Sonsini

Robert Ishii's transaction record includes advising DoorDash on its acquisition of Wolt and Microchip on its acquisition of Microsemi. Based in San Francisco, he handles negotiated acquisitions, contests for corporate control, divestitures and joint ventures across technology, biotechnology and medical technology. Wilson Sonsini biography

Rich Mullen, Wilson Sonsini

Rich Mullen leads Wilson Sonsini's M&A practice from San Francisco. His work extends from acquisitions and divestitures to board advice on shareholder activism and unsolicited bids. He co-led a health-tech M&A roundtable at The L Suite's San Francisco workshop and contributed to transaction-readiness research involving the CFO Alliance and CFO Leadership Council.

Commenting on Mullen's M&A recap, Bill Koefoed wrote: "It was a pleasure to work with you and the WSGR team." LinkedIn comment · Wilson Sonsini biography

Ryan Murr, Gibson Dunn

Ryan Murr is a San Francisco partner and co-chair of Gibson Dunn's Life Sciences practice. Alongside M&A and capital raising, he works on royalty transactions and structured financing for public and venture-backed companies. His speaking engagements have covered structured acquisitions and board responsibilities.

Steven Quay described their working relationship in a public comment: "My steady counsel for over a decade." LinkedIn comment · Gibson Dunn biography

Ed Batts, Gibson Dunn

Ed Batts focuses on technology M&A from Gibson Dunn's Palo Alto office. His sector experience includes software, semiconductors, hardware and telecommunications. He handles take-privates, spin-offs and cross-border acquisitions, alongside governance and shareholder-activism advice for public-company boards. Gibson Dunn biography

Douglas Cogen, Fenwick

Douglas Cogen previously led Fenwick's M&A practice for two decades. His deal experience includes GitHub's sale to Microsoft and acquisitions for Cisco. Based in San Francisco, he has also lectured at Stanford Law School, Stanford Graduate School of Business and Columbia Law School. Fenwick biography

Joshua Zachariah, Goodwin

Joshua Zachariah chairs Goodwin's global M&A practice, with offices listed in San Francisco, New York and Boston. His work includes acquisitions and sales for companies and private equity investors, with a focus on technology and life sciences. Goodwin biography

André Thiollier, Foley & Lardner

André Thiollier's cross-border background includes legal practice in the United States, Brazil and Spain. Now based in Foley's Silicon Valley and San Francisco offices, he works with emerging companies, private equity sponsors and venture investors on acquisitions and financing. He works in English, Portuguese and Spanish. Foley biography

Craig Lilly, Kilpatrick

Craig Lilly joined Kilpatrick's Silicon Valley office in July 2026 to chair its West Coast M&A practice. His work covers domestic and cross-border technology acquisitions, divestitures and minority investments. He also advises emerging companies and funds on venture financing and governance. Kilpatrick appointment announcement

Naveed Anwar, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett

Naveed Anwar works from Simpson Thacher's Palo Alto and San Francisco offices. His private equity experience includes transactions for KKR, Hellman & Friedman and Francisco Partners, covering buyouts, carve-outs and portfolio-company acquisitions. He also moderated a panel at the 2025 M&A Conference at Wharton San Francisco. Simpson Thacher biography

Private equity and growth investing

Kyle Krpata, Weil

Kyle Krpata is co-head of Weil's US Private Equity practice, working from its Silicon Valley and San Francisco offices. His practice covers buyouts and growth investments, as well as acquisitions involving distressed businesses and companies in bankruptcy. Weil biography

Nav Rekhi, Weil

Nav Rekhi is a private equity partner in Weil's San Francisco and Los Angeles offices. Her work includes leveraged buyouts, carve-outs and recapitalisations, together with the governance and executive-compensation arrangements that accompany investments and changes in ownership. Weil biography

Eva Mak, Freshfields

Eva Mak works with private equity, growth and venture investors from Freshfields' Silicon Valley and San Francisco offices. Her practice includes investments and acquisitions for funds, corporate venture investors and their portfolio companies.

She has also contributed to an Expert Webcast roundtable on M&A diligence, discussing how buyers should identify the issues that drive a deal's value early in the process. Roundtable recap · Freshfields biography

Eric Schwartzman, Baker McKenzie

Eric Schwartzman heads Baker McKenzie's Private Equity Group in California and is based in San Francisco. His practice includes acquisitions, take-privates, carve-outs and restructurings for sponsors and portfolio companies, with experience in both domestic and cross-border transactions. Baker McKenzie biography

Adam Phillips, Kirkland & Ellis

Adam Phillips founded Kirkland's Silicon Valley office and leads its Growth Equity practice. He represents technology-focused private equity funds and their portfolio companies. His background includes 13 years in corporate roles as in-house counsel and a senior M&A executive. He also teaches private equity transactions through Northwestern Law's Bay Area Immersion Program. Kirkland biography

Eric Issadore, Ropes & Gray

Eric Issadore is a San Francisco private equity partner working with sponsors and strategic investors. His practice covers leveraged buyouts, growth investments and joint ventures involving public and private businesses. Ropes & Gray biography

Vijay Sekhon, Sidley Austin

Vijay Sekhon works on M&A, private equity and restructuring from Sidley's San Francisco and Century City offices. His experience includes transactions involving distressed businesses, alongside debt and equity financing. He teaches at Stanford Law School and publishes on acquisitions and private equity. His recent speaking engagements include a June 2026 webinar on AI in dealmaking. Sidley biography and speaking engagements

Christopher McKinnon, Morrison Foerster

Christopher McKinnon is a partner in Morrison Foerster's San Francisco and Palo Alto offices. His published work covers venture capital, growth equity, private equity and startup financing. He has spoken at Startup Grind and M&A Tech Connect, as well as educational sessions on follow-on venture financing. Morrison Foerster biography and events

Fund formation, capital markets and the GC agenda

Sarah Solum, Freshfields

Sarah Solum is Freshfields' global co-head of Capital Markets, based in Silicon Valley. She works with companies and investment banks on IPOs, debt offerings and convertible securities. Her practice also includes preparing companies for public ownership and advising on governance and founder-led capital structures. Freshfields biography

Tad Freese, Latham & Watkins

Tad Freese serves on Latham's Executive Committee and previously managed its Bay Area offices. His corporate practice includes work for technology companies and investment banks. He has also served on the faculty of Stanford Directors' College, contributing to education for corporate directors. Latham biography

Nick Sheets, DLA Piper

Nick Sheets is a Palo Alto investment funds partner with experience in both the United States and Asia. He works with sponsors forming private equity, growth, venture capital and real estate funds. His practice also covers co-investments, secondaries and institutional investors' fund commitments. DLA Piper biography

Gregory Davis, Ropes & Gray

Gregory Davis is an asset management partner and managing partner of Ropes & Gray's San Francisco office. He advises investment advisers, investment companies and fund boards, including on the requirements governing registered funds. Ropes & Gray biography

Colleen Meyer, Ropes & Gray

Colleen Meyer advises private equity, venture capital and hedge fund managers on regulation and compliance from San Francisco. Her professional education work includes a discussion of continuation vehicles at the 2026 PEI Private Fund Compliance Regulatory Forum in Washington, DC, covering the regulatory questions and operational difficulties facing fund managers. Discussion recap · Ropes & Gray biography

Sarah Schaedler, Orrick

Sarah Schaedler chairs Orrick's global Technology Transactions Group from San Francisco. She works on the intellectual property aspects of acquisitions, divestitures and licensing agreements, as well as AI procurement and contracts. Her practice addresses questions central to technology diligence: what a company owns, what it licenses and what it is permitted to use. Orrick biography

Brent Saldaña, Farella Braun + Martel

Brent Saldaña chairs Farella's Real Estate Group in San Francisco. His work includes acquisitions, financing and joint ventures for investors, developers, real estate funds and family-owned businesses. He has also moderated a Bisnow East Bay panel on investing and developing across life sciences, industrial and office properties. Farella biography

Join the General Counsel Executive Forum

Open Future Forum's General Counsel Executive Forum brings together general counsel, chief legal officers and senior in-house lawyers for private discussions and open events in the Bay Area. Topics include AI in the legal department, board governance, privacy, M&A, financing and managing legal teams.

Explore the General Counsel Executive Forum.

Read the General Counsel AI Report

The General Counsel AI Report, September 2026 examines AI accountability, agent access, shadow AI and vendor terms. It draws together existing Open Future Forum research and external published sources for legal leaders assessing these issues.

Read the General Counsel AI Report.

About Open Future Forum

Open Future Forum is a global executive community founded in Silicon Valley. Its network reaches tens of thousands of executives and investors worldwide.

The organisation runs a year-round calendar of events for senior executives and investors through Forum Select, its invitation-only private gatherings, and Forum Events, its open panels and gatherings. It also convenes peer groups and executive boards, and publishes original research based on first-party survey and qualitative data from its executive network.

Profiles checked September 12, 2026.

Last updated: September 13, 2026