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With greater opportunities to diversify capital today, we work with investors to fund early, late, and growth stage start-ups and companies. Whether you&rsquo;re a seasoned venture firm or a corporation starting a VC fund or accelerator, Wilson Sonsini has over 60 years of experience shepherding every type of investor from formation to exit.

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Whether you&rsquo;re an emerging manager or an established VC firm, we&rsquo;ll meet you where you are. From angel investors to hedge funds, Wilson Sonsini&rsquo;s nimble fund services group advocates precision and cost-effective strategies for funds of all sizes. Plus, we know a thing or two about broker-dealer regulations, which never hurts for the investor just starting out.

While California is HQ for us, Delaware might be our second home. Our Fund Formation team advises companies and LPs on domestic and international investments, with a strong track record in Delaware law and opinions.
We also represent funds with global investment strategies, and with an ever-growing lineup of fund structures available, we can match a fund structure to your investment goals.

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<li>Venture partners and scouts</li>
</ul>

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Neuron

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Barry E. Taylor

Getting to Know Me

Barry Taylor retired as a partner from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich &amp; Rosati in 2024.
Prior to joining the firm, Barry was a managing director in the technology, media, and telecom group of Warburg Pincus, a global private equity firm, from 2000 to 2010. He served as the head of that firm's Silicon Valley office from 2000 to 2008. While at Warburg, Barry worked on investments in the United States, India, and China, and represented the firm on the boards of six portfolio companies.
Prior to joining Warburg Pincus, Barry was a senior corporate and securities partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich &amp; Rosati for more than 16 years. During that time, he worked on numerous public financings as both issuers' and underwriters' counsel, and served as public securities counsel on disclosure, reporting, and proxy matters. This included representing 28 companies on their initial public offerings and underwriters on 40 initial public offerings. He also represented companies and investors in numerous private financings of preferred stock, convertible debt, and bridge loans with warrants. In addition, Barry negotiated and structured merger and acquisition transactions for both public and private companies. His clients included companies in a variety of sectors, including software, clean technology, healthcare, biotechnology, internet, communications, and semiconductors.
Earlier in his career, Barry practiced with Pillsbury Madison &amp; Sutro (now Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman) from 1975 to 1984, first as a litigator and then as a corporate and securities attorney.

Adam's corporate law practice focuses on complex transactions and deals involving novel structures.

Adam S. Bloom

Get To Know Me

Adam Bloom is a partner in the Palo Alto office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich &amp; Rosati, where he advises clients on general business and corporate law matters. His practice focuses on complex transactions and deals involving novel structures, including majority and minority investment transactions, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, buy-outs, restructuring and recapitalizations, and other general corporate matters. Adam has represented many public and private technology companies, venture capital firms, and private equity firms.
Prior to joining the firm, Adam was an associate in the corporate group of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley &amp; McCloy LLP's Los Angeles office. Previously, he was an associate in Milbank's intellectual property group, where his practice focused on patent, trade secret, copyright, and trademark litigation. Before joining Milbank, he worked for IBM's Globalization and Verification Testing Group in North Carolina, where he tested IBM's WebSphere product on different operating systems, including Linux, Unix, and Windows, in up to nine different languages, none of which were English. Adam also worked for BindView Corp. as a web developer, where he built web pages using ColdFusion.

Stephen advises clients on laws and policies at the intersection of international business and national security. He&nbsp;previously served in the U.S. government on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S.

Stephen R. Heifetz

Stephen Heifetz is a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich &amp; Rosati, where he advises clients on laws and policies at the intersection of international business and national security. He has been a CFIUS practitioner for two decades, and has previously served for the U.S. government on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) as well as the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). He has been involved in thousands of CFIUS matters and has been recognized as a leading CFIUS and national security expert by Chambers USA, Chambers Global, Foreign Investment Watch, and Washingtonian.
Stephen regularly helps U.S. companies and foreign investors determine whether to make a CFIUS filing, allocate CFIUS risk in transaction documents, navigate the CFIUS process, respond to CFIUS “non-notified” inquiries, and negotiate risk mitigation measures if needed to obtain CFIUS clearance. He advises clients on matters of legal compliance and political risk and defends companies facing investigations and government enforcement actions. He also represents clients with regard to anti-money laundering laws and beneficial ownership requirements administered by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and other financial regulators, particularly laws pertaining to money transmitters and other money services businesses.
Additionally, Stephen advises on economic sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and by the UN Security Council, and has experience with anti-corruption and export control laws, with security screening rules applicable to visa applicants as well as airlines and other transportation companies, and with codes of conduct applicable to private security providers.
Prior to joining Wilson Sonsini, Stephen was a partner at a multinational law firm based in Washington, D.C., where he co-chaired that firm's international regulation and compliance group. From 2006 to 2010, he served as a senior official in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office of Policy Development. In this role, he served as DHS's daily representative to CFIUS and also worked with DHS's agencies—including the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement—to develop policies on a range of issues.
After finishing law school, Stephen worked for the Central Intelligence Agency and later served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice's Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.
Stephen has published articles in top business and legal media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, Semafor, Lawfare, The Hill, and Law360. He also was previously an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center.

Anne E. Seymour

Anne Seymour is Of Counsel in Wilson Sonsini Goodrich &amp; Rosati's Washington, D.C., office, where she focuses on issues related to compliance and enforcement of U.S. export control regulations and economic sanctions and U.S. import regulations. Anne counsels foreign and domestic clients across technology industries on all aspects of international trade, including export controls, economic sanctions, and import issues. This work includes providing advice on potential export and import considerations stemming from cross-border technology transfers, joint venture projects, mergers and acquisitions, foreign investment, foreign distributor agreements, and delivery (both physical and virtual) of products and services.&nbsp; Anne works closely with companies to determine which regulations may affect their transactions; obtain necessary government approvals related to the import, export, or transfer of their products, software, technology, and services; design and implement internal compliance programs; conduct compliance assessments; train employees on regulatory compliance issues; and, when necessary, prepare voluntary disclosures. Anne is an expert in commercial and dual-use controls promulgated under the Export Administration Regulations, military-specific controls administered under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, and economic sanctions programs implemented by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. She assists clients as new regulatory challenges arise, including adapting to new sanctions regimes, classification of &ldquo;critical technologies&rdquo; as they may apply to CFIUS analyses, and obtaining of &ldquo;deemed export&rdquo; licenses for clients that employ H-1B visa holders in export-controlled areas.&nbsp;

Jonathan Zhu

Jonathan Zhu has a general federal income tax practice, and advises on mergers, acquisitions, private equity transactions, and various capital markets matters.&nbsp;
Prior to the practice of law, Jonathan was an engagement manager at McKinsey &amp; Company. He was a theoretical physicist before law school, and has an&nbsp;h-index of 18 for his research.

Derek E. Wallace

Derek Wallace is a partner in the tax practice of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich &amp; Rosati. His practice covers a variety of corporate, partnership, and international tax matters, including domestic and cross-border mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, restructurings, financings, and the formation and operation of limited liability companies and partnerships.

In a globalized world, food distribution remains a unique challenge and opportunity. FoodTech and AgTech have become champions for ingenuity, modernizing growing methods, supply chains, storage, and sustainability. We’re proud to represent some of the most innovative minds in food and agriculture today.  

Our Industry Coverage

The food and agriculture sectors are undergoing transformational changes. New technologies, ranging from alternative proteins to precision agriculture, are changing the food we eat and how food is grown, distributed, and stored. Drawing upon its longstanding experience advising innovative technology and life sciences companies, Wilson Sonsini is well equipped to help FoodTech and AgTech businesses address ongoing and novel legal issues, including in the following areas:
<ul>
<li>Patents: As innovators rapidly develop new methods for creating food and related technologies, a successful intellectual property strategy is essential. Consisting of more than 140 patent attorneys, patent agents, and scientific advisors, our patents and innovations practice offers an extraordinary depth of experience in advising clients on securing, developing, and protecting their IP. Our team features attorneys who have served as in-house legal counsel for major life sciences companies or held senior positions at federal agencies, including the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. These experiences inform our approach to a full spectrum of IP counseling activities, including patent portfolio management, preparation and prosecution of U.S. and foreign patent applications, freedom-to-operate analyses, and litigation enforcement and defense.</li>
<li>Trademark and Copyright : Establishing and maintaining a company&rsquo;s brand is essential in the food industry, where consumers associate brands with quality and taste. Our trademark and copyright practice is adept at helping innovative companies create and strengthen their brands. Recognized among the leading practitioners in their field by Chambers USA and World Trademark Review, our trademark and copyright attorneys provide a broad range of brand counseling services, including trademark identification and registration; review of advertising copy, labeling and packaging, and marketing campaigns and promotions; advice on compliance with retail and consumer protection law; and brand enforcement.</li>
<li>Technology Transactions: FoodTech and AgTech companies enter into a wide variety of complex agreements over the course of their life cycles, including licenses with academic research institutions at inception, supply and distribution agreements when bringing products to market, and joint ventures and strategic transactions to expand their businesses. Our 70-attorney technology transactions team, many members of which hold advanced scientific degrees, has significant experience advising technology and life sciences companies on these kinds of transactions. Their subject matter expertise and business acumen enable them to structure successful agreements and relationships on behalf of our clients.</li>
<li>Regulatory: Food and agriculture are subject to a complex array of federal laws and regulations that continue to evolve as new technologies are developed. Our regulatory attorneys are thought leaders in this space, tracking the latest legal developments and crafting practical advice in response. Well versed in both food and drug law and policy overseen by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and consumer product laws and regulations administered by the Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Product Safety Commission, our team counsels on regulatory compliance strategy, food safety and traceability, labeling and marketing, and product liability matters.</li>
<li>Corporate: As the preeminent law firm representing venture-backed technology and life sciences companies, Wilson Sonsini has counseled thousands of enterprises throughout the full corporate life cycle. Our corporate attorneys are experts in every aspect of running a business, including entity formation, corporate governance, equity and debt financing, and M&amp;A, enabling us to serve as strategic advisors at each stage in a company&rsquo;s growth. Our corporate teams also coordinate with our other practices to ensure seamless interdisciplinary representation for our clients.</li>
</ul>

Industry Highlights

Celebrating our founders' successes

FoodTech and AgTech

Learn More About Our Leading Life Sciences Team

With one of the largest life sciences practices in the U.S., Wilson Sonsini’s industry legacy dates to the formative years of biotech and medical device. Working closely with scientists and entrepreneurs who grew their companies into thriving businesses, we have worked alongside to support their endeavors from whiteboard to clinical trial and beyond.

<h2>A Legacy of Life Sciences Leadership</h2>
The firm has a 60-plus year history of representing trailblazers in the life sciences industry—from the earliest innovators to those that are shaping the future of healthcare today. We work closely with entrepreneurs, scientists, and investors who trust Wilson Sonsini’s strategic advice to establish and realize their companies’ business objectives, which includes protecting and leveraging their most valuable IP assets. We represent life sciences companies through the entire business life cycle, from formation through IPO and strategic partnerships. We often act as outside general counsel with support from our cross-functional, global life sciences team to provide coordinated and comprehensive counsel to clients.
Our clients include thousands of innovation-focused life sciences companies, research institutions, start-up accelerators and incubators, and the venture capital funds and banks that finance the industry. A central pillar of our life sciences practice is our longstanding representation of medical device and biopharmaceutical companies, entrepreneurs, and investors, which dates back to these industries’ inception.
Wilson Sonsini’s life sciences practice is anchored by a diverse team of attorneys, patent agents, and scientific advisors, more than 100 of whom hold Ph.D.s and have significant industry experience. The team also includes former in-house legal counsel for major life sciences companies, an internationally recognized leader in the field of technology transfer, and former senior officials at U.S. federal agencies, such as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).
<h2>Key Points About Our Practice</h2>
On behalf of our life sciences clients, Wilson Sonsini:
<ul>
<li>Acted as trusted advisors to 2,000+ private and 140+ publicly traded life sciences companies</li>
<li>Completed hundreds of public offerings and M&amp;A transactions with a combined value of more than $91 billion between 2019-2023</li>
<li>Raised 1,300+ venture rounds totaling over $14 billion</li>
<li>Counseled hundreds of life sciences companies on structuring strategic commercial collaborations</li>
</ul>
<h2>Our Nexus to Life Sciences Innovation</h2>
For decades, Wilson Sonsini has advised and worked closely with life sciences industry icons who were responsible novel and ground-breaking inventions, such as CRISPR gene editing, the DNA chip, cancer therapies, nanotechnology, cell-free genetic tests, medical devices, stem cell technologies, and next-generation DNA sequencing. As the industry has expanded, so has the scope of Wilson Sonsini's work with life sciences innovators, institutions, and investors. In fact, our team has represented clients in the following life sciences fields:
<table border="0" width="100%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top;" width="40%" valign="top">
<ul>
<li>Agricultural biotechnology</li>
<li>Adoptive cell therapy</li>
<li>Animal health</li>
<li>Antibody therapeutics</li>
<li>Biochemistry</li>
<li>Bioinformatics software</li>
<li>Biomedical sciences</li>
<li>Biotechnology</li>
<li>Catalysis and oil processing</li>
<li>CAR-T cell therapies&nbsp;</li>
<li>CRISPR gene editing</li>
<li>Cell therapy</li>
<li>Chemical engineering</li>
<li>Digital health</li>
<li>Diagnostics</li>
<li>Genetic engineering</li>
<li>Gene therapy</li>
<li>Genetics</li>
<li>Genomic editing</li>
</ul>
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;" width="60%" valign="top">
<ul>
<li>Genomics</li>
<li>Immuno-oncology&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
<li>Medical devices</li>
<li>Molecular biology, RNA-based medicines</li>
<li>Nanotechnology</li>
<li>Organic and medicinal chemistry</li>
<li>Personalized medicine</li>
<li>Peptides</li>
<li>Pharmaceuticals</li>
<li>Proteomics</li>
<li>Solid state and inorganic chemistry</li>
<li>Stem cell biology</li>
<li>Small molecule therapeutics</li>
<li>Synthetic biology</li>
<li>TechBio</li>
<li>Therapeutics</li>
<li>Tissue engineering</li>
<li>Virology</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h2>Our Inter-Disciplinary Team and Comprehensive Scope of Practice</h2>
Our work with life sciences companies to help them develop and implement their business strategies encompasses:
<ul>
<li>Patents and Innovation Strategy – We help founders of growing life sciences companies formulate actionable business strategies focused on building and protecting robust and valuable patent portfolios, while also helping established companies protect groundbreaking discoveries.</li>
<li>Life Sciences Commercial and Technology Transactions – We represent clients in complex commercial and other technology and licensing transactions, including bet-the-company complex commercial collaborations and their foundational intellectual property licenses.</li>
<li>Corporate – We address the broad corporate needs of our life sciences clients, including helping them raise private and public capital and advising them on complicated M&amp;A structures. The firm has represented companies in more venture financing transactions than any other U.S. law firm.</li>
<li>FDA Regulatory, Healthcare, and Consumer Products – We advise life sciences clients on regulatory strategies for their products and services, including representing them in regulatory matters before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and other federal and state consumer protection agencies.</li>
<li>Life Sciences Business Advisory Practice – We offer business advisory capabilities that complement our firm’s legal representation. Our business advisory practice helps emerging and established life sciences companies execute business strategies, including crafting and enhancing their business plans; raising capital; recruiting and retaining their teams; and structuring, negotiating, and managing strategic transactions.</li>
<li>Intellectual Property Litigation – We represent life sciences companies in a broad range of IP disputes and complex litigation, including patent, trade secret, trademark, and copyright matters.</li>
</ul>

Life Sciences

On February 3, 2021, leading mission-driven food tech company Pairwise announced the close of a $90 million Series B financing. The funding for the round was led by Pontifax Global Food and Agriculture Technology Fund and Deerfield Management Company, with participation from new investor Temasek and existing investor Leaps by Bayer. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich &amp; Rosati advised Temasek in the transaction. Through its unique use of cutting-edge CRISPR technology, Pairwise aims to build a healthier world by introducing better fruits and vegetables with improved taste, enhanced convenience, increased shelf life, improved yield, simplified harvesting, or lengthened season availability. The company—which has built a crop trait development platform based on gene editing technology licensed from leading research organizations—believes the use of technology offers a transformative opportunity to open a new horizon for the $66 billion U.S. retail produce market, and is currently developing new types of leafy greens, berries, and cherries. Its first product is expected in 2022. The Wilson Sonsini team that advised Temasek on the financing includes: Corporate <a class="rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1011" title="Barry E. Taylor" href="https://www.wsgr.com/en/people/barry-e-taylor.html" data-rubyapp-reference="content::1011">Barry Taylor</a> <a class="rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1011 rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1362" title="Adam S. Bloom" href="https://www.wsgr.com/en/people/barry-e-taylor.html" data-rubyapp-reference="content::1362">Adam Bloom</a> Tax <a class="rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1011 rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1362 rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-17310 rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1253" title="Jonathan Zhu" href="https://www.wsgr.com/en/people/barry-e-taylor.html" data-rubyapp-reference="content::1253">Jonathan Zhu</a> <a class="rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1011 rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1362 rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-17310 rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1253 rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1856" title="Derek E. Wallace" href="https://www.wsgr.com/en/people/barry-e-taylor.html" data-rubyapp-reference="content::1856">Derek Wallace</a> Regulatory <a class="rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1011 rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1362 rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-17310 rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1253 rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1856 rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1722" title="Stephen R. Heifetz" href="https://www.wsgr.com/en/people/barry-e-taylor.html" data-rubyapp-reference="content::1722">Stephen Heifetz</a> <a class="rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1011 rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1362 rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-17310 rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1253 rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1856 rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1722 rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1208" title="Anne E. Seymour" href="https://www.wsgr.com/en/people/barry-e-taylor.html" data-rubyapp-reference="content::1208">Anne Seymour</a> For more information, please see Pairwise’s&nbsp;<a rel="noopener" href="https://pairwise.com/insights/news/pairwise-announces-closing-of-90m-series-b-funding-round/" target="_blank">press release</a>.

Firm Advises Temasek on Pairwise’s $90 Million Series B Financing

Client Highlights

Dan R. Koeppen

Dan Koeppen is a corporate and securities partner in the firm&apos;s San Diego office. Dan specializes in corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, public offerings, and venture capital financings. He has extensive experience representing public and private life science and technology companies in a wide range of sectors, including biotechnology, consumer products, data security, medical device, pharmaceutical, semiconductor, software, and social media, through all stages of their growth from start-up to mature public companies. In addition, Dan represents leading investment banks in their underwriting transactions, and regularly advises numerous venture capital firms and corporate strategic investors in connection with their investments in emerging growth companies.

Meg Burton

Meghan Burton is an associate in the San Diego office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich &amp; Rosati. 
 
 During law school, Meg worked in the Indiana University Office of General Counsel, where she handled general transactional matters for the university. Prior to law school, she was a mediator in the Massachusetts attorney general&apos;s office.

Meghan Burton

Innovative and passionate; that's how we describe our biotech companies. From cutting-edge biopharmaceutical therapies to bioinformatics, we support our clients’ pursuit of excellence. Through their relentless drive to innovate, we work to protect pivotal intellectual property, navigate regulatory environments, and advise on financing strategy.

Biotech

On September 30, 2020, Flame Biosciences, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing antibodies to treat cancer and inflammatory diseases, announced the completion of a $100 million common stock financing. The financing was led by Rock Springs Capital, with participation from funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., Cormorant Asset Management LP, Janus Henderson Investors, Surveyor Capital, Samsara BioCapital, Adage Capital Management LP, Terra Magnum Capital Partners, Logos Capital, and Acuta Capital Partners.&nbsp;Wilson Sonsini Goodrich &amp; Rosati advised Terra Magnum Capital Partners in the financing.
According to the press release, proceeds from the financing will be used to progress clinical trials and secure additional business development opportunities. Currently, Flame is developing monoclonal antibodies that bind and neutralize interleukin-1β (IL-1β) with the intention of treating multiple diseases, most notably cancer.&nbsp;Clinical data has found IL-1β to be a key mediator of chronic inflammation—a facilitator of tumor formation and progression—and that FL-101, Flame’s IL-1β neutralizing antibody, has the potential to effectively treat cancer. FL-101 will enter the clinic in the first half of 2021 for proof-of-concept testing in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Based on both preclinical and clinical data, Flame believes FL-101 has potential best-in-class attributes.&nbsp;
The Wilson Sonsini team that advised Terra Magnum Capital Partners in the financing was led by partner&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsgr.com/en/people/dan-r-koeppen.html">Dan Koeppen</a>&nbsp;and associate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsgr.com/en/people/meg-burton.html">Meg Burton</a>.

Wilson Sonsini Advises on Flame Biosciences’ $100 Million Common Stock Financing

On September 24, 2020, Monte Rosa Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing precision medicines to degrade disease-causing proteins, announced the closing of a $96 million Series B financing. The financing was led by Aisling Capital with participation from founding investor Versant Ventures and existing investor New Enterprise Associates (NEA). Wilson Sonsini Goodrich &amp; Rosati advised NEA in the transaction.
According to the press release, the financing will enable Monte Rosa to accelerate the growth of its pipeline, advance development candidates into the clinic, and bolster its platform capabilities to rationally design and develop small molecule degraders that hijack the body’s innate ability to degrade proteins. This approach will enable Monte Rosa to eradicate undruggable proteins that cause or drive the progression of genomically defined diseases intractable to standard care, including cancer.&nbsp;
The Wilson Sonsini team advising NEA in the financing includes partner&nbsp;<a class="rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1179" title="Dan R. Koeppen" href="https://www.wsgr.com/en/people/dan-r-koeppen.html" data-rubyapp-reference="content::1179">Dan Koeppen</a>&nbsp;and associate&nbsp;<a class="rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1179 rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1388" title="Meghan Burton" href="https://www.wsgr.com/en/people/dan-r-koeppen.html" data-rubyapp-reference="content::1388">Meg Burton</a>.&nbsp;
Please see Monte Rosa’s&nbsp;<a rel="noopener" href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200924005403/en/Monte-Rosa-Therapeutics-Announces-96-Million-Series-B-Financing-to-Advance-Small-Molecule-based-Protein-Degradation-Platform" target="_blank">press release</a>&nbsp;announcing the financing for more information.

Wilson Sonsini Advises on Monte Rosa Therapeutics’ $96 Million Series B Financing

Melissa advises clients on foreign investments in the U.S. and export control issues.

Melissa B. Mannino

Melissa Mannino is Of Counsel in the Washington, D.C., office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich &amp; Rosati, where she counsels and represents domestic and foreign companies on issues relating to foreign investment in the United States and compliance and enforcement of the U.S export control regulations and economic sanctions regulations. 
 
 Melissa advises a broad range of clients, from multinational companies to start-ups, across a variety of technology industries on all aspects of export controls and economic sanctions, including jurisdictional, licensing, and enforcement matters, with particular expertise in the area of enforcement. She works closely with companies in determining which regulations may affect their transactions and conducting internal investigations and compliance assessments, preparing voluntary disclosures, and settling enforcement actions with U.S. government agencies. She has substantial expertise in commercial and dual-use controls promulgated under the Export Administration Regulations, military-specific controls administered under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, and economic sanctions programs implemented by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. 
 
 Melissa also advises foreign and domestic companies on foreign investment issues involving the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and filings with the Commerce Department&apos;s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). She counsels clients on the CFIUS process and CFIUS Notice, and represents them before CFIUS, its member agencies, and other key stakeholders in the CFIUS process, including members of Congress. In addition, Melissa counsels companies on the direct investment surveys required by BEA.
 
 Prior to joining the firm, Melissa worked at the U.S. Department of Commerce&apos;s Office of Chief Counsel for Industry and Security (OCC), including as chief of the Enforcement and Litigation Division. Before her tenure at the OCC, she was a Special Assistant United States Attorney at the U.S. Attorney&apos;s Office for the District of Columbia, counsel to the Department of Commerce&apos;s Office of Special Matters, and counsel to the U.S. Senate&apos;s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

The internet has come a long way, from dial-up to high frequency trading, almost every aspect of life has been affected. With the growth of social media, online banking, and digital entertainment to name a few, the pace of information being exchanged has increased. Wilson Sonsini has been on this journey since day one and we are well positioned to advise founders in a rapidly changing sector, where speed and accuracy matter more than ever.

Wilson Sonsini has been fully engaged in the internet technology space since the advent of digital communication and data exchanges between commercial enterprises. Since then, Wilson Sonsini has represented numerous clients&mdash;including many household names&mdash;at the forefront of the internet economy in the most significant deals and landmark cases that have set important legal precedent across every form of online activity.
Today, with the growth of social media, mobile, online financial services, and digital entertainment, and the global-scale convergence bringing together these and other variants of internet use, Wilson Sonsini is well positioned to be the leading provider of sophisticated, innovative legal services to the next generation of online businesses.
In the course of representing internet companies since the 1990s, our attorneys have amassed extensive, direct experience with technologies that include:
<ul>
<li>B2C and B2B e-commerce</li>
<li>Cloud and data storage</li>
<li>Data security</li>
<li>Digital advertising and promotions</li>
<li>Financial services, payment systems, and crowd-funding platforms</li>
<li>Internet-of-Things (IoT)</li>
<li>Online games and entertainment</li>
<li>Search engines</li>
<li>Software as a service (SaaS)</li>
<li>Video streaming and publishing</li>
</ul>
Wilson Sonsini's attorneys have represented internet companies of all sizes, from start-ups and independent content authors to the largest multinational corporations engaged in e-commerce and online publishing. For more than three decades, we have represented internet-driven clients across a variety of transactional, litigation, and regulatory matters.

<h2>Corporate and Transactional Services</h2>
Wilson Sonsini represents both internet-driven start-ups and established technology brands in a range of corporate matters, from early-stage organization and venture financings to private and public equity deals.
Our comprehensive intellectual property and related services enable our internet clients to protect the valuable products and processes at the core of their businesses. As ideas and innovations develop, our attorneys provide strategic patent and trademark counsel; we also provide copyright counsel with respect to content published online. Additionally, the firm helps clients manage global IP portfolios, including patent, copyright, and trademark filings, and maintenance in U.S. and non-U.S. markets. Further, our attorneys advise companies on how to retain their IP rights and trade secrets as employees leave their organizations.
Wilson Sonsini's technology transactions (TTG) practice is dedicated solely to commercial transactions driven by intellectual property. Our TTG team consists of approximately 70 attorneys, many of whom hold advanced degrees in engineering or science and are expert in the full range of matters related to complex and sophisticated technology transactions. The team has represented hundreds of internet industry clients, from content authors to large organizations powering online global commerce.
Finally, the firm provides advisory and transactional representation in areas such as employment, finance, real estate, and tax.
<h2>Litigation</h2>
Wilson Sonsini has been involved in dozens of high-profile disputes involving not only established internet powerhouses, but also disruptive technologies with category-leading, innovative online businesses. We have successfully represented internet-related companies in disputes with competitors, suppliers, service providers, employees, consumers, and other entities, with cases ranging from private antitrust lawsuits to high-stakes patent litigation.
Led by our <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.wsgr.com/en/services/practice-areas/litigation/internet-strategy-and-litigation.html" target="_blank">internet strategy and litigation practice</a>, Wilson Sonsini has routinely tackled industry-shaping issues, from the earliest lawsuits over the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, internet domain names, and search engines to today's matters involving social media, mobile technology, free speech, and government regulation. Our team of attorneys has established groundbreaking precedent in case after case, including disputes involving data security, privacy, and IP. We have also successfully defended internet industry players in class actions, including antitrust and consumer fraud matters.
<h2>Regulatory</h2>
Wilson Sonsini's internet sector clients are subject to close scrutiny by private parties and governmental agencies. The firm has advised clients in scores of proceedings involving federal and state regulatory agencies, including the FTC, the FCC, U.S. state attorneys general, and international agencies. Further, as regulatory pressures have increased with respect to online transactions in global markets, the firm's attorneys, many of whom previously held positions with the SEC, DOJ, and other agencies, have advised clients facing government inquiries and investigations.
<h2>Privacy and Cybersecurity</h2>
We have advised hundreds of internet-related clients on all aspects of privacy and data protection law, both in the U.S. and abroad, and our attorneys have comprehensive experience in a number of specific online areas, including advertising and marketing practices; digital media and entertainment; and financial services and payment systems. Among many other matters, our attorneys have helped clients develop privacy and data security policies, implement compliance programs, resolve complex international e-commerce issues, and comply with U.S. and international content and commerce laws.
Wilson Sonsini was one of the first law firms to form a multidisciplinary team of experienced attorneys to advise companies on computer- and internet-based attacks. However, we have more than just a head start when it comes to helping clients manage the latest, most menacing cybersecurity issues&mdash;a distinguishing feature of our team is its roster of government and agency veterans. Clients facing enterprise-level cybersecurity issues benefit from our deep experience in government, our insider's perspective on policy and enforcement, our detailed understanding of the technologies involved in computer and network infrastructure attacks, our proven record of advising and defending companies in both the civil and criminal contexts, and our experience counseling companies in the cybersecurity marketplace. Cybersecurity is a term commonly used to cover a broad range of concepts; our firm's expertise is equally comprehensive.
We also have the expertise to assist companies seeking to enter the cybersecurity market, as well as the experience to counsel those already in the data security market to help them guard against internet-borne attacks.
<h2>Federal Trade Commission</h2>
As Wilson Sonsini's clients encounter regulatory hurdles involving the Federal Trade Commission, they often consult with our team of attorneys who have extensive experience advising companies on FTC-related matters. The team includes former high-level FTC officials, including attorneys who've served in senior-level roles at the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection and the FTC's Bureau of Competition.

Internet

Since the early days of the Software industry, Wilson Sonsini has advised developers and publishers at all stages of growth. Then as start-ups, now as well-known Fortune 500 companies, these businesses have established their place as leaders in SaaS.

As the premier provider of legal services to technology companies, Wilson Sonsini has unmatched experience representing clients in the software sector. In fact, our firm has operated at the forefront of the sector since the industry's formative days, advising software developers and publishers at all stages of growth, from start-ups to some of the most well-known names in the business. Clients benefit from our in-depth knowledge of software functions and our expertise in key related areas, including intellectual property, technology transactions, data security, and litigation.
Wilson Sonsini represents more than 350 public and private software companies, and more venture-backed software companies than any other U.S. law firm.
Our experience includes the representation of companies that create and license software, as well as organizations that use software applications to power critical operational functions. Wilson Sonsini represents clients operating in the following areas:
<ul>
<li>Desktop applications</li>
<li>Operating systems</li>
<li>Educational software</li>
<li>Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software</li>
<li>Security software</li>
<li>Cloud computing software</li>
<li>Internet software</li>
<li>Software as a service (SaaS)</li>
<li>Open source software</li>
</ul>
The firm also represents companies that develop and publish vertical market applications, including electronic design automation (EDA), customer relationship management (CRM), human capital management (HCM), and logistics software.

Software

On July 16, 2020, New York-based global cybersecurity provider BlueVoyant announced that it raised $68 million in a Series B round of funding led by Singapore state-owned investment company Temasek Holdings. The cybersecurity start-up, which has offices in New York, Maryland, San Francisco, London, Madrid, Tel Aviv, and the Philippines, said the financing round was joined by new and other existing investors and brought its total funding to $275 million. The latest round comes just 14 months after BlueVoyant raised $82.5 million in a Series B round backed by financial technology giant Fiserv. Co-founder and CEO Jim Rosenthal said the company's third round of funding would allow it to hire more technical, sales, and marketing resources for its managed security, third-party cyber risk, and cyber defense services.
The Wilson Sonsini team that represented Temasek Holdings in the transaction includes:
Corporate <a class="rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1011" title="Barry E. Taylor" href="https://www.wsgr.com/en/people/barry-e-taylor.html" data-rubyapp-reference="content::1011">Barry Taylor</a> <a class="rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1362" title="Adam S. Bloom" href="https://www.wsgr.com/en/people/adam-s-bloom.html" data-rubyapp-reference="content::1362">Adam Bloom</a>
Tax <a class="rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1253" title="Jonathan Zhu" href="https://www.wsgr.com/en/people/jonathan-zhu.html" data-rubyapp-reference="content::1253">Jonathan Zhu </a>
Regulatory <a class="rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1722" title="Stephen R. Heifetz" href="https://www.wsgr.com/en/people/stephen-r-heifetz.html" data-rubyapp-reference="content::1722">Stephen Heifetz</a> <a class="rubycontent-page-link rubycontent-page-1222" title="Melissa B. Mannino" href="https://www.wsgr.com/en/people/melissa-b-mannino.html" data-rubyapp-reference="content::1222">Melissa Mannino</a>
For more information, please see a&nbsp;Deal Street Asia&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dealstreetasia.com/stories/temasek-bluevoyant-197626/">article</a>&nbsp;covering the funding.

Investment Services

For every growing
start-up there
is a supporting
Investor

Funds Fit for
Your Dreams

Delaware State
of Mind

Investor and Fund Services News

Recent Client And
Industry Updates

Firm Advises Temasek on Pairwise’s $90 Million Series B Financing

Wilson Sonsini Advises on Flame Biosciences’ $100 Million Common Stock Financing

Wilson Sonsini Advises on Monte Rosa Therapeutics’ $96 Million Series B Financing

Wilson Sonsini Represents Lead Investor Temasek in BlueVoyant's $68 Million Series B Financing

Investment Services.css-1mrua6o{margin-top:8px;margin-bottom:0;}.css-1ic8ug3{box-sizing:border-box;margin:0;min-width:0;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;margin-top:8px;margin-bottom:0;}

.css-vurnku{box-sizing:border-box;margin:0;min-width:0;}For every growing start-up there is a supportingInvestor

Funds Fit for Your Dreams

Delaware State of Mind

Investor and Fund Services News

Recent Client AndIndustry Updates

Firm Advises Temasek on Pairwise’s $90 Million Series B Financing

Wilson Sonsini Advises on Flame Biosciences’ $100 Million Common Stock Financing

Wilson Sonsini Advises on Monte Rosa Therapeutics’ $96 Million Series B Financing

Wilson Sonsini Represents Lead Investor Temasek in BlueVoyant's $68 Million Series B Financing

Investment Services

For every growing
start-up there
is a supporting
Investor

Funds Fit for
Your Dreams

Delaware State
of Mind

Recent Client And
Industry Updates