Stephen Thau is a partner in Morrison & Foerster's Palo Alto office and former co-chair of the firm's Life Sciences Group. His practice focuses on the representation of life science, medical device, and other technology companies in transactional matters, including merger and acquisition, licensing and collaborations, strategic alliances, public offerings and equity and debt financings. He also represents venture capital and investment banking firms in public and private financing transactions. He has represented companies in numerous public offerings, public and private M&A transactions, and collaboration agreements, and companies and investors in over 100 venture capital and debt financing transactions.
Mr. Thau is a member of the Board of BayBio, Northern California’s leading life science association. He is a frequent speaker on venture capital financings and served on the faculty at the 2005 and 2007 Emerging Entrepreneurs workshops at Stanford University. Mr. Thau is recommended as a leading lawyer by PLC Which lawyer? 2011, Best Lawyers in America 2011, Chambers USA 2011, and Legal 500 US 2011. He was also named to the Daily Journal's inaugural list of 25 leading biotech lawyers in California, in 2011.
Mr. Thau re-joined Morrison & Foerster in 2008 after having practiced corporate law for ten years at Venture Law Group and Heller Ehrman LLP. Mr. Thau began his legal practice as a litigator at Morrison & Foerster, focusing on securities and intellectual property. He also served as a law clerk to the Hon. Vaughn R. Walker in the United States District Court in the Northern District of California. He graduated Order of the Coif from Stanford Law School, where he was managing editor of the Stanford Law Review, and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College in Biology.
Mr. Thau’s clients include Baxano, CNS Therapeutics, Catalyst Biosciences, DNAnexus, DURECT Corporation (Nasdaq: DRRX), Osteologix, Topica Pharmaceuticals, and Threshold Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: THLD). Mr. Thau also represents venture capital firms, including CMEA Ventures, Prospect Venture Partners, Three Arch Partners, and Thomas, McNerney & Partners.