Morrison & Foerster is a global law firm with a leading startup, emerging company, venture capital, and institutional funding practice. For over four decades, we’ve assisted companies and their investors at every stage of the business lifecycle–from initial formation and financings, through late-stage financings and investments, mergers and acquisitions, and public offerings.
Why MoFo?
We currently have more than 170 partners and other lawyers of the firm committing a significant amount of their professional time to this practice area, and we are currently working with approximately 800 leading startup businesses and their funders.
In the last five years, we have assisted our clients in raising more than $17 billion of venture capital, and in closing over 40 initial public offerings, as well as hundreds of mergers and acquisitions with an aggregate transactional value in excess of $600 billion.
Global Reach
Our attorneys operate from an established position of strength across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Our global presence facilitates venture capital investment in our U.S. and international clients and positions us to advise startup companies based in those key markets. We offer practical domestic and cross-border corporate, financing, and commercial advice and our clients tell us that our input distinguishes MoFo from other law firms.
Industry Expertise
Our attorneys have a deep understanding of the complex technologies at the heart of our clients’ businesses. Our industry knowledge allows us to represent many emerging growth companies and investors in cutting-edge areas of technology, including software, mobile, virtual reality, e-commerce, cybersecurity, data analytics, robotics, drones, and more. The firm also remains at the forefront of working with emerging companies and investors focused on life sciences, media, clean technology and alternative energy, social enterprise and impact investing, AgTech, and FinTech.
Collaborative Teams
Our collaborative approach to client service allows us to leverage all of our firm’s resources, notably including our leading practices in patent prosecution, IP matters, tech transactions, privacy, tax, cyber and employment/labor issues, and dispute resolution. From our initial meeting with a founder or funder about a concept or possible new venture, we plan for the ultimate exit. We have destination M&A and capital markets practices that are critical to mapping business decisions made early in the process.
Extensive Network
For entrepreneurs who are founding and growing durable businesses, we think counsel should be experienced, sincerely interested in providing assistance for the long haul, and delivering services at a fair cost—and that is what we do at MoFo. We use our network to connect companies and funding sources, always one of the most important relationships for emerging companies. For venture capital investors, corporate venture capital, angel investors, high net worth individuals, and other funding sources, we have formed hundreds of private investment partnerships around the world, and we have participated in hundreds of financings (from early stage seed rounds to the final pre-IPO round) in recent years.
Established Thought Leaders
As thought leaders in the emerging companies and venture capital space, our attorneys teach at prestigious institutions around the world and regularly contribute insight to leading industry publications. We collaborate with key incubators and accelerators to provide educational programs, training, and guidance to up-and-coming entrepreneurs. Our attorneys are frequently recognized in industry publications such as Entrepreneur, VC-List, Inc., Tech Crunch, and the Venture Capital Journal.
Best Lawyers USA 2017National: Venture Capital Law
Chambers USA 2017 National: Startups & Emerging Companies California: Corporate/M&A: Venture Capital
Legal 500 US 2016 Venture Capital and Emerging Companies
Chambers Asia 2016 China: Private Equity: Buyouts: International Firms
IFLR1000 2016 China: Private Equity/Venture Capital Hong Kong: Private Equity
Legal 500 Asia-Pacific 2016 China: Private Equity/Venture Capital: Foreign Firms
Private Equity Analyst USA Top 20 Most Active Law Firms: Private Equity and Venture Capital Deals
Here is what they say about us:
“They have a deep knowledge of the startup space and how that relates to business models. I view them as a strategic partner in the business.” (Chambers USA 2016)
“The team at Morrison & Foerster LLP possesses ‘phenomenal business acumen’, coupled with ‘instant response times.’” (Legal 500 2016)
“Exceptionally knowledgeable, succinct professionals who are very responsive, very thorough and communicative.” (Chambers USA 2016)
“They are very smart, responsive and flexible. They are problem solvers, not just problem spotters.” (Chambers USA 2016)
“They’ve been great – they have been very thorough as well as thoughtful about the business side.” (Chambers USA 2015)
“On top of the very technical legal service they have good business logic.” (Chambers USA 2015)
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