Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the premier provider of legal services to technology, life sciences, and growth enterprises worldwide, announced today that Brian Dillavou has joined the firm as a corporate partner in the Austin office. He will be a member of Wilson Sonsini’s emerging companies practice, which also recently added Matt Lyons in Austin. Dillavou’s hire reflects Wilson Sonsini’s continued expansion of its Austin office amid rising demand from technology and life sciences companies and increasing investor activity. Dillavou was previously a partner at Shearman & Sterling, where he was part of the group-led by Matt Lyons-that founded that firm’s Austin office in 2018.
Dillavou represents start-ups and emerging growth companies at all stages, from formation and early-stage financings through strategic exits, such as IPOs and mergers and acquisitions. He has particular experience working with clients in the technology, fintech, and life sciences sectors. Dillavou advises start-ups and early-stage businesses on corporate legal issues; venture capital and other financings; stock options and other compensation matters; and M&A and capital markets transactions, including deals involving special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) and de-SPACs. He also represents investors and financial institutions in venture financings, M&A, and capital markets transactions, including IPOs and other equity and debt financings.
“Austin is very much the active and growing market we expected it to be for technology and life sciences innovators, as well as investors,” said Doug Clark, managing partner at Wilson Sonsini. “Brian’s strong base of early-stage company and investor relationships puts him in an excellent position as the newest member of our growing team in Austin. We’re very pleased that Brian has joined us and we know his energy and experience will be of immediate value to clients.”
Wilson Sonsini first opened its Austin office more than 20 years ago. With the most recent partner and associate additions, the office has grown to over 20 corporate attorneys-and nearly 35 attorneys overall-who represent clients in growth and established industries, including business services, communications and networking, electronics and computer hardware, internet and media, life sciences, semiconductors, software, energy, financial services and fintech, and venture and growth capital.
“With Brian joining us and our addition of Matt Lyons earlier this year, we are growing our presence, reinforcing Wilson Sonsini’s strong local brand, and further strengthening our ties to the innovative companies and sophisticated investors in Austin and other leading technology markets in Texas,” said Rob Suffoletta, managing partner of Wilson Sonsini’s Austin office. “It’s an exciting time in Austin and we are looking forward to Brian becoming part of our success story.”
Before his time with Shearman and Sterling, Dillavou worked in Andrews Kurth’s Austin office, where he was promoted to partner in 2016. He began his legal career as an associate in Baker Botts’ Dallas office from 2007 to 2010.
“I was drawn to Wilson Sonsini’s established and unmatched brand where working closely with entrepreneurs, start-ups and leading venture capital firms is built into the fabric of the firm,” said Dillavou. “It’s exciting to work with a firm that has such a large range of technology-driven clients that are shaping domestic and global markets on a daily basis. I look forward to working with the team in Austin and others across the firm as Wilson Sonsini continues to grow its presence in and around the Austin area.
Dillavou earned his J.D., with honors, in 2007, a master’s degree in professional accounting in 2004, and a B.A. in business administration, with honors, in 2004 from The University of Texas at Austin. He is admitted to practice in Texas.
As the premier provider of legal services to technology, life sciences, and growth enterprises worldwide, Wilson Sonsini’s emerging companies practice (ECP) has represented the technology pioneers associated with virtually every milestone innovation. Examples include Doordash, Google, Illumina, LinkedIn, Lyft, Netflix, Square, Tesla, and Twitter. By leveraging innovative, first-of-its-kind technology, Wilson Sonsini’s ECP has made six decades of experience, top legal resources, and a global network of banks, industry resources, and VCs accessible to early-stage start-ups. For instance, the firm’s ECP recently launched Neuron, a new platform that streamlines, automates, and digitizes the typical legal processes along a start-up’s journey, from incorporation to exit. Just prior to that, in May 2021, the ECP introduced a new digital hub (ecp.wsgr.com) for start-ups, founders, and VCs to access its legal expertise.
With deep roots in Silicon Valley, Wilson Sonsini has offices in Austin; Beijing; Boston; Brussels; Hong Kong; London; Los Angeles; New York; Palo Alto; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Shanghai; Washington, D.C.; and Wilmington, DE. For more information, please visit www.wsgr.com.
Source: www.wsgr.com
