Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Stephen C. Ferruolo, a leading life sciences attorney, has joined the firm’s Emerging Companies & Venture Capital (ECVC) practice as a partner in the San Diego office. Stephen most recently served as the dean of the University of San Diego School of Law, where he was also a professor of law in business and corporate law, contracts, and securities regulation. Prior to that, he held a variety of senior law firm positions in Southern California, including with Goodwin Proctor LLP and Heller Ehrman LLP.
Stephen will focus his practice on the life sciences sector, representing private and publicly held biotech, pharmaceutical, medical device, and digital health companies, as well as technology companies, investors, and venture capitalists.
“Stephen is well-known and well-regarded in the life sciences and corporate law worlds, and his considerable experience as a trusted counselor to life sciences and technology firms will greatly benefit our clients,” said Buddy Arnheim, co-chair of Perkins Coie’s ECVC practice. “Stephen has a proven track record of providing exemplary legal counsel and delivering effective legal solutions for his clients, and we’re pleased to welcome him to the practice and firm.”
His focus will also include guiding clients through private and public financings as well as mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance issues, licensing, collaboration and commercial agreements, and compliance matters. Stephen has worked on hundreds of private financings during his legal career with a broad range of venture capitalists and other investors and handled IPOs ranging from $6 million to $1.1 billion.
“Stephen is a highly regarded lawyer with a nationally recognized reputation as a leading life sciences lawyer, and we’re excited to welcome him to our team and the San Diego office,” said Perkins Coie’s San Diego Office Managing Partner Mark Wicker. “He will be instrumental in helping to drive our continued growth in the San Diego life sciences and technology sector and beyond, and particularly as the life sciences industry continues to evolve and thrive.”
Stephen earned his B.A., magna cum laude, from Wesleyan University and his J.D. from Stanford University Law School. He also earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in history from Princeton University and was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, where he earned an M.Phil. in Medieval European History.
Perkins Coie is a recognized national leader in technology and venture capital transactions, representing both companies seeking financing and venture capital firms seeking to invest. The firm’s teams of ECVC attorneys, located in 11 offices, handle hundreds of venture capital deals representing emerging growth companies and investors each year. As a full-service firm, Perkins Coie not only counsels emerging growth companies on matters such as formation, financing, and exit strategies, but also advises its clients on matters such as patent prosecution, brand strategy, data privacy and security, and licensing and regulatory compliance for disruptive business models.
Perkins Coie is a leading international law firm that is known for providing high value, strategic solutions and extraordinary client service on matters vital to our clients’ success. With more than 1,100 lawyers in offices across the United States and Asia, we provide a full array of corporate, commercial litigation, intellectual property and regulatory legal advice to a broad range of clients, including many of the world’s most innovative companies and industry leaders as well as public and not-for-profit organizations.
