Foley & Lardner LLP announced today that Lyman Thai has joined the firm’s San Francisco office as a partner in its Transactions Practice Group and Innovative Technology Sector and a member of its Venture & Growth Capital Team. Thai marks the 11th attorney added to Foley’s Bay Area corporate roster since February of last year, further enhancing the firm’s Northern California presence and demonstrating its commitment to delivering effective business solutions to clients in the region’s emerging companies and venture capital spaces. Thai joins Foley from Wilson Sonsini in San Francisco and is the latest in a series of corporate laterals who have joined Foley’s Northern California offices.
Thai focuses his practice on representing founders, venture capital firms, and corporate investors in a wide range of transactional matters across all stages of growth. He draws from previous experience as general counsel for a venture-backed technology startup to advise business clients on corporate governance, federal and state securities laws, stock and option administration, intellectual property protection, employment and compensation, commercial contracts, M&A, and other strategic transactions, including equity, debt, and convertible instrument financings and investments.
“The growth of key transactional practices in the San Francisco Bay Area and greater Silicon Valley remains a strategic focus for the firm,” said Michael Okaty, co-chair of Foley’s Transactions Practice Group. “Lyman’s understanding of the region’s startup space and his proven success delivering practical solutions to high-growth technology companies adds significant value to our team and enhances the depth of our offerings for innovative technology companies, an important strategic emphasis for the firm.”
Thai has represented entrepreneurs, executives, and management teams of fast-growing technology companies across various industries, including cloud computing, cybersecurity, digital media, enterprise software, financial technology, mobile applications, on-demand services, online travel, social media, software-as-a-service (SaaS), video games, and other emerging businesses and technologies. In addition to advising on general business issues, Thai leads client teams and coordinates specialists to address matters spanning licensing, patent and trademark prosecution, tax, employee benefits, employment and general commercial litigation, real estate, privacy, CFIUS/national security, HSR/antitrust, and other regulatory matters.
“Lyman is a highly regarded attorney in the Bay Area and will play a key role as we continue to grow our emerging companies and venture capital capabilities in Northern California,” said Thomas Carlucci, managing partner of the firm’s San Francisco office. “We are excited to welcome Lyman to the team and look forward to building on our momentum in California with his addition.”
“Like my clients, I thrive when building and innovating,” said Thai. “Foley’s entrepreneurial culture and strategic focus on the technology sector, bolstered by the firm’s extensive and diverse legal expertise across its national and international platforms, resonates strongly with me and will enable me to serve my clients best. I’m eager and energized to partner with my talented new colleagues at Foley to grow a destination legal practice for the Northern California startup ecosystem and the global Silicon Valley.”
The firm announced the addition of nine transactional attorneys to its San Francisco and Silicon Valley offices last year, including Partners Louis Lehot, Natasha Allen, Brandee Diamond, and AndreÌ Thiollier, and in August 2022, it welcomed Alidad Vakili in San Francisco.
Foley’s Venture & Growth Capital attorneys understand the complex and diverse needs of venture funds and their portfolio companies, offering a broad range of services at each stage of development. Earlier this year, the firm launched Foley Ignite, a technology-enabled platform designed to support the needs of startups, founders, emerging growth companies, and the entire investor community.
