Laura McDaniels, an accomplished Executive Compensation & Benefits practitioner with an established reputation in Silicon Valley, has joined Pillsbury as partner. She comes to the firm from White & Case and will play a crucial role in supporting public and private client transactions, particularly in the technology industry.
“Having advised on all manner of executive compensation and benefits issues for a variety of entities—through every stage of the business life cycle—Laura is perfectly suited to support our busy transactional teams in the Bay Area and beyond,” said Cindy Schlaefer, leader of Pillsbury’s Executive Compensation & Benefits practice. “Her broad experience, particularly in the technology, energy and financial sectors, will greatly enhance our ability to address client needs, whether in the context of day-to-day operations or transformative company events.”
McDaniels has a uniquely broad executive compensation and benefits practice, advising large public corporations, emerging growth companies and private equity and other investors. Her experience spans the full spectrum of general compensation and benefits issues, including executive and equity compensation plan design and tax structuring, employment and separation contracts, public company disclosures, and corporate governance issues and best practices. She has vast experience guiding companies through mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, de-SPAC transactions, spin-offs, joint ventures and other transactions.
Pillsbury continues to see significant transactional demand among corporate and emerging growth clients. According to Refinitiv, the firm was the third most active in representing companies in venture capital financings globally in 2021 and it is frequently recognized among the Top 20 M&A advisors by Bloomberg, FactSet and other leading deal-tracking organizations. In all of these transactions, resolution of often complex executive compensation and benefits issues is critical to getting deals done.
“When you think of the law firms that are handling major deals for the most innovative clients, Pillsbury is unquestionably among the first that come to mind,” said McDaniels. “With a stellar executive compensation practice and some of the most dynamic dealmakers in the world, I’m incredibly excited to join the Pillsbury team.”
McDaniels’ arrival is the most recent of a string of corporate and transactional hires for Pillsbury in the past two years. Among those arrivals include Greg Hammond, who has advised some of the world’s leading energy industry participants on their landmark transactions (London); Jeff Schrepfer, an established M&A lawyer in Japan with significant experience in the energy sector (Tokyo); Stan Lewandowski, an international transactional, technology and emerging growth lawyer (Silicon Valley); Stephen Ashley, a leading capital markets partner (New York); David Ingles, a highly rated M&A and private equity partner (New York); Nick Burgess, a cross-border M&A attorney focused on Europe and emerging markets; Nicole Islinger, an accomplished dealmaker in M&A, private equity, emerging company and government contracts (Washington, DC); and Brian McKenna, a seasoned M&A, private equity and financial services practitioner (New York).
