Grace Wirth > Goodwin > Silicon Valley, United States > Lawyer Profile
Goodwin Offices
601 Marshall Street
Redwood City, CA 94063
CALIFORNIA
United States
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Grace Wirth
Position
Partner
Career
Grace L. Wirth is a partner in Goodwin’s ERISA & Executive Compensation practice and represents a wide variety of clients, including both public and private companies at all stages of the corporate lifecycle, boards of directors and compensation committees, venture capital and private equity funds and members of management, with a focus on emerging growth companies in the technology and life sciences sector. Ms. Wirth advises on all aspects of executive and employee compensation, as well as on tax and securities law issues in connection with equity-based arrangements and other types of incentive plans.
Ms. Wirth works closely with clients on compensation issues that arise in connection with mergers and acquisitions, financings, initial public offerings and other corporate transactions. In addition, she regularly advises both employers and executives in the negotiation, design and implementation of employment, severance, change in control and equity arrangements. Ms. Wirth also counsels clients regarding compliance with tax rules relating to deferred compensation, tax planning with respect to the excise tax on excess parachute payments, limits on the deductibility of executive compensation and SEC rules governing executive compensation disclosure and reporting.
Education
JD, Georgetown University Law Center / BA, Stanford University
Lawyer Rankings
United States > Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional
Goodwin stands out as a favored firm for emerging companies in the life sciences and technology sectors, as well as for private equity and investment funds, offering deep expertise in ERISA fiduciary duties alongside compensation and benefits regulations under the Internal Revenue Code. Patrick Menasco, based in Washington DC, specializes in ERISA and pension plan investments, providing advice to both national and international financial institutions. He leads the group together with James Mattus from Boston, who is skilled in structuring and implementing equity-based and incentive compensation programs for both public and private entities. In Silicon Valley, Lynda Galligan and Grace Wirth provide assistance to emerging growth clients in navigating tax and securities laws for equity-based arrangements and incentive plans. Boston’s Natascha George handles executive employment arrangements, severance obligations, and equity-based compensation arising from IPOs and business restructurings. Sarah Bock, also in Boston, advises employers and executives on change in control provisions and deferred compensation plans.
Lawyer Rankings
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Finance > Financial services regulation
- Industry focus > Cannabis
- Intellectual property > Patents: licensing
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Private equity buyouts: middle-market (Up to $500m)
- Real estate > Real estate investment trusts (REITs)
- Media, technology and telecoms > Technology transactions
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Venture capital and emerging companies
Firm Rankings
- Finance > Capital markets: equity offerings
- Labor and employment > ERISA litigation
- Finance > Fintech
- Healthcare > Life sciences
- Dispute resolution > M&A litigation: defense
- M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: middle-market ($500m-999m)
- Real estate > Real estate
- Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense
- Intellectual property > Trade secrets (litigation and non-contentious matters)
- Finance > Capital markets: debt offerings
- International trade and national security > CFIUS
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Corporate governance
- Media, technology and telecoms > Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection)
- Dispute resolution > E-discovery
- Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional
- Dispute resolution > Financial services litigation
- Antitrust > Merger control
- Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (full coverage)
- Investment fund formation and management > Private equity funds (including venture capital)
- Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: consumer products (including tobacco)
- Tax > US taxes: non-contentious
- Labor and employment > Workplace and employment counseling
- International trade and national security > Customs, export controls and economic sanctions
- Healthcare > Service providers
- Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers
- Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers
- Finance > Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate
- Dispute resolution > Appellate: courts of appeals / Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal)
- Finance > Commercial lending
- Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense
- Intellectual property > Patents: prosecution (including re-examination and post-grant proceedings)
- Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (International Trade Commission)
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Shareholder activism