DLA Piper LLP (US) is a go-to firm for major investors, including corporate venture funds such as Softbank, M12, and Thomson Reuters, assisting emerging companies throughout their lifecycle. The firm played a key role in advising Aumni on its acquisition by J.P. Morgan, having previously supported the client’s Series A and B financings. Leading the emerging growth and venture capital group from Virginia, Jeffrey Lehrer focuses on representing companies from early to later stages in corporate and securities transactions. Acting as vice-chair from San Diego, Richard Bull specializes in advising venture capital and corporate venture investors, as well as emerging growth companies. In New York, fellow practice vice-chair Charles Torres brings his expertise in assisting start-ups through financing rounds and exit strategies. Curtis Mo, based in Palo Alto, is active across the tech, life sciences, clean energy tech, and consumer industries, while Randy Socol in San Diego represents emerging companies and investors in equity and debt financing deals. Frances Mosley has joined the Palo Alto office from WilmerHale, arriving in February 2025.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
'Very specific, helpful advice gathered from broad experience working with many other companies in similar situations across industries.'
‘Specific mention and praise for Tyler Hollenbeck (partner) and Logan Weaver (associate) - always responsive and available when needed. Provide targeted and specific advise tailored for a company at our stage and growth. Provide creative solutions in business and partnering negotiations.’
‘DLA Piper has the ideal combination of expertise and profile that gives us great confidence in the services. We have been extremely happy throughout our relationship with DLA Piper.’
‘Tyler Hollenbeck has consistently provided appropriate and timely advice as we have grown as a business. He is empathic and calm when providing advice on chaotic and critical matters - this demeanour gives us confidence that even the most challenging situation can be addressed and resolved appropriately.’
‘DLA Piper is extremely responsive to our needs, and large enough to find the right expert internally to satisfy every request. There is no arrogance as you might see with other firms focusing on the tech/venture sector.'
‘Tyler Hollenbeck is exceptional -- by far the best legal partner I have worked with in this industry. He is extremely knowledgeable and responsive. If there is a question he cannot answer, he is not afraid to admit it and will seek advice from other experts within DLA and return quickly with the information I need.’
‘I found the team at DLA Piper to be excellent, in particular bringing fundamental principles of law & business to practice with pragmatic advice. So much of emerging company law is balancing risk, and it's important to have a team like DLA's that understands the trade off between risk and opportunity. These are "entrepreneur's lawyers" that have deep empathy for the journey, and work to find optimal solutions without overengineering everything.’
‘Charles Torres is a very talented and thoughtful lawyer, and has offered up creative solutions to problems in the past. Maria Rydder is an extremely detail-oriented associate that provided deep-dive guidance on several questions over the past few years. Adam Brenner brings a practical view to discussions and helped us work through several relatively sticky negotiations.’
Key clients
- Bessemer Venture Partners
- Counterpart Ventures
- Delta-v Capital
- Elysian Park Ventures
- Fin Venture Capital
- FinTech Collective
- H.I.G Growth Partners
- M12, Microsoft's venture arm
- Madrona Venture Group
- Magnetar Capital
Work highlights
- Represented SoftBank Investment Advisers as an investor in the $700m financing of Fanatics.
- Represented Delta-v Capital as an investor in the $65m Series E financing of Teamworks.
- Represented Point72 Private Investments in EliseAI’s $35m Series C financing round.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Practice head
Jeffrey Lehrer; Richard Bull; Charles Torres
Other key lawyers
Curtis Mo; Randy Socol; Jeffrey Leavitt; Tyler Hollenbeck; Logan Weaver; Maria Rydder; Adam Brenner