Firm Summary
Fenwick & West LLP
Founded in 1972 by a group of New York attorneys who had a hunch that Silicon Valley would be the next big thing in tech, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more highly regarded firm in the technology sector today than Fenwick & West. With more than 350 attorneys in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Seattle, New York, and Shanghai, the firm has deftly handled many of the largest venture capital fundings in the tech world in recent years. Their client roster reads like a who’s who of the cyber world, counting companies like Facebook, Uber, Amazon, and Airbnb among its ranks. While tech may be its bread and butter, the firm is adept at handling its elite clients’ needs across the board, with impressive experience handling IP matters, complex commercial and financial transactions, M&A, and high-stakes litigation. In addition to providing top-notch representation, the firm is consistently voted one of the best firms in the country to work for.
Firm Stats
- Firm Name
- Fenwick & West LLP
- U.S. Lawyer Headcount
- 427
- Headcount Change Since 2016
Overall
+60
Partner
+8
- Salary Scale
- Market
- Bonus Category
- Full Match < 2000 Hours Billable Requirement
- Hours Required
- 1,800 - 2,000
- Top Feeder Schools
- UC Berkeley School of Law, Santa Clara Law, Stanford Law School
- Average Lawyer Tenure at Firm (Years)
- 5.4
- Revenue Per Lawyer Change Over Five Years
- 20%
- Women Partners (as Percentage of U.S. Lawyer Headcount)
- 6%
- Women Partners (As a Percentage of U.S. Partnership)
- 26%
- Promotion Rate
- 5%
- Most Common Federal Case Types
- Intellectual Property, Contract, Civil RIghts
- Most Active Federal Jurisdictions
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Texas, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- Frequent Federal Litigation Clients
- Amazon.com Inc., Amazon Web Services, Inc., Intuit Inc.
Firm Policies
Work/Life Balance
- 16 weeks gender-neutral parental leave for all attorneys
- birthing mothers get 22 weeks of paid leave plus a minimum of 6 weeks pregnancy disability leave
- Leave can be taken consecutively or intermittently
- For parents adopting or fostering children, leave can be taken prior to placement
Superstars
Richard L. Dickson
Partner - Corporate
Dickson is a partner in the firm’s Corporate department who represents a wide range of emerging and publicly traded companies. His practice focuses on companies in the Internet, telecommunications, software, and semiconductor sectors, assisting them with everything from venture capital financings to intellectual property protection.
William Fenwick
Partner Emeritus - Litigation
Currently holding the title of Partner Emeritus, Fenwick was one of the firm’s founding partners and is still involved in its litigation department today. Influential in the early days of the technology and the rise of innovation as it relates to the law, Fenwick has been litigating technology disputes since 1968.
Gordon Davidson
Partner - Corporate
A partner in the firm’s Corporate department, Davidson Gordon specializes in advising sophisticated technology companies, including clean technology and life sciences companies, on M&A, IPO, and special investigations matters. Davidson is reportedly among the elite group of Biglaw attorneys who bill more than $2,000 and hour for his services.
Sam Angus
Partner - Corporate
A corporate partner in the firm’s San Francisco office, Angus specializes in advising founders, boards of directors, startups, and public companies in equity and debt financings, M&A, joint ventures, and corporate governance matters. Practicing in the Silicon Valley since the 1990s, Angus was recently recognized by The Legal 500 as one of the top lawyers in the country for venture capital and startup work.
Above the Law Coverage
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Biglaw Firm Launches New Office To Support Technology Practice
Santa Monica bound!
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Biglaw Firm Wows With New Parental Leave Policy
Hopefully other Biglaw firms will take note.
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$2,000 An Hour Lawyers: That’s One Way To Fund Salary Increases
Which lawyers make the list of those able to charge $2,000 an hour?
-
Am Law 100 Firm Thrills With Gigantic Bonus Add-Ons For High Billers
Wow!
-
Biglaw Firm Announces Election Day Will Be A Paid Holiday
Will more firms get on board?
The Law Firm Transparency Project draws upon Above the Law research as well as data provided by Leopard Solutions and UniCourt. Click here for an expanded methodology and definition of terms.
