Palo Alto

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Palo Alto office matches the innovative, entrepreneurial spirit of Silicon Valley by providing creative, cutting-edge solutions and advice on corporate, intellectual property, litigation, internal investigations, enforcement, strategic sourcing, data privacy and executive compensation matters.

Gibson Dunn’s Silicon Valley office opened in 1979 at the epicenter of the technology revolution.  Our lawyers provide a full range of legal services and support to emerging technology companies, private equity/venture capital funds, investment banks and lenders on tech sector investment, financing and M&A transactions.  We also regularly advise management teams and in-house counsel on a range of complex transactions, including private equity deals, venture capital investments, joint ventures, technology transactions, collaboration agreements and public and private securities offerings.  Our Palo Alto team advises publicly traded and privately held companies, including some of the world’s premier tech firms, on high-profile, cross-border acquisitions and divestitures, including all aspects of friendly and hostile takeovers.  Our litigation team includes specialists in intellectual property, trade secret and securities litigation, privacy and cybersecurity, and white collar and enforcement matters.

Office

310 University Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301-1744 USA

Tel: +1 650.849.5300

Fax: +1 650.849.5333

PARTNER IN CHARGE

Celio, Michael D.

Tel: +1 650.849.5326

Our corporate lawyers regularly advise clients’ corporate management and legal teams on corporate governance, securities compliance and a wide range of complex transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, venture capital investments, joint ventures, outsourcing transactions and public and private securities offerings. Our compensation and benefits expertise addresses an array of corporate legal and disclosure across equity compensation, executive and director compensation, retirement and deferred compensation plans, health and welfare and fringe benefit plans. Located at the epicenter of the technology industry, the Palo Alto office has advised many of the world’s top technology companies on high-profile, cross-border acquisitions and divestitures, as well as on all aspects of friendly and hostile takeovers.

Our intellectual property team provides informed insight and expert representation on a range of strategic litigation and transactional matters. From semiconductors to wireless technology and software to social media and life sciences, our dedicated lawyers represent clients in high-stakes cases throughout the United States on matters involving critical issues of patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret law. And our information technology and data privacy lawyers advise on a full range of IT and cyber issues, including compliance with U.S. and foreign data privacy laws and regulations, social media, data security, online advertising and gaming. Our technology transactional lawyers regularly advise clients worldwide on novel and complex technology-based transactions including joint ventures and strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, licenses and outsourcing transactions.

Our securities litigators have acted as lead trial counsel in some of the most significant securities class actions and SEC enforcement matters. In addition to defending U.S. federal court class actions, our Palo Alto team handles shareholder derivative actions, merger and acquisition litigation, proxy litigation and government investigations for many leading Bay Area and national companies. Our highly rated White Collar Defense and Investigations group has broad experience in conducting internal investigations in complex and sensitive matters, and in advising clients on compliance, enforcement and regulatory matters.

  • The Recorder recognized Palo Alto partners in the 2017 Corporate Departments of the Year for cross-border and domestic mergers & acquisitions.
  • LMG Life Sciences named Gibson Dunn the 2017 Finance and Transactional Attorney of the Year in both Corporate and M&A and awarded a Palo Alto partner the Finance and Transactional Attorney of the Year: M&A.
  • A Palo Alto partner was recognized as a 2016 Woman Leader in Tech Law by The Recorder – San Francisco and a 2017 Woman of Influence by the Silicon Valley Business Journal.
  • The Legal 500 awarded a technology transactions partner into the “Hall of Fame,” which highlights individuals who have received recurring praise for continued excellence.
  • Chambers USA has acknowledged a partner for their distinction in the California White Collar category.
  • Chambers USA, The Legal 500, Benchmark Litigation and The Best Lawyers in America© have recognized Palo Alto securities litigation partners as among the best in the United States and in key jurisdictions in California.
  • Chambers USA and Chambers Global awarded a Palo Alto partner their highest rankings in the categories of Outsourcing (USA, Band 1), IT & Outsourcing (California, Star Individual) and Outsourcing (Nationwide, Band 1).
  • Chambers USA has recognized two Palo Alto partners as leaders for their mergers and acquisitions practice.
  • Chambers USA consistently recognizes two Palo Alto partners as leading lawyers in their respective fields of Employee Benefits, and Venture Capital.