Best Corporate Law Firms in San Francisco Forum

[Anonymous User]

Currently in NYC for a v5, looking to make switch to SF in the near future. I have excellent ties so that isn't a concern here.

I know that SV is a huge hub for corporate work in the Bay, but I would highly prefer to work and live in SF proper. The commute would be a huge downside for me.

So, what are the best corporate practices in SF?

[Anonymous User]

I think it depends what you're interested in doing (i.e., start-up/early-stage work), but a few (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER) firms with decent-sized corporate groups in downtown SF:

Latham
MoFo
WSGR (does have a decent-sized SF office, though mothership is in PA)
Kirkland
Fenwick
Sidley
Orrick

[SFSpartan]

As anon above pointed out, really depends on what you are interested in doing. Would also add that Pillsbury, as well as more regional firms such as Hanson Bridgett and Shartis Friese also have corp. work.

But, as you've recognized, the majority of quality corporate work is in SV, while SF has better litigation work.

[Anonymous User]

I'd also throw Goodwin on this list

[Anonymous User]

isn't Latham SF only litigation? though i believe there is a lot of corporate work in their SV office.

[AReasonableMan]

isn't Latham SF only litigation? though i believe there is a lot of corporate work in their SV office.

Maybe, but Latham doesn't have an office San Francisco, Chile. The best corporate law firm anywhere within 100 KM from Monumento Natural El Morado Natural Park is far and away, Grisales & Cia (http://www.owlex.org/profile/chile/law-firm-158).

[Anonymous User]

According to Chambers, you'd be looking at Latham, WSGR, Fenwick, Cooley, Gibson Dunn, MoFo, Shearman, Goodwin, Jones Day, OMM, Orrick, Pillsbury, Kirkland, Paul hastings, and Sidley. Shartsis also has a solid regional reputation, but from what I've heard, is damn hard to break into.

[Anonymous User]

OP here. I am a 2nd year, I have done mostly M&A/Capital Markets work.

I am interested in early stage, VC and PE work, but I don't know that my skill set would translate.

I would be happy continuing to do M&A, but I don't know if there as many opportunities to do so in SF.

I have heard similar info about Shartsis - I would love to work there but I think it's a pipedream.

[pa1901]

OP here. I am a 2nd year, I have done mostly M&A/Capital Markets work.

I am interested in early stage, VC and PE work, but I don't know that my skill set would translate.

I would be happy continuing to do M&A, but I don't know if there as many opportunities to do so in SF.

I have heard similar info about Shartsis - I would love to work there but I think it's a pipedream.

Kirkland's SF office is heavily M&A focused and from what I hear has a pretty decent reputation even though it's a non-CA native firm. Though, you won't be getting early-stage work. MoFo also does M&A out of their SF office but like most SF firms it's more lit focused overall.

[isaiah1992]

OP here. I am a 2nd year, I have done mostly M&A/Capital Markets work.

I am interested in early stage, VC and PE work, but I don't know that my skill set would translate.

I would be happy continuing to do M&A, but I don't know if there as many opportunities to do so in SF.

I have heard similar info about Shartsis - I would love to work there but I think it's a pipedream.

You should look at OMM. All of their transactional work is M&A/Cap Markets, and some VC work.

[Anonymous User]

OP here. I am a 2nd year, I have done mostly M&A/Capital Markets work.

I am interested in early stage, VC and PE work, but I don't know that my skill set would translate.

I would be happy continuing to do M&A, but I don't know if there as many opportunities to do so in SF.

I have heard similar info about Shartsis - I would love to work there but I think it's a pipedream.

You should look at OMM. All of their transactional work is M&A/Cap Markets, and some VC work.

I believe Cooley, MoFo, Kirkland, and Shearman all do M&A out of their SF offices, although Kirkland is largely PE.

[WhiskeynCoke]

OP here. I am a 2nd year, I have done mostly M&A/Capital Markets work.

I am interested in early stage, VC and PE work, but I don't know that my skill set would translate.

I would be happy continuing to do M&A, but I don't know if there as many opportunities to do so in SF.

I have heard similar info about Shartsis - I would love to work there but I think it's a pipedream.

Major Players:

Kirkland SF: PE/M&A - Big practice group. Terrible reputation as a brutal place for associates though. Probably highest attrition in the Bay.
Fenwick SF: VC/M&A/Cap Markets - Big practice group, though mothership is in Silicon Valley. Mostly tech clients. Excellent rep.
WSGR SF: M&A - Office in One Market focuses exclusively on M&A, so you wont do much early stage stuff. Mothership is in SV.
Cooley SF: VC/M&A/Cap Markets - Big practice group, though mothership is in SV. Life Science/Tech clients. Excellent rep.
Goodwin SF: VC/M&A - Growing practice, though mothership is in SV. Life Science/Tech clients.
MoFo: M&A (mostly) - Don't know much about their corporate practice, though I suspect its more Fortune 500 clients.

[RedGiant]

OP here. I am a 2nd year, I have done mostly M&A/Capital Markets work.

I am interested in early stage, VC and PE work, but I don't know that my skill set would translate.

I would be happy continuing to do M&A, but I don't know if there as many opportunities to do so in SF.

I have heard similar info about Shartsis - I would love to work there but I think it's a pipedream.

Major Players:

Kirkland SF: PE/M&A - Big practice group. Terrible reputation as a brutal place for associates though. Probably highest attrition in the Bay.
Fenwick SF: VC/M&A/Cap Markets - Big practice group, though mothership is in Silicon Valley. Mostly tech clients. Excellent rep.
WSGR SF: M&A - Office in One Market focuses exclusively on M&A, so you wont do much early stage stuff. Mothership is in SV.
Cooley SF: VC/M&A/Cap Markets - Big practice group, though mothership is in SV. Life Science/Tech clients. Excellent rep.
Goodwin SF: VC/M&A - Growing practice, though mothership is in SV. Life Science/Tech clients.
MoFo: M&A (mostly) - Don't know much about their corporate practice, though I suspect its more Fortune 500 clients.

Above list is good. I would add that WSGR has two SF offices--one is M&A, the other, in SOMA, is all early-stage. But the mother ship is definitely Palo Alto.

This list is a great place to start. Also, if you are interested in M&A Weil's office in Redwood Shores is very well regarded and probably has the best M&A practice (client-wise) in the Bay Area. This is actually much closer than the Silicon Valley offices (Latham, Goodwin, Cooley, WSGR) commute-wise and is worth adding to your list.

Cosign re Kirkland's rep. No one I know has stayed there long. They also do a fair bit of investment management and debt work and you might get sucked into that unwittingly, which is death for SF/SV exit opps.

In my experience, Shartsis is not a great place to work and is a thin veneer of "everything's peachy." Have had friends lateral there only to leave a few years later to come back to biglaw. Also, they are a very local firm, so I think you'd need to lateral to Bay Area before they'd even look at you, unless you have strong ties.