Fenwick & West

1 Coast 🤝 2 Cities. Redefining what's next in tech. From LA’s founder meetups to SF’s frontier-tech conversations, this year’s Tech Weeks captured the spirit of California innovation, with founders, investors, and visionaries coming together to shape what’s next in deep tech, AI, blockchain, and beyond.   Fenwick was right in the mix, connecting with the people, ideas, and energy that keep California building. Another great one in the books!   TECH WEEK by a16z #FenwickatTechWeek #LATechWeek #SFTechWeek

Congratulations to Julia Arruda Rosenthal, Christopher Crawford, and Sean P. McElroy who have been elected to join our partnership on January 1, 2026! Their outstanding achievements and deep commitment to our clients, practice, and culture are a source of pride for the entire firm.    Learn more about these exceptional attorneys: https://lnkd.in/eBxx7C4w #PartnerPromotion #TechLaw 

SEC Chair Paul Atkins wants to make public company status more attractive.    In recent remarks, Atkins suggested the possibility of eliminating shareholders’ ability to submit nonbinding shareholder proposals in a company’s proxy statement. Read more about the potential changes from David A. Bell, Ran Ben-Tzur, Amanda Rose, and Julia Forbess: https://lnkd.in/eZwjJDHK   #SEC #CorporateGovernance #ProxyReform 

Founder preferred stock is hot, but is it right for your startup?   Learn more about what it means for liquidity planning, board dynamics, and future exits; explore the emerging structures and secondary transactions that are enabling liquidity ahead of traditional exits; and more as Fenwick’s Allison Cooper and Kat Duncan unpack the Venture Beacon Q2 2025 with our partners at Aumni, a J.P. Morgan company: https://lnkd.in/eFg4xj2c #Startups #VC #Liquidity

There’s something different about building in Boston.   It’s the concentration of talent and opportunity, the diversity of innovation, and the shared mission to solve problems that matter. Few know this better than David Horne, who’s guided founders, companies, and investors through every stage of the Boston ecosystem.   Learn what makes the city so special, and why David chose Fenwick for his next chapter: https://lnkd.in/eNxrnZFQ   #FenwickForLifeSciences #Startups #Boston

The numbers speak for themselves: AI now accounts for nearly 40% of all U.S. venture deals, with overall deal activity trending upward. As PitchBook’s Kyle Stanford says, “AI has basically become the foundation of VC… it’s being integrated into every part of the economy.”   From my work with AI startups, a few patterns stand out for founders raising capital today:   - Augment, don’t replace. Across the many startups I work with, the clearest pattern is that AI succeeds when it enhances what teams are already doing, rather than trying to do it all. The “middle ground” matters. Tools that help people work smarter, make faster decisions, and deliver real results get adoption (and funding) faster. - Specialize over generalize. While general AI solutions abound, the biggest impact comes from tools that understand the nuances of the problem they’re solving.   AI isn’t just a sector anymore - it’s becoming infrastructure for innovation. The winners will be teams that integrate it thoughtfully, execute relentlessly, and deliver tangible value.

Don’t let compliance fly under the radar.   From local airspace rules to international export controls and trade-secret risks, autonomous companies face complex regulatory terrain. Fenwick partners Jon Lenzner and Noah Solowiejczyk joined Archer Aviation Chief Legal & Strategy Officer Eric Lentell at a recent Corporate Counsel Business Journal CLE session to unpack what’s top of mind for the industry.   Check out the full takeaways: https://lnkd.in/e95Q5xRw   #UAVs #Aerospace #Compliance 

From workouts to moonshots, here’s how LA TECH WEEK by a16z unfolded.   We kicked things off breaking a sweat at HIIT the Ground Running with founders and investors at Barry's, followed by an evening of real talk at Crypto Unplugged with Andreessen Horowitz, where conversations centered on blockchain, digital assets, and the future of decentralized tech. The Next Orbit: Deep Tech & Beyond with Upfront Ventures, Generation Space, and MaC Venture Capital brought together builders and backers exploring aerospace, AI, and frontier innovation, showing just how expansive LA’s tech ecosystem has become.   We closed the week seaside at Tinder x Wonder Ventures’ Exclusive Beach Club Party, where top founders and operators mixed curated networking with genuine connection, and joined Zócalo Health’s ¡salud! event celebrating community and innovation in healthcare.   A week defined by big ideas, new relationships, and real momentum. Here’s to the builders, backers, and innovators shaping what’s next!   #LATechWeek #FenwickatTechWeek #Innovation

Where tech meets tide. 🌊 Last night’s Tinder x Wonder Ventures mixer brought top founders and operators together at a private beachfront club for curated networking, speed-matching, and plenty of big ideas. The kind of energy that defines LA TECH WEEK by a16z! #LATechWeek #FenwickatTechWeek