Fenwick & West

Fenwick & West

Full-service law firm for technology startups

Overview

Fenwick & West is a law firm that guides tech and life sciences companies and their investors through every growth stage, from early funding rounds to global public enterprises. It provides a full range of legal services, including patent work, corporate, IP, and regulatory guidance, delivered by a team of lawyers, patent agents, engineers, and scientists who serve clients worldwide. Its experience comes from Silicon Valley origins and a large, specialized staff, with awards from Law360 and rankings from Chambers that highlight its deep technical skill and sector focus. The firm differentiates itself by combining technical depth with legal breadth across startups to mature companies, all aimed at helping innovators advance and redefine what’s possible. Fenwick’s goal is to support clients in turning ideas into scalable, compliant, and protected businesses while navigating complex legal landscapes.

About Fenwick & West

Simplify's Rating
Why Fenwick & West is rated
C
Rated B on Competitive Edge
Rated C on Growth Potential
Rated D+ on Differentiation

Industries

Legal

Company Size

1,001-5,000

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

$289.5M

Headquarters

Mountain View, California

Founded

1972

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Ongoing FTX-related defense work drives demand for white-collar and professional-liability expertise.
  • Axiom’s $15 million seed financing shows continued traction in AI and biotech mandates.
  • Expanded New York presence positions Fenwick for venture formation and financing work.

What critics are saying

  • The May 2026 $525 million FTX lawsuit threatens substantial damages and discovery.
  • Plaintiffs cite Nishad Singh’s testimony, creating direct partner-level exposure and settlement pressure.
  • The 2024 examiner findings permanently damage Fenwick’s brand with crypto and startup clients.

What makes Fenwick & West unique

  • Fenwick pairs elite Silicon Valley corporate work with high-stakes crypto defense.
  • Alexander Rea’s March 2026 hire expands startup coverage across fintech and blockchain.
  • The firm’s new 50,000-square-foot San Francisco office supports collaborative client service.

Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?

Funding

Total Funding

$289.5M

Above

Industry Average

Funded Over

0 Rounds

Benefits

Health Insurance

Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account

Wellness Program

Company News

Law.com
May 12th, 2026
Fenwick & West faces federal lawsuit over representation of FTX.

Fenwick & West faces federal lawsuit over representation of FTX. The firm was sued in Washington, D.C., district court on Monday, and the plaintiffs are demanding at least $525 million in damages. * The group of plaintiffs consists of 20 people from five different countries who had assets stored within FTX's exchange before it collapsed. * The lawsuit names seven current and former Fenwick partners, along with nine John Does. * Fenwick ceased representing FTX when the cryptocurrency exchange filed for bankruptcy in 2022. Fenwick & West's representation of defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX continues to cause issues for the firm, which is facing a new lawsuit in federal district court in Washington, D.C., filed Wednesday by 20 plaintiffs asking for at least $525 million in compensatory damages. * Exclusive Reporting - Fast, authoritative coverage and sharp analysis. * Integrated Insights - Compass and Radar context built right into articles. * Personalized Experience - Tailored homepage content and curated newsletters. * Smart Search & Alerts - Powerful search and real-time updates. Questions? Contact an Account Specialist at [email protected] | 1-855-808-4530 (Americas) | 44(0) 800 098 386009 (UK & Europe) NOT FOR REPRINT Amanda Bronstad The fee request, which is 9.3% of the settlement fund, is "quite modest," according to class counsel Eric Holland, who is co-class counsel with Chris Seeger of Seeger Weiss. May 12, 2026 Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman The establishment of an experts committee to oversee antitrust remedies in the U.S. Department of Justice's Google search-monopoly case could potentially be replicated in the remedies phase of the Live Nation antitrust case in Manhattan federal court, according to a former Munger, Tolles & Olson attorney who represents clients in high-stakes legal matters. May 12, 2026 Max Mitchell So far, plaintiffs raising claims over session replay software have largely stumbled at the standing phase, with courts finding that merely alleging one's online movements have been tracked is not enough to establish a claim. May 11, 2026 Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman "The Society is the latest casualty in some Executive Branch agencies' bid to investigate hospitals, medical providers and charitable organizations that support transgender health," U.S. District Chief Judge James Boasberg wrote in an opinion preventing the Federal Trade Commission from demanding sensitive records from the Endocrine Society as the litigation plays out. Boasberg also granted extraordinary relief to nonprofit plaintiff World Professional Association for Transgender Health in a separate case against the FTC alleging unlawful retaliation. May 11, 2026 Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman "This investigation will uncover whether this prosecutor is putting the community at risk in offering sweetheart deals to illegal immigrants charged with serious crimes," the Trump administration's top civil rights enforcer said of Commonwealth's attorney Steve Descano of Fairfax County, Virginia, who faces a federal probe by the U.S. Department of Justice. May 08, 2026

Managing IP
Apr 10th, 2026
Fenwick & West leads honours at Managing IP Americas Awards.

Fenwick & West leads honours at Managing IP Americas Awards. April 10 2026 The 2026 Americas ceremony recognised outstanding firms and practitioners, along with highlighting impact cases of the year. Managing IP celebrated the best of the best last night, April 9, at its Americas Awards ceremony at Guastavino's in New York City. The ceremony drew more than 300 guests with expertise across all sectors of IP. From artificial intelligence (AI) to break-out cases involving the US International Trade Commission (ITC), law firms strived to solve some of the most challenging IP questions last year. Back for its 21st year, the Managing IP Americas Awards recognised firms and practitioners for their outstanding IP achievements over the previous 12 months. Co-hosted by Chris Adams, Americas head of research for Managing IP's accreditation title IP STARS, and Managing IP's senior reporter Sanjana Mishra, last night's Americas ceremony covered jurisdictional awards and impact cases. This year's ceremony also included several new categories including US Firm of the Year, Design Patent Firm of the Year, and Latin America Firm to Watch. Heavy hitters. Fenwick & West was the top winner last night, taking home seven awards, including US Firm of the Year. Managing IP presented this award for the first time ever, for overall IP excellence in the country. "We are thankful to Managing IP for these recognitions, and to our clients for the trust they place in us every day," said Jennifer Stanley, Fenwick's IP chair. "Being honoured across such a wide range of IP disciplines reflects the scale and capabilities we've developed to help clients protect, defend and build on their innovations over the long term." Gibson Dunn & Crutcher also struck gold at the ceremony, winning five awards, including US Patent Disputes Firm of the Year. "We are very honoured to receive this recognition from Managing IP of our work for our clients over the past year. Our success has come from the hard work of our incredible and growing team of top trial lawyers in patent litigation," said Brian Rosenthal, partner at Gibson Dunn. Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner snagged one of Managing IP's most highly sought-after awards, Americas Firm of the Year, in addition to three other prizes. IP boutiques were also recognised at the ceremony, with Knobbe Martens winning US IP Boutique Firm of the Year. "We are thrilled and grateful to be recognised once again as a standout firm at the Managing IP Awards," said Steven Nataupsky, managing partner at Knobbe Martens. "These honours reflect the momentum we've seen across all our practice areas over the last year, and the results we have consistently delivered for innovative clients in complex, high-stakes matters." Outside of the US, several firms in Canada and Latin America were commended for their work. According to partner Daniel Glover, this recognition pushes the firm to continue improving its IP practice, particularly in the copyright sector. "Our group is deeply gratified at receiving this recognition from Managing IP. It reflects more than two decades of our team members participating in the highest-stakes copyright cases in Canada with enough rigour and creativity to achieve results that no one believed were possible. We look forward to comparable challenges in years to come." In Latin America, Olivares stood out, also winning three awards. Speaking to Managing IP, Sergio Olivares said that a strong team and dedication to technological expansion allowed the firm to flourish. "Olivares has grown thanks to the talent, commitment, and shared vision of generations of partners, as well as the dedication of our entire team. Their collective effort has been essential in building a firm that is not only technically strong, but also deeply cohesive and aligned in purpose," he said. He added: "The firm has embraced technological development as a key component of its evolution, integrating new tools and systems to enhance efficiency, communication, and the quality of our services." Aside from his firm's wins, Olivares himself received this year's Lifetime Achievement Award. He said that the recognition was both an honour and a deeply emotional moment for him. Olivares dedicated his award to his father, who originally founded the firm. "Ultimately, this award represents not only a personal milestone but a reflection of a lifetime of collective effort - beginning with my family, my wife and children, and continuing with my partners, colleagues, mentors, and clients, who have all played a meaningful role in this journey," he said. "I receive it with gratitude, humility, and a renewed commitment to continue contributing to the development of IP law in Mexico." Impact cases. Elsewhere, AI dominated several prominent matters last year, a theme reflected in the impact cases awarded last night. Angela Dunning, partner at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, represented Meta in Kadrey v Meta, earning her recognition as Copyright Practitioner of the Year in the West. "I am honoured to receive this award, but the credit is not mine alone. I was so grateful to partner with a great team of lawyers - both in-house at Meta and amazing colleagues at other firms - to help deliver this important fair use win for Meta at summary judgment in one of the bellwether AI copyright cases." She added: "Much work remains to be done, but I remain optimistic that the courts will ultimately resolve these critical issues in a manner that furthers the Copyright Act's core purposes of promoting the progress of science and the creation of new expression." Ranjini Acharya, partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, was also recognised as Patent Litigator of the Year in the West, acting for client Fox Corporation in a landmark AI patent case, Recentive Analytics v Fox Corp. "Recentive Analytics was a particularly significant matter given that it was one of the earliest cases exploring the intersection of patents and machine learning technologies," said Acharya. "Being part of a case that is at the forefront of the developing body of law was both challenging and meaningful." Along with AI, the ITC drew significant attention from attorneys, particularly after the Lashify v ITC case. Saina Shamilov, partner at Fenwick & West, secured a landmark victory for Lashify, earning her Managing IP's ITC Practitioner of the Year award. "I'm honoured to receive the recognition. This country is built on innovation, perseverance, and hard work, and I'm proud to have played a role in helping make ITC protections more accessible for homegrown small businesses," she said. The full list of winners can be found here. You can read more about the Managing IP Awards here.

Bloomberg Law
Mar 25th, 2026
Fenwick expands corporate practice with Alexander Rea in NY.

Fenwick expands corporate practice with Alexander Rea in NY. March 25, 2026, 7:27 AM PDT Bloomberg Law Automation Alexander Rea joined Fenwick as a corporate partner in the startup and venture capital practice in New York, the firm announced Wednesday. Rea represents emerging and growth-stage technology companies and their investors across the corporate lifecycle, from financings and recapitalizations to entity formation and corporate governance. He advises across industries including AI, digital health, fintech, blockchain and cryptocurrency, and enterprise software, the firm said. This story was produced by Bloomberg Law Automation. Bloomberg Law provides trusted coverage of current events enhanced with legal analysis.

Law.com
Mar 6th, 2026
Litigation platform Advocacy raises $3.5M with backing from Fenwick & West and Relativity Labs

Advocacy, a litigation platform startup, has raised $3.5 million in seed funding led by Relentless, with participation from Relativity Labs, Fenwick & West, T14 law school investors and a consortium of Big Law and litigation boutique firm partners. Founded by Téo Doremus, a former Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd associate, Advocacy emerged from stealth to offer a platform that streamlines discovery, case strategy and motion drafting. The technology centralises matter information and organises digital evidence, including audio and video files, into case timelines. The funding will support expanding product and engineering teams, hiring legal alignment experts for law firm practice groups and deepening strategic partnerships including with Relativity. Advocacy joins growing numbers of legal tech companies receiving investment from law firms and legal industry investors.

Calcalist
Jan 28th, 2026
Slice raises $25 million Series A led by Insight Partners to tackle the hidden comple | Ctech

The Israeli startup aims to cut legal costs and compliance risk for multinational teams.

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