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Our Team

Headshot photo of Steve Ryan
Corporate
Headshot photo of Christina F. Pearson
“When picking your team, surround yourself not only with smart people, but people you enjoy brainstorming, debating and talking with.”
Corporate
Headshot photo of Stan Lewandowski
Stan counsels domestic and international companies on optimal structuring, financing, operations, development and other strategic transactional issues, primarily in the artificial intelligence, fintech, aerospace, education, travel, cybersecurity, gaming and renewable energy sectors.
Corporate
Headshot photo of Masao Kasatsugu
Corporate
Tax
Headshot photo of Daphne M. Higgs
Global Sourcing & Technology Transactions
Headshot photo of Jon Jekel
Intellectual Property
Headshot photo of Nora Burke
Tax
Headshot photo of Christian A. Salaman
“Keep it simple. Just like your product or service, over-engineering your legal matters will only complicate your operations, fundraising or exit.”
Corporate
Headshot photo of Ryan A. Kenny
Executive Compensation & Benefits
Headshot photo of Jeff Norton
Finance
Headshot photo of Allison M. Leopold Tilley
Named to The Recorder’s “Women Leaders in Tech Law” six consecutive times, Allison advises technology companies on formation, venture capital financings, M&As, public offerings and securities transactions.
Corporate
Headshot photo of Brent A. Morowitz
Corporate
Headshot photo of Mark Jones
“Compensation plans are not ‘one size fits all.’ Every company has different needs and goals, and a well designed plan will take those into account.”
Executive Compensation & Benefits
Headshot photo of Joshua Becker
Tax
Headshot photo of Natasha Atkinson
Insolvency & Restructuring
Headshot photo of Richard L. Blaylock
Richard’s practice covers financing, M&A, licensing, collaboration and partnering arrangements and IP counseling for innovative, tech-focused startup and established companies.
Corporate
Headshot photo of Jason Stirling
“Recruiting and retaining great colleagues is a critical and never-ending process - it takes a lot of attention and personal empathy to get it right and it is amazing to see the results when it is done well.”
Corporate
Headshot photo of Chase Dietz
Intellectual Property
Headshot photo of Baylee Beeman
Tax
Headshot photo of Stanley F. Pierson
“I can’t state strongly enough the value that Stan brings. In financing/M&A you want the right person looking out for you, someone who knows all the traps and all the players. Stan is the best ‘lifeguard’ you can possibly have.”
—Jeff Enderwick, software entrepreneur
Corporate
Headshot photo of Steven Farmer
As one serial entrepreneur once said: “If you’re passionate about something, you work hard and you surround yourself with the right people, then success should follow.”
Intellectual Property, Data Privacy, Marketing
Headshot photo of Glenn Luinenburg
Corporate
Headshot photo of Krisha Patel
Corporate
Headshot photo of Laura L. McDaniels
Executive Compensation & Benefits
Headshot photo of Justin J. Bintrim
Corporate
Headshot photo of Lee Alexander
Corporate
Headshot photo of Drew Simon-Rooke
Corporate
Headshot photo of Julia Michell Ho-Gonzalez
Corporate
Headshot photo of Andy Smetana
Corporate
Headshot photo of Steven Green
Corporate
Headshot photo of Lindsey K. Livingston
Corporate
Headshot photo of Valeska Pederson Hintz
Emerging Companies & Venture Capital
Headshot photo of David T. Holland
“David is a responsive, thoughtful and business-focused partner. He has been our go-to outside counsel for strategic investments and fundraisings, and was crucial in successfully closing our most recent flagship venture fund.”
General Counsel at a leading VC firm
Corporate
Headshot photo of Rebecca Carr Rizzo
Employment Law
Headshot photo of Michael Robert Flynn
“Alignment is everything. Founders, management, investors, lenders, strategics… We partner with you to build and preserve the alignment of interests that will drive your startup to success.”
Headshot photo of Lewis McCorkle
Corporate
Headshot photo of Todd Rumberger
Corporate
Headshot photo of Anne G. Reyna
Corporate
Headshot photo of Lacey Sun
Corporate
Headshot photo of Justin D. Hovey
“Raising money requires a completely different part of your brain than product development and customer acquisition—so assign this responsibility to one of the founders so that the other founders can focus on the business.”
Corporate
Headshot photo of Alex Davidson
Corporate
Headshot photo of Steven James
An efficient, effective and an excellent, timely communicator. His deep and technical knowledge of IP is unparalleled.
—Legal 500 UK
Intellectual Property
Headshot photo of Nathan D. Renov
Intellectual Property
Headshot photo of Drew A. Reitz
Trusts & Estates
Headshot photo of Ryan Sullivan
“An excellent strategist and a fierce advocate, Ryan made a very stressful lawsuit as painless as possible. He patiently guided us through every step—strategy, discovery and hearings—ultimately delivering a favorable outcome.”
—CEO of a Certified B Corporation
Litigation
Headshot photo of Jessica Lutrin
“Equity compensation is vital for emerging companies because it fosters a culture of ownership and innovation. Working with seasoned advisors ensures that this compensation strategy is structured effectively to maximize the benefits for both the company and its team.”
Executive Compensation & Benefits
Headshot photo of Ronald Fleming
The leader of our New York Emerging Companies team, Ron represents entrepreneurs and startup investors across industries including software, ecommerce, cloud computing, video games, cleantech and sports.
Corporate
Headshot photo of Willie Almack
Corporate
Headshot photo of Sarah Melaney
“An exceptional lawyer and invaluable resource to the company ... she is adept at quickly getting to the center of corporate matters and providing strategic solutions.”
—Chambers UK 2025
Corporate
Headshot photo of Riaz A. Karamali
“It’s been said that launching a startup is like launching a rocket—if you’re even one degree off at launch, you’ll find yourself off course, and it will be increasingly difficult to get back on course and reach your destination.”
Corporate
Headshot photo of Matthew Grillo
Intellectual Property
Headshot photo of Ann M. Kim
Corporate
Headshot photo of Michael Grosso
Intellectual Property
Headshot photo of Sandro Serra
Intellectual Property
Headshot photo of Margarita Kelrikh
Corporate
Headshot photo of Eunice Choi
"Eunice goes far beyond the role of a lawyer; she genuinely looks out for our interests and helps us anticipate what we need before we ask. I’ve referred her to multiple fund managers because I believe, without hesitation, that Eunice is an extraordinary value for anyone fortunate enough to work with her."
Daniel Morse at HF0
Investment Funds
Headshot photo of Tara Shankar
Corporate
Headshot photo of Ellen C. Grady
Corporate
Headshot photo of Patrick S. Dolan
Corporate
Headshot photo of Steven L. Meltzer
“A trusted adviser and counselor. He understands the bigger picture of very complex transactions and gets to the most critical point of the negotiation.”
—Chambers USA
Corporate
Headshot photo of Patrick J. Devine
“We had the great fortune to be represented by Patrick in two recent M&A deals. He handled the complexity of the transactions with his usual high degree of professionalism and calm good judgment.”
—Executive VP, Fortune 10 company
Corporate
Headshot photo of Kit Ryan
Corporate
Headshot photo of Johanna Lipponen
Global Sourcing & Technology Transactions
Headshot photo of Stephen M. Wurzburg
Steve advises small companies on financing and stock liquidity matters, selling and licensing products and services; protecting and monetizing IP assets; and director/shareholder relations issues.
Corporate
Headshot photo of Tess Beimler
Corporate
Headshot photo of Mike Hird
“Although funding has its uses, creativity and enthusiasm are the true currencies for best-of-breed startup and emerging companies.”
Corporate
Headshot photo of Nathan Lewko
Corporate
Headshot photo of Saarah Woodby
Corporate
Headshot photo of Matt Kirmayer
Corporate
Headshot photo of Josh Tucker
This software savant has also masterminded different techniques to help his clients overcome patent eligibility issues and is in high demand as a result.
—IAM Patent 1000
Intellectual Property
Headshot photo of Ashley E. Huh
Trusts & Estates
Headshot photo of Nick Burgess
Corporate
Headshot photo of Paul Casas
Corporate
Headshot photo of Mediha M. Ali
Corporate
Headshot photo of Carolyn S. Toto
“Affords the highest level of representation, provides key insights on strategy, is detail-oriented and maintains a mastery of all aspects of her cases.”
—World Trademark Review 1000
Intellectual Property
Headshot photo of John Rockwell
Corporate
Headshot photo of Colleen E. Lamarre
Executive Compensation & Benefits
Headshot photo of Sam E. Iverson
Intellectual Property
Headshot photo of Blake Berkey
Corporate
Headshot photo of Nadia Barazi
Corporate
Headshot photo of Jean F. Kuei
Employment Law
Headshot photo of Robert J. Stein
A brilliant lawyer—able to distill complex legal issues into practical commercial considerations. By taking the time to truly understand our business, Robby knows what we should care about and how to best advance our interests.
—Mark Shifke, CFO of Digital Currency Group
Bank & Leveraged Finance
Headshot photo of Steven A. Kaplan
“No agreement with your cofounders or VCs can substitute for a good relationship. Be sure to work with people you trust to stand by you in good times and bad. (But still get the best contract you can.)”
Corporate
Headshot photo of Thomas Ly
Corporate

About Pillsbury

Our Emerging Growth & Venture Capital team is structured to grow with our clients. For newly established startups and emerging entities, our practice operates as a specialty boutique, assisting them with financing, structuring and their other legal needs while positioning them for future success. As our clients grow, so does our team, providing the right lawyers to meet our clients’ specific needs at every stage of their development. With decades of experience, we have assisted thousands of entrepreneurs, startups and investors across fast-paced, developing industries.

We have taken shoestring startups to market-leading positions, regularly assisting in client fundraising efforts through venture financings, technology transactions, and acquisitions as they grow. We help emerging company clients and investor clients analyze and navigate exit strategies, whether through an initial public offering or a strategic acquisition to accomplish their business objectives.

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