Skip to content
Foley & Lardner LLP announced today that Lyman Thai has joined the firm’s San Francisco office as a partner in its Transaction Practice Group and the innovative technology sector and member of its Venture & Growth Capital team. Thai marks the 11th lawyer added to Foley’s Bay Area list of firms since February of last year, further strengthening the firm’s presence in Northern California and demonstrating its commitment to providing effective business solutions to clients of emerging companies. and venture capital spaces in the region.
Thai focuses his practice on representing founders, venture capital firms and corporate investors in a wide range of transactional matters at all stages of growth. He draws on previous experience as general counsel for a venture capital-backed technology startup to advise corporate clients on corporate governance, federal and state securities laws, stock and options administration, intellectual property protection, employment and compensation, commercial contracts, mergers and acquisitions, and other strategic transactions, including financing and investments through shares, debt and convertible instruments.
“The growth of key transactional practices in the San Francisco Bay Area and Greater Silicon Valley remains a strategic focus for the company,” said Michael Okaty, Co-Chair of Foley’s Transactions Practice Group. “Lyman’s understanding of the region’s startup space and proven success in delivering practical solutions to high-growth technology companies adds significant value to our team and enhances the depth of our offerings for innovative technology companies, an important strategic focus for the company.”
Thai has represented entrepreneurs, executives and management teams of fast-growing technology companies in various industries, including cloud computing, cybersecurity, digital media, enterprise software, financial technology, applications mobile, on-demand services, online travel, social media, software. -as-a-service (SaaS), video games and other emerging businesses and technologies. In addition to advising on general business matters, Thai leads client teams and coordinates specialists to address issuesterms covering licensing, patent and trademark lawsuits, tax, benefits, employment and general commercial litigation, real estate, privacy, CFIUS/national security, HSR/antitrust and d other regulatory matters.
“Lyman is a highly regarded lawyer in the Bay Area and will play a key role in furthering the growth of our emerging companies and our venture capital capabilities in Northern California,” said Thomas Carlucci, partner. director of the firm’s San Francisco office. “We are thrilled to welcome Lyman to the team and look forward to building on our momentum in California with his arrival.”
“Like my clients, I thrive on building and innovating,” Thai said. “Foley’s entrepreneurial culture and strategic focus on the technology sector, reinforced by the firm’s extensive and diverse legal expertise across its domestic and international platforms, resonates strongly with me and will allow me to better serve my clients. I look forward and excited to partner with my talented new colleagues at Foley to develop a destination legal practice for the Northern California startup ecosystem and the global Silicon Valley.
Thai joins Foley from Wilson Sonsini in San Francisco and is the latest in a series of corporate full-backs who have joined Foley’s offices in Northern California. The firm announced last year the addition of nine transactional attorneys to its San Francisco and Silicon Valley offices, including partners Louis Lehot, Natasha Allen, Brandee Diamond and André Thiollier, and in August 2022, she welcomes Alidad Vakili to San Francisco.
Foley Venture & Growth Capital lawyers understand the complex and diverse needs of venture capital funds and their portfolio companies, offering a wide range of services at every stage of development. Earlier this year, the company launched Foley ignitea technology platform designed to meet the needs of startups, founders, emerging growth companies and the entire investment community.
About Foley & Lardner LLP
Foley & Lardner LLP is a leading law firm that sits at the crossroads of energy, healthcare and life sciences, innovative technologies and manufacturing. We look beyond the law to focus on the ever-changing demands facing our clients and act as trusted business advisors to provide creative, practical and effective solutions. Our 1,100 lawyers in 25 offices around the world partner on the full range of engagements, from corporate counsel to intellectual property work and litigation assistance, providing our clients with a one-team solution for all their needs. For nearly two centuries, Foley has maintained its commitment to the highest level of innovative legal services and to the stewardship of our employees, our firm, our clients and the communities we serve.