Corporate Partner Joins California Practice
PALO ALTO, CA (November 8, 2006) — McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to welcome Peter N. Townshend as a partner in the Firm's Corporate Department. Mr. Townshend has extensive experience representing emerging companies and investors in venture capital and various other transactions. As a member of the Firm's Private Equity/Emerging Companies Group, he will be working from the San Diego and Silicon Valley offices.
"Peter is a significant addition to our California corporate team, bolstering our emerging companies practice in California and Firm-wide," commented Mark Mihanovic, head of the Firm's California corporate practice. "We are enthusiastic about what Peter's credentials, experience and knowledge in the IT and life sciences sectors bring to our Firm and our clients."
Mr. Townshend's practice includes mergers and acquisitions; venture capital; corporate formation; distribution, development, manufacturing, licensing and other commercial transactions; and executive compensation and employment agreements. His clients span various industries, including life sciences, medical device, software, wireless, semiconductors, internet, telecommunications, computer hardware, venture funds and angel networks.
"Peter's representation of life sciences and telecommunications companies will complement our existing focus in San Diego while expanding our scope of services here," commented John Hankins, partner-in-charge of the San Diego office. "Peter's addition is a very positive step in the growth of our California practice, which continues to be an important strategic initiative for the Firm," added Anthony de Alcuaz, partner-in-charge of the Silicon Valley office.
Mr. Townshend earned his J.D. from the University of California, Boalt Hall School of Law. He earned an undergraduate double degree in English and economics from Yale University and his M.B.A. with an emphasis in finance from University of California, Haas School of Business. Mr. Townshend is a member of the American Bar Association, California State Bar Association, Business Law and Technology Sections of the San Diego County Bar Association, American Heart Association, San Diego Venture Group, Women in Technology International, University of San Diego Leadership Institute for Entrepreneurs, CONNECT and the San Diego Software Industry Council.
McDermott's Private Equity/Emerging Companies Group has a substantial practice advising leading private equity firms, entrepreneurs and emerging companies on venture financings, joint ventures, leveraged buyouts and recapitalizations, mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings and other corporate matters. Our lawyers work with numerous emerging companies in industries ranging from software, IT and business services to life sciences, media and telecom. We also work with a number of leading private equity firms on fund formations, early and later stage investments, buy-outs and recapitalizations.
McDermott's Silicon Valley office was founded in 1997 with four lawyers and now numbers nearly 60 lawyers. Our Silicon Valley lawyers focus on serving the needs of technology companies in the San Francisco Bay Area and around the globe. By emphasizing some of the Firm's particular practice strengths, including intellectual property litigation, taxation, corporate/M&A and litigation, our lawyers in Silicon Valley provide legal services to a range of technology and other companies, from start-ups to recognized world leaders.
The lawyers in our San Diego office focus on intellectual property protection for life sciences and high tech companies. In San Diego, McDermott provides a unique combination of technical and scientific knowledge with years of industry-specific legal work. The Firm's San Diego presence complements the already significant strength and depth of our firm-wide well-established international intellectual property and corporate practices.
