Private Equity Fund Lawyers in Palo Alto
9 fund lawyers at 6 firms list private equity fund work in Palo Alto.
Everyone here is listed from their firm’s own bio page, and nobody pays to be listed or to rank. Last verified Oct 23–24, 2026. How we check
- Partners
- 9
- all at partner level
- Firms
- 6
Private equity fund attorneys in Palo Alto
PartnerWilmerHale
Palo Alto, CAPractices: Fund formation, Private equity funds, Venture funds
- Since 1992. In practice since 1992, from the firm’s bio.
PartnerSidley Austin
Palo Alto, CAAlso private equity funds, venture funds, secondaries
- Leads with: Fund formation. The practice the firm’s bio leads with.
- Since 1995. In practice since 1995, from the firm’s bio.
- GP and LP side. Acts for both fund sponsors and investors, as the firm’s bio says.
PartnerCooley
Palo Alto, CAAlso private equity funds, venture funds
- Leads with: Fund formation. The practice the firm’s bio leads with.
- GP side. Acts for fund sponsors (GPs), as the firm’s bio says.
PartnerSidley Austin
Palo Alto, CAAlso private equity funds, venture funds, secondaries
- Leads with: Fund formation. The practice the firm’s bio leads with.
- Since 1997. In practice since 1997, from the firm’s bio.
- GP and LP side. Acts for both fund sponsors and investors, as the firm’s bio says.
PartnerKirkland & Ellis
San Francisco, CA + 1 moreAlso fund formation, private equity funds, private credit funds
- Leads with: Secondaries. The practice the firm’s bio leads with.
- Since 2004. In practice since 2004, from the firm’s bio.
- GP side. Acts for fund sponsors (GPs), as the firm’s bio says.
PartnerMorrison Foerster
Palo Alto, CAAlso private equity funds, venture funds, real estate funds
- Leads with: Fund formation. The practice the firm’s bio leads with.
- GP and LP side. Acts for both fund sponsors and investors, as the firm’s bio says.
Managing Partner, San Francisco OfficeK&L Gates
San Francisco, CA + 1 moreAlso private equity funds, venture funds, private credit funds + 3 more
- Leads with: Fund formation. The practice the firm’s bio leads with.
- Since 1988. In practice since 1988, from the firm’s bio.
- GP and LP side. Acts for both fund sponsors and investors, as the firm’s bio says.
PartnerCooley
Palo Alto, CAAlso private equity funds, venture funds
- Leads with: Fund formation. The practice the firm’s bio leads with.
- GP side. Acts for fund sponsors (GPs), as the firm’s bio says.
PartnerMorrison Foerster
Palo Alto, CAAlso private equity funds, venture funds
- Leads with: Fund formation. The practice the firm’s bio leads with.
- Since 2006. In practice since 2006, from the firm’s bio.
- GP and LP side. Acts for both fund sponsors and investors, as the firm’s bio says.
Private Equity Fund Law Firms in Palo Alto, by partners listed
- CooleyPalo Alto2partners
- Morrison FoersterPalo Alto2partners
- Sidley AustinPalo Alto2partners
- K&L GatesPalo Alto · San Francisco1partner
- Kirkland & EllisPalo Alto · San Francisco1partner
- WilmerHalePalo Alto1partner
Private equity fund attorneys in Palo Alto, by the numbers
Who has practised longest here?
By the first year in practice each firm’s bio gives; 6 of the 9 here give one.
- J. Matthew ManganManaging Partner, San Francisco Office · K&L GatesSince 1988
- Fred J. AdamPartner · WilmerHaleSince 1992
- Rob R. CarlsonPartner · Sidley AustinSince 1995
- Shane GoudeyPartner · Sidley AustinSince 1997
- Damian JacobsPartner · Kirkland & EllisSince 2004
About this list
What private equity fund lawyers do
Private equity fund lawyers form and advise buyout and growth funds: the fund’s terms (management fee, carried interest, investment period, key-person and removal provisions), its investor negotiations and closings, and later the co-investment vehicles, amendments and GP-led deals that come up over the fund’s life.
In sum
9 fund lawyers at 6 firms are listed on this page in Palo Alto. The 5 with the most: Cooley (2), Morrison Foerster (2), Sidley Austin (2), K&L Gates (1) and Kirkland & Ellis (1). The schools their bios name most: NYU (3) and University of (3). Of the 6 who give a first year in practice, half began in 1995 or before.
Questions
How many private equity fund attorneys does FundOpsHQ list in Palo Alto?
9 partners at 6 firms. Last checked Oct 23–24, 2026. Each one is at partner level, and their firm's own bio page names private equity fund work.
Which private equity fund law firms have the most partners listed in Palo Alto?
Cooley (2), Morrison Foerster (2) and Sidley Austin (2), counting the partners each firm's own website lists for private equity fund work in Palo Alto.
Which other cities have the most private equity fund attorneys?
New York (411), Chicago (115) and Washington, D.C. (76).
What else do these lawyers work on?
The practices they list most alongside private equity fund work: fund formation (9), venture funds (8) and secondaries (3).
How many of these lawyers help set up new private equity funds?
9 of the 9 also list fund formation work, the setting up of a fund and its terms with investors.
How does a fund lawyer get on this list?
By being a partner, principal, shareholder or member whose firm's own website lists them for this work. FundOpsHQ reads each firm's public bio pages and dates every check. Nobody pays to be listed or to rank, and anyone listed can claim, correct or remove their profile. How the directory works
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