Naftulin Brings Nearly 25 Years of Experience and a Strong Network to Early-Stage Companies and the Venture Community

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the leading provider of legal services to technology, life sciences, and growth enterprises worldwide, announced that Danielle Naftulin, an accomplished attorney with nearly 25 years of experience advising emerging companies and their venture investors on a broad array of issues and transactions, has joined the firm’s Corporate Department as a partner. Based in the Palo Alto office, Naftulin further expands the firm’s highly regarded life sciences practice, enhancing its ability to meet increasing client demand on both local and national levels.

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Danielle Naftulin, Partner, Wilson Sonsini

Naftulin, who joins from Cooley, bolsters an already market-leading practice. In recent years, Wilson Sonsini has successfully handled hundreds of public offerings and M&A transactions for life sciences clients, with a total value exceeding $97.3 billion. Additionally, it has represented these clients in over 1,500 venture financing rounds raising more than $14.5 billion. The firm has also provided strategic guidance to hundreds of life sciences clients on commercial collaborations.

Naftulin is widely recognized as a trusted advisor to emerging companies and venture capital investors in the formation and financing of high-growth businesses in the life sciences, healthcare, and technology sectors. Throughout her distinguished career, she has guided clients through various transformative events, including venture capital financings, mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations, spinouts, and general corporate matters. Additionally, she has extensive experience helping companies navigate initial public offerings and strategic transactions.

"Danielle is an outstanding attorney, and we are pleased to welcome her to the firm," said Doug Clark, managing partner at Wilson Sonsini. "Her background in life sciences, healthcare, and tech aligns perfectly with our core strengths. Those in our firm who have worked with her have consistently been impressed by her legal acumen, dedication to clients, and relentless pursuit of excellence. These qualities make her a valuable addition to our team."

Naftulin’s background includes representing leading investors such as ARCH, G2VP, Norwest Venture Partners, Redmile Group, and Sonder Capital in high-profile investments across various sectors. On the company side, she has counseled emerging companies in securing financing from seed to later-stage rounds, helping start-ups bring innovative solutions to market.

Naftulin's leadership in the venture capital space is highlighted by her influential role on the National Venture Capital Association’s General Counsel Advisory Board and her frequent speaking engagements with the Practising Law Institute, law schools, and various other organizations.

"Danielle partners with a mix of biotech, digital health, hardware and software, cloud, consumer internet, and marketplace companies, providing practical, straightforward solutions," said Allison Spinner, a partner at Wilson Sonsini and head of the Corporate Department. "She’s known for her collaborative approach, working with clients and all parties involved to resolve issues in ways that work for everyone. For this reason, Danielle has earned deep loyalty from start-ups and venture investors alike, and we are thrilled that she's chosen to join us."

Naftulin has been recognized by Chambers USA as a leading venture capital attorney and named to Lawdragon’s list of “500 Leading Dealmakers in America.” Additionally, she was honored as a Rising Star by Northern California Super Lawyers and received the YWCA of Silicon Valley’s Tribute to Women in Industry award, further cementing her impact in the field.

Naftulin earned her J.D. from UCLA School of Law in 2000 and an A.B. in history with honors from the University of Michigan in 1997.

“I am excited to join Wilson Sonsini and contribute to its leading corporate life sciences practice,” said Naftulin. “The firm’s team-oriented culture and dedication to innovation provide an ideal environment to support entrepreneurs and investors at every stage of their journey. I look forward to working closely with my colleagues across the firm’s market-leading practices, particularly in patents and technology transactions, to help visionary clients transform industries and markets.”

Wilson Sonsini represents a range of start-up and established life sciences clients that fall into several sectors, including drug discovery; biotech, genomics, and proteomics; screening and diagnostics; medical devices and supplies; pharmaceuticals; health services; and agtech and foodtech. The firm’s clients also include research institutions, start-up accelerators and incubators, and the venture capital funds and banks that invest in life sciences companies.

About Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

For more than 60 years, Wilson Sonsini has focused its services and legal disciplines on addressing the principal challenges faced by the management and boards of directors of business enterprises. The firm is nationally recognized as a leading provider of counsel to growing and established clients involved in sophisticated corporate and technology transactions, governance and enterprise-scale matters, intellectual property development, protection and IP-driven transactions, contested disputes, and regulatory matters. With deep roots in Silicon Valley, Wilson Sonsini boasts over 1,000 attorneys and 18 offices across 17 technology, business, and regulatory markets in the United States, China, and Europe. For more information, please visit www.wsgr.com.

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