Debevoise Announces San Francisco Office to Serve West Coast Clients

NEW YORK, March 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Debevoise & Plimpton LLP today announced plans to open a San Francisco office in the second half of this year, bringing on-the-ground corporate and litigation capabilities to the firm's growing Bay Area and West Coast client base. With a special focus on technology companies and the private investment firms that underpin the region's influence in the global economy, the new office will help Debevoise serve West Coast clients while operating as a natural extension of the firm's global office network.

For several years, Debevoise has provided strategic legal services to some of the West Coast's leading companies and investment firms including Lightspeed Venture Partners, PayPal, Ripple, Robinhood and TPG, among others.

Initially led by five partners who will relocate or spend their time between offices, the San Francisco office will cover areas including white collar and regulatory defense, mergers and acquisitions, private equity fund formation, data strategy and security and intellectual property litigation. The partners will be supported by a dynamic group of associates who are relocating to San Francisco. The San Francisco office will be the firm's third U.S. office and tenth globally.  

"We have been considering an office in San Francisco for some time, given our growing concentration of clients in the region, and spent significant time consulting with our clients as we determined our approach," said Michael Blair, Presiding Partner. "We decided that opening a local office with well-established Debevoise partners, and adding local talent over time, presents a tremendous opportunity to deepen our existing client relationships and grow new ones." 

Michael Diz, Co-Chair of Debevoise's Mergers & Acquisitions practice and a Co-Managing Partner of the San Francisco office, noted, "As longtime strategic counselors to a notable set of clients in the region – innovators, thinkers and entrepreneurs – we bring a collaborative, commercial and practical approach to their most complex matters. Now with a physical presence in San Francisco, we will be able to partner with clients even more closely to identify opportunities, anticipate challenges and help them achieve their business objectives."

Julie Riewe, a partner in the firm's White Collar and Regulatory Defense Group, who joined the firm from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) Enforcement Division, added, "Our deep bench of former senior Federal regulators and prosecutors is critical for our clients, as we anticipate increased regulatory scrutiny and investigations from the new administration. This new office will assist us as we counsel our West Coast client base on these matters."  

The new office will be located at 650 California Street, in the heart of the city's Financial District.

San Francisco Partner Biographies

Andrew Ahern, partner in the Investment Management Group, advises sponsors of venture capital, private equity and other funds in the organization and operation of their businesses, including the formation of investment vehicles across a wide range of strategies and geographies.  He also regularly counsels fund sponsors and investors in complex secondary transactions, including fund restructurings and GP-led tender offers.  Mr. Ahern's recent clients include HarbourVest Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Providence Equity Partners and Silver Lake Waterman. He will spend time in both the New York and San Francisco offices. Mr. Ahern was recognized by Law360 (2019) as an MVP for fund formation. Mr. Ahern is admitted to the New York bar and is pending admission to the California bar.

David Bernstein, Chair of the Intellectual Property practice, is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading intellectual property litigators. Mr. Bernstein advocates for clients across a range of areas, including trademark and trade dress, false advertising, domain names and copyright, for clients including Abbott Labs, American Express, Ancestry, Booking.com, Costco, NBC, Novartis, PayPal and WeWork. In 2020, Law360 recognized Mr. Bernstein as a Law360 MVP and recognized his practice as a Practice Group of the Year. A resident of Colorado, he will spend time in both the New York and San Francisco offices. Mr. Bernstein is admitted to the New York bar and is pending admission to the California bar.

Michael Diz, Co-Managing Partner of San Francisco and Co-Chair of the M&A practice, brings a broad-based transactional practice that advises public and private companies, private equity firms and special committees on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and fiduciary duty matters. His clients include Amazon, Verizon, GoDaddy and TPG, among others. Ranked as a leading M&A lawyer by Chambers USA (2020), Mr. Diz is a leader in the Technology, Media & Telecommunications, Private Equity and Corporate Governance Groups. He plans to relocate to San Francisco from New York. Mr. Diz is admitted to the New York bar and the California bar.

Julie Riewe, partner in the White Collar & Regulatory Defense Group, focuses on securities-related enforcement and examination issues and internal investigations, and has significant experience representing asset managers, including private equity funds, hedge funds, mutual funds, and business development companies, as well as broker-dealers, credit ratings agencies, clearing firms and public companies.  Prior to joining Debevoise, Ms. Riewe was Co-Chief of the Asset Management Unit of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) Division of Enforcement, where she oversaw a nationwide program of investigations and directed enforcement efforts. She will spend time in both the Washington, D.C. and San Francisco offices. Ms. Riewe is admitted to the Washington, D.C. bar and the California bar.

David Sarratt, Co-Managing Partner of San Francisco and partner in the White Collar & Regulatory Defense Group, is a seasoned trial lawyer who focuses on government enforcement actions, sensitive internal investigations and complex civil litigation, including matters involving novel enforcement issues arising from new technologies, as well as compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Prior to joining Debevoise, Mr. Sarratt served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of New York, where he investigated and prosecuted cases involving international terrorism, cybercrime, financial and health care fraud, racketeering and other crimes. He has relocated to San Francisco from the New York office. Mr. Sarratt is admitted to the New York bar and the California bar.

Debevoise media contacts:

Jason Weinzimer
212-909-8719
[email protected]

Greer Hunter
212-909-1054
[email protected]

SOURCE Debevoise & Plimpton LLP