Gunderson Dettmer

What Gunderson Dettmer does

Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP is an international law firm founded in 1995 and headquartered in Redwood City, California, with 251-500 employees. The firm is exclusively focused on the innovation economy, representing venture capital and growth equity investors alongside the companies they fund across the full corporate lifecycle — from early-stage formation through late-stage financings, M&A, IPOs, and ongoing public company securities work. Revenue reached $567.5 million in 2025 (13% YoY growth from $503 million), with revenue per lawyer of $1.709 million representing a 20% increase. The firm operates 12 offices across the US (Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, New York, Boston, Ann Arbor, Atlanta, Austin), Latin America (São Paulo hub since 2016), and Asia Pacific (Singapore office since 2016, Beijing). Gunderson Dettmer has been ranked #1 globally by PitchBook for total venture capital deals for 12 consecutive years and represents 500+ VC and growth equity firms worldwide.

The firm's core offering is organized into four practice areas: Early-Stage Company (formation, IP, initial financing), Late-Stage Company (growth financings, M&A), Public Company (securities regulation, governance), and Private Fund (global fund formation for VC and growth equity sponsors). Revenue is generated through professional services fees on transactions, financings, and ongoing advisory engagements. In September 2025, the firm expanded beyond pure legal services by launching Catalyze, an exclusive community platform combining content, events, and AI-enabled technology to support startups and investors across the venture ecosystem. The firm has also published Firm AI Principles with contractual no-LLM-training-on-client-data assurances, positioning AI as a productivity and ecosystem layer with confidentiality guardrails rather than a core differentiator. The firm is structured as a private limited liability partnership (LLP) owned by its partners, with no outside capital or public shareholders.

Name

Gunderson Dettmer

Legal name

Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP

Website

http://www.gunder.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Gunderson Dettmer is an international law firm founded in 1995 that exclusively serves the innovation economy, representing venture capital and growth equity investors and their portfolio companies from formation through IPO. Operating 12 offices across the US, Latin America, and Asia Pacific, the firm reported $567.5 million in revenue in 2025 and has ranked #1 globally by PitchBook for VC deal volume for 12 consecutive years.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Redwood City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: The firm provides comprehensive legal services to venture capital investors, growth equity firms, and emerging and public companies throughout their lifecycle. Revenue is generated through legal fees for representation in financing transactions, M&A, IPOs, and fund formation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Gunderson Dettmer is an international business law firm that provides specialized legal counsel to venture capital and growth equity investors and to the technology and life-sciences companies they fund. Services span the full company lifecycle—from early-stage formation and seed financings through late-stage growth rounds, M&A, IPOs, ongoing public-company securities compliance, and global fund formation for VC and growth equity sponsors. The firm also operates Catalyze, a community platform for startups and investors launched in September 2025.

Product overview

Gunderson Dettmer is an international law firm focused on the innovation economy, offering legal services across the venture capital and growth equity ecosystem. The firm's primary offering is comprehensive legal counsel organized into four core service areas: Early-Stage Company (guiding founders through initial entrepreneurial steps), Late-Stage Company (supporting growth and milestone achievement), Public Company (handling securities regulation and corporate governance), and Private Fund/Fund Formation (advising VC and growth equity investors). Additionally, the firm operates Catalyze, a community platform launched in September 2025 that combines online content, events, and AI-enabled technology to support startups and investors throughout the venture ecosystem. The firm has been ranked #1 globally by PitchBook for VC law for twelve consecutive years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Catalyze: An exclusive community platform built to support and empower companies throughout the startup journey, combining online content, events, and AI-enabled technology to foster connections and knowledge sharing within the venture ecosystem.

Products and services

• Early-Stage Company Legal Services Legal counsel and support for founders of early-stage ventures, guiding them through formation, intellectual property protection, initial financings, and early corporate governance steps.
• Late-Stage Company Legal Services Legal services for late-stage companies addressing complex financings, milestone events, growth-stage transactions, and pre-exit preparation.
• Public Company Legal Services Comprehensive legal support for public companies in securities regulation, corporate governance, ongoing disclosure obligations, and strategic matters.
• Private Fund Legal Services Global fund formation advisory and ongoing legal counsel for venture capital and growth equity firms, including fund structuring, governance, and investor relations.
• Catalyze Community Platform An exclusive community platform combining online content, events, and AI-enabled technology to foster connections and knowledge sharing among startups and investors in the venture ecosystem.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13% revenue growth to $567.5 million in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Goodwin ProcterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2026Legal and operational support partner in Hivemind Capital's darkmatter lab program, providing resources to accelerate frontier technology commercialization for UC Berkeley researchers.
• Berkeley SkyDeckminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2026Legal and operational support partner in Hivemind Capital's darkmatter lab program, providing startup acceleration resources to UC Berkeley researchers.
• Alpha EdisonminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 October 2025Co-organized PitchLive.LA competition during LA Tech Week to support startup ecosystem and identify promising companies.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cooley LLP: One of Gunderson Dettmer's closest direct competitors, with a leading venture capital, emerging companies, and M&A practice. Both firms regularly compete for VC financings, IPOs, and public-company mandates across Silicon Valley and beyond.
• Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati: Premier VC and technology law firm with deep roots in Silicon Valley. Overlaps with Gunderson Dettmer across venture financings, IPOs, and public company advisory for tech and life sciences clients.
• Fenwick & West: Boutique tech and life sciences law firm focused on venture financings, M&A, and IPOs. Competes head-to-head with Gunderson Dettmer in early- and late-stage venture deals in the Bay Area and beyond.
• Goodwin Procter: Major competitor in venture capital, growth equity, and emerging company work. Goodwin's tech and life sciences practices are highly comparable, including cross-border capabilities and fund formation services.

Broad incumbents

• Davis Polk & Wardwell: Elite Wall Street firm that represents issuers and underwriters on major IPOs and high-end M&A. Overlaps with GD on public-company advisory and large-cap venture-backed exits, especially in tech and life sciences.
• Sidley Austin: Large global firm with growing emerging companies, venture capital, and life sciences practices. Competes on financings, M&A, and public company work for venture-backed issuers.
• Latham & Watkins: Global full-service firm with a significant emerging companies and venture capital practice. Not VC-only, but increasingly competes for high-growth financings, M&A, and IPO mandates from the same client base.
• Cleary Gottlieb: Elite international firm with strong capital markets and M&A capabilities. Overlaps with GD on cross-border IPOs, M&A, and complex financing transactions for venture-backed companies.
• Skadden Arps: Global full-service firm with a strong M&A and capital markets practice. Increasingly active in venture-backed financings, IPOs, and tech M&A, competing with Gunderson Dettmer for high-profile mandates.

Others

• Harvey (legal AI): Legal AI platform serving major law firms including Am Law 100 firms. Relevant as an enabling/ecosystem peer — its adoption by competitors could reshape GD's productivity, pricing, and service delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GundersonLaw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gunderson-dettmer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments21 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gunderson Dettmer