Bye bye, Brobeck
Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian places near the top of the industry rankings of law firms with the gangliest names. But that isn't the only way this firm leads the way. Founded in 1995 as a spin-off of San Francisco's Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison, wins attention as one of the few firms in the Valley whose client list almost entirely consists of technology companies, venture investors, and investment banks. With offices in the Valley, Austin, and Route 128 (Boston), the firm's 70+ lawyers break down the practice into the following groups: Corporate & Securities; Technology, Intellectual Property & Corporate Partnering; Executive Compensation & Employment; and Tax.
Big bucks
Gunderson Dettmer has certainly sounded off in the ongoing Silicon Valley salary wars. In December 1999, the firm shocked many when it announced that its first years would earn $125,000 plus a guaranteed minimum bonus of $20,000. Commenting on the move, Partner Steve Franklin told The Recorder: "We want to say to the folks in Chicago this is a wake-up call, this is where things are happening, this is where the opportunities are - You may be happy as a clam sitting in the Midwest or on the East Coast, but that's not where the action is."
Scott Dettmer and the IPO parade
Named by The American Lawyer as one of 12 "Dealmakers of the Year" for 1998, name partner Scott Dettmer keeps a steady footing on the Valley's often-treacherous legal and business terrain. Dettmer won particular recognition for his work advising C2B Technologies, an Alamo, CA-based venture that went from near-bankruptcy in 1997 to being acquired in August 1998 by Inktomi Corp. for $158 million. Other clients on Dettmer's list include Internet infrastructure developer Marimba Inc. and Micromuse, leading provider of realtime fault and service-level management software.
