Louis Lehot is a partner and business lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP, based in the firm’s Silicon Valley, San Francisco and Los Angeles offices, where he is a member of the Private Equity & Venture Capital, M&A and Transactions Practices and the Technology, Health Care, and Energy Industry Teams. Louis focuses his practice on advising entrepreneurs and their management teams, investors and financial advisors at all stages of growth, from garage to global. Louis especially enjoys being able to help his clients achieve hyper-growth, go public and to successfully obtain optimal liquidity events.
To assist his clients in realizing their objectives, Louis brings to bear a broad array of legal and business instruments, processes and strategies, from formation to liquidity. He guides emerging private companies as they secure venture capital financing, prepare for IPO or de-SPAC, and navigate the exit. His domain experience in public offerings and private placements of equity, equity-linked, and debt securities, mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, spinoffs, strategic investments, and joint ventures, as well as corporate governance and securities law compliance matters, serves his clients well. Additionally, Louis regularly represents US and non-US registrants before the SEC, FINRA, NYSE and NASDAQ.
Prior to joining Foley, Louis was the founder of a Silicon Valley boutique law firm called L2 Counsel. He previously served as both the co-managing partner and co-chair of the emerging growth and venture capital practice of a global law firm in Silicon Valley. With a legal career in New York, London, Paris, and Silicon Valley spanning more than 20 years, Louis has worked in technology, health care, clean energy, and other innovative industries, leveraging the latest legal technology tools to drive strategies and solutions that make sense.
On a very short list of Silicon Valley’s and San Francisco’s leading corporate lawyers, Louis has handled some of the highest profile matters in the tech, health care, and clean energy spaces. Louis has been recognized by peer-reviewed industry guides and leading practitioners as one of the most innovative, creative, and versatile corporate counsel. Chambers USA commented,
"Louis Lehot is known for the high quality of his advice, his responsiveness and passion for his clients."
Clients have noted,
"ease of working with Louis and his ability to cross over into the international space."
The Legal 500 US noted that clients have commented on Louis’ abilities as a “master networker” in Silicon Valley. Louis was selected to the Super Lawyers (2021) and Rising Stars (2011 – 2012) list in the field of M&A.
Louis has served as a two-time faculty member of Stanford Director’s College, an advisory board member of the Silicon Valley Directors’ Exchange, and a member of Boston College Law School’s Business Advisory Council.
Louis practices giving back, supporting local and global initiatives to help our communities, including the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, Home of Hope, Caring for Cambodia, Doctors without Borders, Equal Justice for America, Second Harvest, Ecumenical Hunger Program, Goodwill of Southern California, UAspire, Girl Power Talk and Palo Alto Partners in Education.
Practice areas
22 years
22 years
22 years
22 years
Languages spoken
French
State | Status | Acquired | Updated |
---|---|---|---|
CA | Active | 2006 | 02/07/2022 |
NY | Currently registered | 2001 | 02/24/2022 |
Award name | Grantor | Date Granted |
---|---|---|
Top Debt and Equity Capital Markets Lawyer (California) (Band 3) | Chambers USA | 2015 |
Top Debt and Equity Capital Markets Lawyer, California, Band 3 | Chambers USA | 2014 |
Top Debt and Equity Capital Markets Lawyer, California: Band 2 | Chambers USA | 2013 |
Up and Coming Debt and Equity Capital Markets Lawyer, California | Chambers USA | 2012 |
Rising Star | Northern California Super Lawyers | 2012 |
Up and Coming Debt and Equity Capital Markets Lawyer, California | Chambers USA | 2011 |
Rising Star | Northern California Super Lawyers | 2011 |
Mention | Legal 500 | N/A |
Title | Company name | Duration |
---|---|---|
President and Managing Partner | L2 Counsel, P.C. | 2019 - Present |
Corporate Partner | DLA Piper LLP (US) | 2015 - 2019 |
Corporate Law Partner | Cooley LLP | 2013 - 2015 |
Partner | Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton | 2009 - 2013 |
Senior Associate | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP | 2005 - 2009 |
Associate | Shearman & Sterling LLP | 2003 - 2005 |
Associate | Shearman & Sterling LLP | 2000 - 2003 |
Association name | Position name | Duration |
---|---|---|
Boston College Law School | Member, Business Advisory Council | 2016 - Present |
French American Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco | Member | 2009 - Present |
American Bar Association, Business Law Section, Negotiated Acquisitions Committee, Merger and Acquisition Trends Subcommittee | Member | 2007 - Present |
Silicon Valley Directors Exchange | Member, Advisory Board | 2016 - 2019 |
Publication name | Title | Date |
---|---|---|
The Recorder | A Silicon Valley Dealmaker sizes up US-China Trade Tensions | 2018 |
Financial Times | Freemium legal services to cut legal costs | 2018 |
Global Legal Chronicle | SoftBank Vision Fund invests $300 million in Wag Labs | 2018 |
Lexology | The hot list: 2017 proxy season trends and action items | 2017 |
The Recorder | SEC Leader Signals Revised Rules for Crowdfunding | 2011 |
The Recorder | Poison Pills with a Twist | 2011 |
The Recorder (San Francisco) | Nuts and Bolts of New Proxy Access Regime | 2010 |
The Recorder | A Guide to Poison Pills | 2010 |
INSIGHTS | SEC Action Under Regulation FD for Implicit Communications | 2010 |
Corporate and Securities Law Blog | SEC Adopts Mandatory Proxy Access Rule for Shareholder Director Nominations -- Applicable for 2011 Proxy Season | 2010 |
The San Francisco Daily Journal | Use Of Credit Ratings Information After Passage of Dodd-Frank Act, The | 2010 |
Corporate and Securities Law Blog | Dodd-Frank Redefines the Definition of "Accredited Investor" | 2010 |
Corporate and Securities Law Blog | First SEC enforcement action under Regulation G for Misleading Non-GAAP Financial Measures | 2009 |
School name | Degree | Graduated |
---|---|---|
Boston College Law School | JD - Juris Doctor | 2000 |
Georgetown University | B.S.F.S | 1994 |
Institut d'Etudes Politiques | CEP | 1993 |
Conference name | Title | Date |
---|---|---|
Stanford Directors' College | Brexit, tariffs and the trade wars | 2019 |
Global Corporate Venture Capital Summit | ICO's and venture financing: the issues | 2018 |
Bio Investor Forum | CFIUS: understanding the new regulatory regime - an investor's perspective | 2018 |
VCGC Annual Meeting 2016 | Mergers and Acquisitions: Exiting Smartly | 2016 |
Corporate and Securities Law Committee Meeting | Getting Ready for your Annual Meeting 2015 | 2015 |
Corporate and Securities Law Committee | Working Capital Adjustments in M&A Transactions | 2014 |
OnDemand 2011 | M&A in the Cloud | 2011 |
ELEVATE Online Video Advertising Summit | How Private Companies are Benefitting from the Gold Rush in Online Video | 2011 |
Third Thursday Emerging Company Webinars | The Return of the IPO as a Viable Exit - Key Indicators, Considerations and Early Action Items | 2010 |
Case name | Outcome |
---|---|
Semarchy Announces Strategic Investment by Providence Strategic Growth | Sale of client for extraordinary and outsized return |
Posted by Justin
September 2, 2020
Posted by anonymous
August 9, 2020
Eric Anderson, Mergers and acquisitions Attorney on Mar 13, 2014
Relationship: Friend
Louis' intelligence and focus was evident from day one in law school. Since that time he has become a master of both subject matter and the ability to convey that knowledge to others. More importantly, Louis has a firm grasp on the practical applications of law to business and vice versa. Capable of understanding the esoteric in a short amount of time and delivering for his clients, I am highly endorse Louis.
Check, Credit Card