Empowering Venture Capital Associates
This episode introduces the ‘Venture Ed’ series aimed at biotech investors. Hosts Mike Hostetler and Jen Fang, partners at Wilson Sonsini, talk with Amy Simmerman, a corporate governance expert from the firm’s Wilmington, Delaware office. They discuss legal nuances of serving as a biotech company board director, exploring duties of care and loyalty, conflict of interest management, and the importance of confidentiality and transparency. Special attention is given to the challenges venture investors face balancing their duties to the companies they invest in with their responsibilities to their funds. The episode also highlights the upcoming NextGen VC Forum in San Francisco, a learning and network event for life science investors co-sponsored by Wilson Sonsini and LaunchBio.
Mike is a partner in the San Francisco (SoMa) and San Diego offices of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. He has provided strategic intellectual property counseling to hundreds growth enterprises in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, both venture-backed and public companies. His expertise includes patent strategy, prosecution, and diligence (both buy and sell side) for venture financings, public offerings, mergers and acquisitions.
Jennifer is a partner in the Boston office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. She helps innovative startups grow into successful enterprises by providing counsel to the founders, management teams and boards and by handling the legal and strategic business issues and transactions that arise at each stage. She is a member of the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) General Counsel Advisory Board and is a frequent speaker.
