Mark Medearis

Senior Counsel
Full contact info

Launching a company is like launching a rocket—if you're off by a fraction of a degree on the launch pad, you can end up thousands of miles from your target. And don't forget the course corrections along the way.

About Mark

Mark Medearis represents emerging growth and public companies, with an emphasis on private financings, public offerings, strategic partnerships and mergers and acquisitions. His clients are primarily in the technology industry, including: software/cloud/software-based services; mobile/wireless/networking; and digital commerce/social media/games. Mark also regularly represents venture capital firms in investments in emerging growth companies.

Mark co-founded Venture Law Group and was also a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.

Representative clients and transactions include:

SaaS/Cloud/Enterprise Software:

  • Active Software (funding by KPCB; IPO; acquisition by WebMethods)
  • Composite Software (funding by Palomar Ventures, Tenaya, Apax; acquisition by Cisco)
  • MobileIron (funding by Storm, Norwest, Sequoia; IPO)
  • Trigo Technologies (funding by Bessemer, JAFCO, Mayfield; acquisition by IBM)

Mobile/Networking:

  • Airespace (funding by Storm, Norwest, Battery, Fidelity Ventures; acquisition by Cisco)
  • AirMagnet (funding by VenGlobal, IP Fund One, Intel; acquisition by Fluke)
  • Aspect Communications (funding by Mayfield, Matrix, Menlo; IPO)
  • Latitude Communications (funding by Mayfield, Menlo; IPO; acquisition by Cisco)
  • Stratacom (strategic partnership with Motorola; IPO)
  • Mist Systems (funding by Lightspeed, Norwest, GV, KPCB; acquisition by Juniper)

Digital Commerce/Social Media/Games:

  • Atom Entertainment (funding by Sequoia; acquisition by Viacom)
  • Cie Games (funding by Signia Ventures; acquisition by GluMobile)
  • Funzio (funding by Signia Ventures, IDG; acquisition by GREE)
  • Retrevo (funding by Norwest, Alloy; acquisition by Shopzilla)
  • Phone.com (funding by Greylock, Matrix, Lightspeed; IPO)
  • Preview Travel (funding by KPCB, AOL; IPO; acquisition by Travelocity) 

Recent Publications:

  • "How to Allocate Stock to Founders and Other Early Team Members"
  • Education

    Stanford Law School
    JD, Associate Editor, Stanford Law Review

    Stanford University
    MS, Structural Engineering, John Blume Fellow

    University of Colorado at Boulder
    BS, Civil Engineering, Special Honors, Boettcher Scholar

    Rankings & accolades

    • Venture Capital Law: Best Lawyers in America
    • San Francisco Magazine: Northern California Super Lawyer