About Craig

Craig represents high-growth companies and their investors. He has helped to form, finance and advise hundreds of emerging businesses in areas such as artificial intelligence, digital media, consumer products, clean technologies, software, medical devices, and business services. He has led startup financings with an aggregate value in the billions of dollars, and regularly leads teams advising companies on mergers and acquisitions.

Craig’s representative clients include OpenClaw, AllTrails, Yelp, Patreon, Alma, Ethic and io Products. He has been individually recognized as a leading lawyer in Startups & Emerging Companies and Venture Capital by Chambers USA since 2016. Additionally, he was recognized by The Recorder’s inaugural Innovator Awards in 2014.

Following law school, Craig was a judicial clerk with US District Judge Charles A. Legge of the US District Court for the Northern District of California, and he also studied Italian cinema as a Fulbright Scholar in Rome, Italy. Craig co-founded the nonprofit organization VolunteerMatch and served as board chair for the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center.

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Admissions and credentials

  • California

Education

  • Stanford Law School
    JD, with distinction, Order of the Coif, 1996
  • Johns Hopkins University
    MA, International Studies, 1996
  • University of Pennsylvania
    BA, English and Economics, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Fulbright Scholar, 1990

Court admissions

  • US District Court for the Northern District of California

Rankings and accolades

The Legal 500 US: Venture Capital and Emerging Companies (2024 – 2025)

Chambers USA: Venture Capital – California (2021 – 2025)

Chambers USA: Startups & Emerging Companies – Nationwide (2016 – 2025)

Cooley GO Wins the "People's Voice" Webby

Best Lawyers: M&A/Corporate and Commercial – Venture Capital and Emerging Companies (2016 – 2019)

The Recorder Innovators recognizes Craig Jacoby, Matt Bartus and Peter Werner

Daily Journal: "Top Emerging Companies Lawyers" (2014)

Memberships and affiliations

  • California Bar Association