Sean O'Neill

Sean represents high-growth, innovative companies and the venture capitalists and strategic investors who back them. He helps clients build their businesses from formation through exit, advising on pre-incorporation strategy, corporate governance, financing strategy, securities laws and other day-to-day legal needs. Sean also leads clients through their most important and complex transactions, including venture capital financings, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, tender offers, debt financings, restructurings and recapitalizations.

Sean is a Los Angeles native who has witnessed firsthand the growth of the city’s startup and venture markets. His client base reflects the diverse LA economy and spans companies and investors in a broad range of stages and industries, including but not limited to enterprise and consumer software, gaming and interactive media, artificial intelligence and deep tech, consumer products, robotics, fintech, media and entertainment technology, blockchain and Web3. Sean is also co-chair of Cooley’s gaming and interactive media practice group.

Sean has extensive experience representing companies and investors in hundreds of financing transactions involving the industry’s top-tier venture capital, growth equity, private equity and institutional investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, SoftBank Vision Fund, Dragoneer Investment Group, Valor Equity Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners, J.P. Morgan, B Capital, First Round Capital, Founders Fund, Greycroft, GV (Google Ventures), North Castle Partners, Craft Ventures, Transcend Fund, TIRTA Ventures, KRAFTON, NetEase, Bow Capital, Polychain Ventures, March Capital, 1AM Gaming and Left Lane Capital, among many others.

Notable recent company-side representations include:

• Therabody in its $165 million growth equity round
• SoftEye in its sale to TDK
• Caramel in its sale to eBay
• Arkestro in its $36 million strategic investment led by Altira Group and Aramco Ventures
• Gardens Interactive in its $31.3 million Series A financing led by Lightspeed Ventures and KRAFTON
• Route in its $40 million Series C financing
• Hyperbolic Labs in its $20 million financing across multiple rounds
• GrayMatter Robotics in its $45 Million Series B financing led by Wellington Management
• Steno Agency in its $15 million Series B financing led by Left Lane Capital
• LegalZoom in its $705.7 million initial public offering and concurrent private placement
• True Botanicals in its $50 million Series B investment from NextWorld Evergreen