Bio

Steven Franklin is a founding partner of the firm and head of the Venture Capital Fund and Tax groups. Steve is a founding partner of the firm and heads our global Fund Formation and Tax practice. Steve is recognized globally as a leading authority on issues related to the formation and operation of both U.S. and international venture capital and private equity funds and other partnership arrangements. He has been named a Superlawyer and a Chambers & Partners “Band 1” practitioner, with clients and other market observers describing Steve to Chambers over the years as: a “phenomenal” practitioner, a “leading light," the “heart and soul of the practice” and “without hesitation the premier venture capital fund lawyer and adviser." Steve’s practice encompasses both (i) representing a dominant share of the preeminent venture capital funds globally, and (ii) advising promising emerging fund managers in their quest to become the market leaders of the future. As a complement to his practice, Steve has taught partnership tax at Stanford Law School, serves as an adviser to the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), and frequently lectures and publishes on topics relating to venture capital and private equity funds. Organizations and publications for which Steve has presented or published include: the Venture Capital Journal, the Kauffman Fellows Program, the NVCA, Haas School of Business at the University of California, CVCFO (China Venture Capital Finance Organization), First Republic Bank Future CFO conference, Stanford Law School, the New York Capital Roundtable, the Bank of America Venture Fund CFO Roundtable, the Institute for International Research, the American Bar Association, the California State Bar, Practicing Law Institute, Financial Research Associates LLC, the International Private Equity Fund Formation & Operations Forum, the Pennsylvania Private Equity CFO (PECFO), and the International Association of Financial Planners. Earlier in his career, Steve lectured as an Adjunct Professor in the Golden Gate University, Masters of Taxation Program. He is also a contributing editor to two treatises: The Acquisition and Sale of the Emerging Growth Company: The M&A Exit and FormationandFinancing of Emerging Companies, as well as an Advisory Board Member to The M&A Tax Report.