REDWOOD CITY, Calif., May 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gunderson Dettmer is pleased to announce that Benjamin B. Buckwalter has joined the firm as a Partner in the Corporate and Securities practice, where he will focus on regulatory and compliance support for companies and funds focused on the financial technology industry. Prior to joining Gunderson Dettmer, Buckwalter was Chief Compliance Officer at Andreessen Horowitz.
“Gunderson Dettmer represents hundreds of companies involved in the fintech industry and supports venture and growth equity fund clients in investments in the sector,” said David T. Young, Gunderson Dettmer Managing Partner. “Over his career, and most recently at our client Andreessen Horowitz, Ben has helped companies and funds harness fintech’s tremendous potential while navigating the rapidly shifting regulatory environment. Ben’s passion for and deep understanding of the industry will help our clients manage the regulatory challenges inherent in their business.”
Buckwalter has focused on financial regulatory and compliance issues for over 15 years, during a highly tumultuous and innovative period for the financial services sector. After nearly a decade serving as general counsel to a company that augmented securities compliance consulting with innovative software to support the financial services industry, he joined Andreessen Horowitz as Chief Compliance Officer. At Gunderson Dettmer, he will leverage his significant financial regulatory experience to support both funds and companies focused on harnessing the momentum of fintech, web3, blockchain, crypto and other market-changing technologies.
Buckwalter also spearheaded Andreessen Horowitz’s high-profile registration with the SEC as an investment adviser in 2019. For venture capital and growth equity funds interested in digital asset investments as well as those considering registration under the Advisers Act and related regulations, Buckwalter will provide invaluable experience to help them weigh their options, navigate the regulatory process and develop systems for maintaining compliance over the long term.
“As more of our venture and growth equity fund clients explore registration with the SEC, the opportunity to bring Ben’s regulatory experience to the firm was something we couldn’t pass up,” said Steve Franklin, founder and head of the firm’s Fund and Tax practices, “Ben is a creative and practical strategist, and his experience working on ground-breaking initiatives at Andreessen Horowitz adds another dimension of expertise to our market-leading funds practice.”
“While at Andreessen Horowitz, I was privileged to work alongside the true innovators elevating fintech and web3 in the market,” says Buckwalter. “Through that work, I was able to get to know the team at Gunderson and was impressed by not only their strategic creativity but also their passion for the industry. I am excited to work with both the funds and the companies that will make their mark on the future of the world economy.”
Buckwalter is a graduate of University of Virginia School of Law (J.D., 2007) and William & Mary (B.A., 2003).
About Gunderson Dettmer
Gunderson Dettmer has more than 400 lawyers singularly focused on the global venture capital and emerging growth ecosystem, across ten offices in key venture markets throughout the world, including Silicon Valley, Ann Arbor, Austin, Beijing, Boston, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco and Singapore. The firm represents more than 2,500 venture-backed companies and over 500 of the world’s top venture capital and growth equity firms, with thousands of their underlying funds. The firm routinely negotiates close to one-third of every venture capital dollar raised worldwide and is the recognized global leader in the representation of venture capital and growth equity funds in their investment activities, negotiating more than 1,000 venture and growth financings every year. For venture-backed companies, the firm provides guidance at every business phase, from launch through IPO and beyond, becoming extensions of their management teams as they prepare for their next stage of growth.
Monica Rodriguez Kuniyoshi
Chief Marketing Officer
Phone: 650-463-5337
Email: mkuniyoshi@gunder.com
