Perkins Coie Acquires New York Startup and Emerging Companies Boutique Kluk Farber Law

Kluk Farber team will lead Perkins Coie's New York emerging companies and venture capital practice from new location in the Flatiron District

SEATTLE and NEW YORK (November 1, 2022)—Perkins Coie today announced the acquisition of the team at Kluk Farber Law PLLC, a New York-based emerging companies and venture capital (ECVC) boutique firm. Kluk Farber's 11 lawyers and five business professionals will lead Perkins Coie's New York ECVC practice from a new Startup and Emerging Companies Center located in the Flatiron District. The acquisition deepens Perkins Coie's presence in New York to over 100 lawyers and follows the recent additions of four veteran ECVC partners in recent months in Austin, Los Angeles, and Portland.

Kluk Farber counts iconic venture-backed brands among its clients, many of them with diverse founders at the helm. The Kluk Farber team is known for deep dedication to clients and a solution-oriented approach to legal advice—a blueprint that has resulted in high growth year-over-year since its inception—as well as a reputation for excellence in the New York startup community.

"The addition of Kluk Farber's highly regarded and talented lawyers further cements Perkins Coie's position as a leading technology firm in New York and across the nation," said Brian Eiting, co-chair of the firm's Corporate Law Practice. "Agatha, Sonia, Eitan, and the entire team are a perfect fit for Perkins Coie's culture, client base, and strategic vision, bringing a keystone emerging companies practice to our New York office. We look forward to their integration and collaboration with the firm's leading lawyers around the country, and we know they will serve as trusted advisors to innovative and market-leading companies in New York and beyond."

"We are delighted to be combining forces with Perkins Coie and its deep bench of talent," said Agatha Kluk. "As our emerging company clients scale, they increasingly need the kind of expert advice and sophisticated execution that Perkins Coie brings to the table. Our team has been privileged to gain our clients' trust on their most important and sensitive matters, and we are excited to continue doing so under Perkins Coie's established brand."

Kluk Farber Team

Partners Agatha Kluk and Sonia Farber founded Kluk Farber with a vision of providing exceptional legal services and solutions to empower founders navigating the unique challenges of scaling high-growth businesses. Kluk Farber added partner Eitan Hoenig to expand the firm's capabilities in complex transactions and mergers and acquisitions.

Agatha represents startups and high-growth companies in all phases of their life cycle, including organizational matters, venture capital investments, general corporate strategy, complex commercial transactions, and exit events. Her clients derive from a variety of industries including consumer products and services, digital health, clean tech, fintech, and entertainment. Prior to co-founding Kluk Farber, she practiced at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP. Agatha holds a J.D. from New York University School of Law.

Sonia advises startup and emerging company clients in connection with complex technology, IP, data and content transactions, and employment matters, as well as disputes arising in these areas. Her industry areas of focus include consumer products and services, media, digital health, fintech, and blockchain. Sonia previously practiced at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP and clerked for the Honorable Lorna G. Schofield in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. She received her J.D. from the University of California Berkeley School of Law, where she served on the California Law Review.

Eitan advises entrepreneurs, investors, and companies in mergers and acquisitions and complex restructurings, including negotiating with debt and equity lenders, investors, and vendors. Eitan's clients span a broad range of industries including fintech, blockchain, energy and infrastructure, and digital health, among others. Eitan previously practiced at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz LLP and clerked for the Honorable Alex Kozinski, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Eitan holds a juris doctor from the University of Chicago Law School.

In addition to Agatha, Sonia, and Eitan, Julio Mojica will join Perkins Coie as counsel, and Nike Anders, Lauren Capobianco, Zachary Leibowitz, Michelle Nguyen, and Alexander Porro will join as associates. Valdemar Washington will join as a practice attorney and Stella Silverstein as an IP attorney.

"We're thrilled to join forces and capabilities with one of the country's preeminent, technology-focused law firms and we are excited to leverage Perkins Coie's platform to expand the suite of corporate services we provide to startups, entrepreneurs, and innovators," said Sonia Farber. "Our growth, success, and diverse culture aligns so ideally with Perkins Coie, as do our strategies to support innovators and founders looking to scale and grow in New York and the East Coast."

New Flatiron Startup and Emerging Companies Center

After joining Perkins Coie in early December, the Kluk Farber team will serve clients from the firm's new Startup and Emerging Companies Center at 41 Madison Avenue and work closely with Perkins Coie's national practices, focusing on capital markets and mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, technology transactions, privacy, fintech, litigation, and labor and employment law.

"New York is a major focus of Perkins Coie's growth initiatives, and we're truly excited to welcome the exceptional, women-founded Kluk Farber team to the firm," said Ron Sarubbi, Perkins Coie's New York office managing partner. "Our expanded capabilities will provide new opportunities to serve New York's startup ecosystem and the entrepreneurs and innovators who are also revolutionizing Wall Street and the capital markets."

Perkins Coie launched in New York just 11 years ago and relocated to a 66,000-square-foot midtown office at 1155 Avenue of the Americas in 2019 to better accommodate its growth and client demand. The move was followed by the addition of 17 white collar and financial services litigation lawyers from the prominent firm of Richards Kibbe & Orbe in late 2020.

The new, state-of-the-art Startup and Emerging Companies Center features founder and startup collaboration rooms, conference rooms, and event space for live and virtual forums.

From incorporation to exit, Perkins Coie helps clients build great companies. Its Emerging Companies & Venture Capital practice spans the country, supporting the most innovative entrepreneurs and investors in Palo Alto, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Austin, Portland, and New York, as well as in Chicago and Boise. Having managed thousands of venture capital and private equity financings from pre-seed to growth stages, Perkins Coie provides end-to-end legal and business counseling to the leading-edge companies of tomorrow in industries like SaaS, life sciences, healthcare, Web3, and everything in between.