Michelle W. Edwards
Michelle has advised clients for more than 20 years on a wide range of corporate matters, including numerous venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, and capital market transactions.
Michelle Edwards represents companies throughout their life cycle, from formation through financings, growth through business combinations, and exit transactions. She also has broad experience counseling publicly listed companies on securities law, corporate governance, and compliance matters.
A former partner with a leading Silicon Valley firm, her experience also includes prior roles as counsel and corporate secretary for the board of a leading online career platform, where she advised on issues that involved the board of directors and corporate governance.
Michelle is a member of the Society for Corporate Governance, a nonprofit organization committed to serving as a positive force in corporate governance.
Areas of focus
Education & Credentials
Education
- Stanford Law School, J.D., with distinction, 1994
- Stanford University, M.A., Russian and East European Studies, 1994
- Yale University, B.A., Political Science, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 1991
Bar and Court Admissions
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California
Related Employment
- VLP Law Group LLP, San Francisco, CA, Counsel, 2021
- Corporate Attorney, Beijing, China, Independent Consultant, 2013 – 2020
- Covington & Burling LLP, Beijing, China, Partner, 2012 – 2013
- Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C., Palo Alto, CA and Shanghai, China, Partner, 2003 – 2011; Associate, 1997 – 2003
- Baker Botts, LLP, Houston, TX, Associate, 1994 – 1996
Professional Recognition
Listed in Thomson Reuters “Stand-out Lawyers,” 2023-2024
Professional Experience
Capital Raising
Represented a biotech company in its Series A Financing*
Mergers & Acquisitions
- Represented a medical consumer device company in its strategic transaction with a global health
care conglomerate, which include a secured convertible note financing and an option to acquire
the company by way of a fully negotiated merger agreement* - Represented an advanced scheduling software company in its acquisition of a productivity app
maker, by way of merger* - Represented a project management software company in its acquisition by an international
management software company, by way of merger* - Represented an experience management and insight community platform in its acquisition by a
market research software and services company, by way of stock purchase*
Other Transactions
- Represented an online career platform in connection with its corporate restructuring*
- Represented a biotech company in connection with secondary stock sales by its stockholders*
- Represented a healthcare company in connection with the settlement of intra-founder disputes*
*Prior experience