James Jensen
Partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
James Jensen
Partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
San Mateo, California
Overview
Work Experience
Member/Partner
2018 - Current
I represent private funds of all types and emerging technology companies. My goal is to treat my clients as I would want to be treated as a client. Overall, I have been involved in more than 250 investment and exit transactions during my legal career and, as importantly, a handful of exit or restructuring transactions as a business executive. My transactional experiences range from a few hundred thousand dollars to several billion dollars. I benefit my clients through his broad network of contacts in the angel investment and venture capital community.
Partner
2011 - 2018
Technology oriented law firm with more than 1,0000 attorneys and 18 offices. My responsibilities include: •A leader of the Firm's China Emerging Company and the Investment Fund Formation practices in Silicon Valley. •Representing emerging companies, accelerator/incubators and venture capital funds in diverse industries, including clean technology (e.g., biofuels, LEDs, smart meters and solar), digital media, Internet, medical devices, mobile, security and software. •Representing traditional brick and mortar businesses that produce profits and cash flow. •Forming angel investment and venture capital funds and providing advice to fund managers about their ongoing operations. •Leading exit transactions, including mergers, acquisitions and other restructurings. •Counseling clients on board management and corporate governance issues.
General Counsel, Emerging Markets and Asst. General Counsel
2005 - 2011
VC/PE firm with approximately $4.5 billion of assets under management. My responsibilities included: •Managed venture capital, growth equity and private equity financings for the firm and actively involved in many M&A transactions and completed public filings and managed many public-reporting obligations for the firm. •Structured and formed the firm's foreign-invested venture capital investment enterprise (FIVCIE) and related entities and managed legal tasks for the firm's Asian offices. •Drafted and reviewed firm contracts, including real estate, IT, events and employment. •Member of the firm's Liquidity Committee.
Attorney
1999 - 2005
WSGR is a leading legal advisor to technology companies and venture capital funds. Responsibilities included: •Advised senior management and boards of directors of firm clients about legal, financial, human resources and business matters. •Managed venture capital and bridge note and warrant financings, multiple M&A transactions and many new company formations. •Advised publicly traded clients on 1933 and 1934 Act filings and other legal matters. •Negotiated and documented numerous PIPE transactions. •Key member of legal team that represented a number of firm clients in connection with their respective initial public offerings. •Co-formed and co-represented myriad investment funds, including fund of funds and rifle-shot funds.
Chief Financial Officer
1993 - 1996
$25mm, 220 employee commercial printer. Responsibilities included: •Managed accounting, finance, MIS, human resource, purchasing, sales and customer service professionals in two geographic locations. •Led company successfully through Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization and senior management restructuring. •Drafted and implemented standardized procedures for finance and accounting, human resources, purchasing and estimating and designed project cost system to capture costs at project levels.
Manager of Financial Operations
1990 - 1993
$48mm combined sales, 250 employee printing and graphic arts production studio with a total of five geographic divisions in the United States and a joint venture in Japan. Responsibilities included: •Managed certain accounting, finance and MIS professionals. •Re-established business relationships with two former clients during collection negotiations. •Improved company's archaic financial management tools by creating annual and five-week cash forecasts, daily cash management summaries and ratio comparisons. •Developed bottoms-up annual budgets – sales, finance, staffing, capital purchases and human resources.