Metropolitan News-Enterprise

 

Thursday, June 10, 2010

 

Page 4

 

Sheppard, Mullin Adds Atzen as Partner in Los Angeles

 

By a MetNews Staff Writer

 

Former DLA Piper partner Jon Atzen has joined the Los Angeles/Downtown office of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton as a partner in the firm’s corporate practice group and a member of its emerging companies practice, Sheppard Mullin said yesterday.

Atzen focuses his corporate practice on representing emerging growth and established companies, and venture capital and private equity funds, in such technology sectors as life sciences, semiconductors, wireless communications, internet, software and clean/alternative energy technologies, the firm said.

He has devoted virtually his entire career to working with leading entrepreneurs and innovators, as well as emerging and established companies, primarily in the Southern California region, the firm added.

“Jon has an impressive emerging growth company background, which includes private practice and corporate counsel for both a tech company and a venture capital firm. His practice dovetails well with our existing emerging growth/venture capital practices throughout California, while broadening our existing corporate practice capabilities in Los Angeles,” Sheppard Mullin Chairman Guy N. Halgren said.

In addition to private practice, Atzen previously held the positions of senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary at Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.

“I am excited about joining Sheppard Mullin, a top-notch full service firm with a strong corporate practice in Los Angeles and throughout the state,” Atzen commented.  “I am impressed with firm management’s dedication to growing the Corporate practice group, and excited to be part of a partnership that values teamwork and fosters collegiality.”

In addition to his venture capital and private equity practice, Atzen provides corporate and strategic counsel to publicly traded companies with respect to securities offerings including initial public offerings, secondary offerings, PIPEs and spin-offs, and reporting and compliance matters under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. He also has experience in public and private company mergers and acquisitions.

Atzen attended UC Santa Barbara and Loyola Law School, and joined the State Bar in 1991.

Sheppard Mullin has 200 attorneys based in its Los Angeles offices. The firm’s corporate practice group includes 100 attorneys firm-wide.

 

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