Matthew Bartus

Matthew is global co-chair of Cooley’s emerging companies and venture capital practice groups. For 25+ years, he has advised high-growth technology and life sciences companies and investment funds on strategic decision making, pre-seed to late-stage venture capital and growth equity financings, initial public offerings (IPOs), mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and corporate governance matters. Matthew’s experience includes advising companies, investors, buyers and sellers globally on transactions having a total value of more than $100 billion. He works with companies at all stages – from pre-seed and formation through later stages and pre-IPO. In 2019, Matthew was a founding partner of Cooley’s Singapore office, where he was resident through 2022. He is also a leader in the firm’s Latin America practice and, in 2023, was part of the team launching Cooley’s Miami office, where he continues to be significantly involved. Matthew is currently based in San Francisco/Silicon Valley and works with clients on a global basis.

Matthew has been recognized by Chambers and Partners as a top lawyer in Startups & Emerging Companies (USA – Nationwide) in 2018, 2019, 2020 and in Asia Pacific in 2023, and the practice that he co-leads is consistently recognized in Band 1 of the same category. He has been recognized by The Legal 500 as a leading lawyer in Venture Capital and Emerging Companies in 2023 and 2024, and the practice he co-leads has been ranked in Tier 1 of the same category in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. Matthew and Cooley were also recognized by Chambers in Band 1 for Startups & Emerging Companies in Singapore in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and by The Legal 500 as a leading lawyer and foreign law firm, respectively, for Corporate and M&A in Singapore in 2021.

Client feedback

Matthew regularly advises emerging companies and investors on financings, M&A, and access to capital markets. Chambers and Partners has noted that he’s praised by clients for his “deep understanding of the startup world” and for being “exceptional in providing sound advice, especially in the areas of fundraising.”

The Legal 500 has shared client feedback saying that Matthew “is as good as they come. He’s hyper-responsive, a subject-matter expert, develops creative alternatives, and he has a solid understanding of the wider business context. I’d recommend him without hesitation as ‘go-to’ counsel.” Another client remarked, “I appreciate working with Matt Bartus because he is able to take his decades of experience and distill them into insights that effectively and efficiently serve our legal needs.”