William Newsom

Special Counsel
Full contact info

I help venture capitalists with their fundraising and organizational structure so they can spend more time focusing on sourcing deals and investing.

About William

Will Newsom's practice focuses on the formation and representation of venture capital funds, private equity funds and funds-of-funds, both in the US and internationally, including representing issuers and VC funds in private financing transactions. Will has experience with a variety of funds, ranging from small special purpose vehicles to late-stage venture and private equity funds, as well as corporate venture firms. In addition to advising on the formation of funds, Will acts as outside corporate counsel to venture firms worldwide and has advised family offices and sovereign wealth funds investing in the venture capital and private equity space.

Before joining Cooley, Will practiced business litigation for almost five years at a boutique plaintiff's law firm in San Francisco, focusing on antitrust, privacy, and securities class action litigation. While attending law school, he served as the senior managing editor of the Hastings Law Journal.

Will is a member of the Bar Association of San Francisco, where he was formerly a chair of the Barristers Litigation Section, and the American Bar Association, where he was formerly a vice chair of the Young Lawyers Division Air and Space Law Committee.

Will also devotes significant time to pro bono matters and volunteering, and currently sits on the advisory boards of The Simama Project and CommunityGrows, two charities focused on providing educational opportunities for underprivileged youth.

Education

University of California Hastings College of the Law
JD, cum laude, 2009

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
BS, Mechanical Engineering, 2004

Court admissions

US District Court for the Northern District of California

US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Memberships and affiliations

American Bar Association (ABA)

Bar Association of San Francisco