DLA Piper further accelerates M&A practice expansion with leading dealmaker Michael Dorf in Northern California

DLA Piper continues its strategic expansion in Northern California with the addition of Michael Dorf, a market-leading dealmaker with more than two decades of experience guiding clients on high-value domestic and cross-border M&A and minority investments. He is based in San Francisco.

Dorf focuses on public and private M&A transactions, carve-outs, venture capital financings, strategic investments, and joint ventures, counseling public and private companies, sovereign wealth funds, and corporate venture capital investors across semiconductors, software, biotech, and other industries.

“Michael’s arrival enhances our ability to help clients achieve their strategic and transactional goals with the clarity, precision, and judgment needed in today’s market,” said John Gilluly, DLA Piper’s Global Vice Chair. “He further enables us to deliver results across jurisdictions and amid complex legal, political, and financial environments.”

“Our public and private clients have increasingly engaged us on high-end M&A matters, and Michael’s addition further strengthens our ability to support clients on their most strategic buy-side and sell-side transactions,” said Andrew Gilbert, Global Co-Chair of the firm’s Corporate practice. “We continue to bring on top-tier lateral talent, and Michael is the type of market-leading lawyer we are investing in. His arrival underscores our commitment to providing clients with exceptional service, deep experience, and strategic advantage.”

Dorf joins a growing roster of hires that reflects the firm’s sustained investment in market-leading transactional talent, including Josh Seidenfeld, Frances Mosley, Brady Berg, Ken Funahashi, and Sarah Chambless in California; Viktor Sapeznikov, Ranesh Ramanathan, Michael Patrone, Alex Cushman, and Amanda Gill in New York; and Michael Walsh and Adam Vaccaro in Washington, DC.

With more than 1,000 corporate lawyers globally, DLA Piper helps clients execute complex transactions seamlessly while supporting clients across all stages of development. The firm has been rated number one in global M&A volume for 16 consecutive years by Mergermarket and ranked number one in VC, PE, and M&A in combined global deal volume by PitchBook.