David Goldenberg is a Founding Partner of VLP. He helps growth-oriented companies on financing, M&A and general contractual matters (including JVs and other business transactions) and investors in their equity investments in these companies. David excels at counseling his clients through the complex world of financing, growing and selling their business.

David also counsels individual executives on employment matters. He regularly works with company founders, investors, and related parties on preferred stock, common stock, convertible debt, down-round, bridge, warrants, and other types of financings, having completed hundreds of financing transactions in his career. David has also overseen complex licensing transactions, strategic partnerships, helped SAAS companies create terms for their offerings, as well as worked on multiple mergers, ranging in size from $6M to $1.9B.

A former member of the firm’s executive committee, David has built a practice at VLP which allows him to represent clients using a team approach, so that his clients are able to receive his direct attention on critical matters, while still maintaining an efficient service for more routine items. People choose David for his team with billion-dollar deal experience and focus on practical legal solutions. David’s goal with each engagement is to give you the personalized insight you need to make important decisions and advocate for you to achieve your goals.

Prior to joining VLP Law Group, David was general counsel of Mediabolic, Inc., the leading embedded entertainment software company in Silicon Valley. During his three year tenure there, he oversaw all legal matters for the company, including sales and business development transactions (over 75 separate licensing transactions with companies such as Intel, Motorola, Sony, Cisco/Linksys, Fujitsu, Phillips, HP, Broadcom and Marvell), financing issues and the eventual sale of the company to Macrovision (now Rovi). He also learned to appreciate the business needs of transactions—experience he now leverages to help his clients achieve their objectives.

Prior to Mediabolic, David practiced law for nearly seven years at the San Francisco headquarters of Morrison & Foerster, one of the country’s premier law firms.

David has authored articles on design law, copyright and the internet and regularly speaks on topics related to startups and financing. He also was Chair (Managing Editor) of the Stanford Journal of Law, Business & Finance while in law school.

Education

  • J.D., Stanford Law School, 1996
  • B.A., Stanford University, 1993, Phi Beta Kappa

Honors & Awards

  • Northern California Super Lawyers, 2022 – present
  • Lawdragon, 500 Leading Dealmakers, 2021 & 2024
  • Northern California Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2011

Case Studies

Mergers and Acquisitions

  • Represented Bump Technologies in its sale to Google, Inc.
  • Represented Alertness Solutions in its sale to Torvec, Inc.
  • Represented ClickPass in its sale to Yola, Inc.
  • Represented GazeHawk in its sale to Facebook, Inc.
  • Represented IntelliBatt (now Canara) in its strategic transaction with Columbia Capital.
  • Represented Network Architects in its sale to ePlus Technology, Inc.
  • Represented Poiesis Informatics in its sale to Multimodal Technologies, LLC.

Venture Capital/Private Equity

  • Represented inDinero, a fintech services firm, in its financing matters.
  • Represented Airtable (Formagrid), a SaaS database platform, in its financing matters.  
  • Represented Ascend Financial, a fintech lender, in its formation and two rounds of financing.
  • Represented Next Caller, a SaaS customer information platform, in its Series A financing.
  • Represented CrowdMed, an online medical information platform, in several rounds of angel financing and its general corporate and commercial matters.  
  • Represented Fundwell, a fintech services company, in its formation and financings.   
  • Represented Little Heroes Technologies, an educational technology and products company, in its financing matters.
  • Represented Ridge Energy Services, an energy equipment and services company, in its formation and Series A Financing.  
  • Represented HealthLoop, a medical software company, in its formation and financing matters.
  • Represented MetaMarkets, a data services company, in its formation and financing matters.
  • Represented Extend America (New EA), a telecommunications equipment and services company, in its formation and financing matters.

Strategic Partnerships, Joint Ventures and Licensing

  • Represented AllSeated LLC, an online wedding planning service, in general corporate and licensing matters.
  • Represented Bay Street Research in its data licensing agreements.
  • Represented the Center for Social Dynamics, a medical services company, in internal restructuring and corporate matters.  
  • Represented Cobalt Aircraft, an aircraft manufacturer, in its US corporate restructuring.  
  • Represented Direct Healthcare Services, a direct service healthcare provider, in its restructuring, corporate and contractual matters.  
  • Represented Exponent Partners, a website development company, in its customer and licensing agreements.  
  • Represented Airtable (Formagrid) in its customer and vendor licensing agreements.  
  • Represented Griddig, a real estate SaaS platform, in its formation, licensing and strategic partnership agreements.
  • Represented Next Caller, a SaaS customer information platform, in negotiating customer agreements.  
  • Represented Handpoint, a payments processing and software company, in its commercial agreement matters.
  • Represented LeadPops, an online marketing company, in its commercial agreement matters.
  • Represented Most Modest, an industrial and product design firm, in its customer and vendor agreement negotiations. 
  • Represented Silicon Valley Data Science, a data consulting firm, in negotiating its customer agreements.  
  • Represented ProductBio (Workpology) in its commercial agreement and data licensing matters.  
  • Represented DemandForce in its vendor licensing and commercial agreement matters.

David’s Commitments to His Clients

  • We will respond to all requests within two business days.
  • We keep our clients apprised of the status of all open legal matters on a regular basis.
  • We will meet the deadlines you set for transactions.
  • We will not bill for getting up to speed or learning areas outside our areas of expertise.
  • We will advocate for your position. Our team will not tell you to accept a term because ‘this is standard’ or ‘how it is done.’ 
    • “Structuring Convertible Note and Safe Financings: Discount Rates, Valuation Caps, Conversion Triggers”, Strafford Nationwide Webinar (January 2022)
    • VLP Founding Partner David Goldenberg Co-Presents a Free Webinar: Doing It Your Way: Thoughts and Issues with Typical Company Formation Structures
    • VLP Law Group Presents a Free Webinar: Staying Out of the News: How to Address Today’s Security Addenda and the GDPR
    • VLP Founding Partner David Goldenberg Presents a Webinar for Clear Law Institute: “Recruiting Talent by M&A Acqui-Hire Transactions”
    • VLP co-sponsored “Selling Your Technology Company” Event with General Assembly, Ultra Light Startups, Trinet and Creative Technology Partners
    • VLP Law Group is pleased to announce this recorded webinar: Angel Investing – A to Z
    • CEO Cathryn Chinn and Founding Partner David Goldenberg of VLP Law Group LLP spoke on Stanford Law School Panel Regarding Innovating the Law Firm Models
    • VLP’s Founding Partner David Goldenberg Provided the Legal Perspective to Startups for Young Entrepreneurs at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management
    • VLP Partner David Goldenberg Spoke at the Santa Clara County Bar Association
    • Lessons and Benefits of New Models of Legal Practice – David Goldenberg to Present at NALP Education Conference