Law Firm Overview

Many of our New England clients are technology and emerging growth companies which have established their headquarters in suburban areas surrounding Boston, particularly in MetroWest. We established a Wellesley, Massachusetts office in 1996 to serve our growing client base in this region.

Our Waltham office is home to the WilmerHale Venture Group, which provides the legal guidance emerging companies need to go from start-up to venture capital financing, through IPO and beyond. Our team-oriented approach to service gives clients the flexibility to call on a number of lawyers, and enables us to cost-effectively provide clients with the highest levels of responsiveness and access to lawyers with the most appropriate experience.

We are dedicated to representing technology companies in their formation and early stages of growth and are nationally renowned for our experience in the areas most important to a company’s success. We have a practical understanding of the business needs of emerging companies, and are extraordinarily proud of the clients we have had the privilege of working with, many of whom have helped change the way we all work, think and live.

Office Contacts

John Chory
Partner
+1 781 966 2001
john.chory@wilmerhale.com 

Michael D. Bain
Partner
+1 781 966 2027
michael.bain@wilmerhale.com

Areas of Practice

• Corporate
• Corporate and Transactional
• Emerging Energy Technology
• Energy and Clean Tech
• Information Technology
• Internet, E-Commerce and New Media
• Licensing and Technology Transfer
• Life Sciences
• Nanotechnology
• Technology Transactions and Licensing
• Venture Capital
• WilmerHale Venture Group

Published Works

• Law360: Regulatory and Govt. Affairs Practice: WilmerHale, 2008
• Renewable Energy and Clean Technology Funding Opportunities, 2009
• Selected 2008 Technology Transactions, 2009
• Selected 2008 Strategic Alliances, Joint Venture and Licensing Transactions, 2009
• Selected 2008 Life Sciences Transactions, 2009
• Selected 2008 M&A Transactions, 2009
• Selected 2008 Public Offerings and Rule 144A Placements, 2009
• Selected 2008 Venture Financings As Company Counsel, 2009
• Renewable Energy and Clean Technology Funding Opportunities, 2009
• Renewable Energy and Clean Technology Funding Opportunities, 2009
• Renewable Energy and Clean Technology Funding Opportunities, 2009
• Renewable Energy and Clean Technology Funding Opportunities, 2009
• Mass High Tech: Attorney's View: Tips on bringing in VC funds, 2009, 2009
• Renewable Energy and Clean Technology Funding Opportunities, 2009
• PLC Cross-border Venture Capital: Country Q&A United States, 2009
• Renewable Energy and Clean Technology Funding Opportunities, 2009
• Renewable Energy and Clean Technology Funding Opportunities, 2009
• Recent Renewable Energy and Clean Technology Developments, 2009
• Renewable Energy and Clean Technology Funding Opportunities, 2009
• Renewable Energy and Clean Technology Funding Opportunities, 2009
• New Tax Breaks for Massachusetts Life Science Companies, 2009
• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Provides Additional Funding for Renewable Energy and Clean Technologies, 2009
• Investment Management Industry News Summary, 2008
• Nationalreview.com:More Boumediene Fall-out: Judge Orders Release of Five Alleged Combatants, 2008, 2008
• Law360: M&A Practice: WilmerHale, 2008, 2008
• Looking Ahead to 2009: Gramm-Leach-Bliley Countdown for Banks, 2008
• New York Times: U.S. Is Set to Release 3 Detainees From Base, 2008, 2008
• Washington Post: Three Algerian Detainees Set for Transfer to Bosnia, 2008, 2008
• The Consolidated FINRA Rulebook: Current Status, December 15 Rollout, and Year-End Surprises, 2008
• FOXNEWS.COM: Federal Judge Orders Release of 5 Terror Suspects Held at Guantanamo Bay Prison, 2008, 2008
• Selective Waiver, 2008
• New YorK Law Journal: Select Waiver, 2008, 2008
• Investment Management Industry News Summary, 2008
• Wall Street Journal: Judge Orders 5 Gitmo Inmates Released, 2008, 2008
• Washington Times: Federal Judge Orders Five Gitmo detainees freed, 2008, 2008
• WashingtonPost.com: Another Falsehood Exposed, 2008, 2008
• The AmLaw Daily: Wilmer Kicks off Week of Detainee Case with win, 2008, 2008
• Wall Street Journal: Al Qaeda Detainees and Congress's Duty; Habeas corpus hearings could set terrorists free inside the U.S, 2008
• BalkanInsight.com: Five of "Algerian Six" Freed from Guantanamo, 2008, 2008
• Christian Science Monitor: US Judge orders five Guantanamo, 2008
• ADNKronos Internation: Bosnia: Wife urges Algerian Guantanamo inmates' release after US Judge's ruling, 2008, 2008
• Associated Press: Gitmo detainees blame arrest on "political game," 2008, 2008
• AFP: Five Guantanamo detainees ruled illegally detained, 2008, 2008
• Al-Jazeera: Judge orders Guantanamo releases, 2008, 2008
• NPR: Judge Orders Release of 5 held at Guantanamo, 2008, 2008
• Los Angeles Times: Judge orders release of 5 Guantanamo prisoners, the government's case against five Algerian natives accused of plotting with Al Qaeda, is weak a federal judge in Washington says, 2008, 2008
• BBC.COM: US Judge Orders Algerians Freed, 2008, 2008
• New York Times: Judge Orders Five Detainees Freed From Gauntanamo, 2008, 2008
• Bloomberg: U.S. Judge Orders Release of Five Held at Guantanamo, 2008, 2008
• McClatchy Newspaper: Judge Orders release of 5 Guantanamo detainees, 2008, 2008
• CNN.com:Federal Judge Orders Release of 5 Guantanamo Detainees, 2008, 2008
• Associated Press: Judge orders release of 5 terror suspects at Gitmo, 2008, 2008
• The Guardian: Judge: Algerian prisoners held in Guantanamo must be freed Ruling By US Judge has far reaching implications for the remaining detainees at the base in Cuba, 2008
• Washington Post: Federal Judge Orders Relase of 5 Guatanamo Detainees, 2008, 2008
• WallStreetJournal.com: Judge Tells Gov't Not to Appeal Detainee Rulings; 7 Yrs of Waiting Enough", 2008
• Reuters: U.S Judge: Five Algerians at Guantanamo can be freed, 2008, 2008
• ABC.com: Guantanamo detainees win court challenge, 2008, 2008
• Reuters: Factbox-facts about the Guantanamo prison camp, 2008, 2008
• Salon.com: Five detainees ordeered released "forthwith" after seven years at Guantanamo," 2008, 2008
• Trends in the Private Equity Secondary Market, 2008
• USATODAY.com: Judge orders government to release five Gitmo prisoners, 2008, 2008
• Federal Circuit Patent Update, 2008
• Investment Management Industry News Summary, 2008
• Protection of Personal Information: Massachusetts Requires Comprehensive Information Security Policy, 2008
• Financial Institutions Developments: Treasury's TARP and Capital Purchase Program--Opportunities and Considerations for Participating Institutions, 2008
• Federal Circuit Patent Update, 2008
• SBA Office of Inspector General Scrutinizes Small Business Lenders: Lenders at Risk for Denial of SBA Loan Guarantees, 2008
• Convertible Debt Financing Is A Key Fund-Raising Tool, 2008
• Before You Sign Up: Prospective GCs need to do some due diligence on the CEO before they say yes, 2008
• Market Crisis--New Draft Legislation, 2008
• FASB to Reconsider Proposed Standard for Disclosure of Litigation Contingencies, 2008
• New York State and the SEC call for Urgent Regulation of Credit Default Swaps, 2008
• President Bush Signs Federal Rule of Evidence 502 Into Law, 2008
• SEC Issues New Guidance on the Use of Company Websites, 2008
• SEC Approves Revised Rule for Auditor Communications to Audit Committees About Independence, 2008
• SEC Imposes Additional Limits on Short Selling, 2008
• Patent Claims: Valid in Court, but Invalid in the PTO, 2008
• Congress Limits Subject Matter and Inadvertent Waivers for Attorney-Client Communications and Work Product, 2008
• NYSE and NASDAQ Amend Bright-Line Director Independence Tests, 2008
• RCRWireless: Analyst Angle: Be mindful of the legal restrictions on mobile ads, 2008, 2008
• Advertising Age: Analyst Angle: Be mindful of the legal restrictions on mobile ads, 2008, 2008
• SEC Approves New Interpretive Guidance Regarding the Use of Corporate Websites, 2008
• Investment Management Industry News Summary, 2008
• American Lawyer: Pro Bono 2008: Wilmer's Three-For-Three Supreme Court Wins, 2008, 2008
• SEC Extends Deadline for Smaller Public Companies to File Auditor Attestation Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting, 2008
• Investment Management Industry News Summary, 2008
• FASB Proposes Expanded Disclosure Standard for Loss Contingencies, 2008
• 2008 Venture Capital Report, 2008
• 2008 M&A Report, 2008
• 2008 IPO Report, 2008
• Senegalese Teenager in Deportation Fight Wins Rights to Study in America, 2007
• Angels Take a More Down-to-Earth Investing Approach, 2007
• 2006 Antitrust and Competition Annual Report, 2007
• 2006 IPO Report, 2007
• 2006 M&A Report, 2007
• 2006 Venture Capital Report, 2007
• PharmaBulletin, 2007
• US Supreme Court Holds Courts May Hear Challenges by Patent Licensees, 2007
• Potshot at Guantanamo Lawyers Backfires; Big Firms Laud Free Legal Aid for Detainees, 2007
• City Facing Legal Matters on Two Fronts, 2007
• Regulators to Study Fees, Sort Out Fiduciary Liability, 2007
• Leading the News: U.S. Stiffens Reviews of Deals --- Close Look at Alcatel Shows New Oversight of Foreign Investment, 2007
• In China, Citigroup Encounters Hurdles to Retail-Banking Plans, 2006
• An Absence of African-Americans at Doj; National; A Few Years Ago, It Seemed Like the Next Generation of Black Leaders Had Arrived. And Then They Were Gone. National; Waning Influence; Not Looking Hard Enough, 2006
• 'Rambus' Ruling Is a Standards Landmark; Using Patents to Subvert Industry Standards Is an Antitrust Violation, 2006
• Snatching Victory From Defeat, 2006
• Westar Figure's Attorney is Getting Lots of Notice, 2006
• Cut Off Without a Cent, 2006
• Open Secrets: How Public Records Laws Can Hamper Public-Private Research Partnerships, 2006
• 2005 Venture Capital Report, 2006
• 2005 M&A Report, 2006
• 2005 Life Sciences Compensation Study, 2005
• 2004 M&A Report, 2005
• 2004 Venture Capital Report, 2005
• When the Public Does Not Have a Right to Know: How the California Public Records Act is Deterring Bioscience Research and Development, 2005
• Securities Law Update, 2004
• Massachusetts Tax Advisory, 2003
• Maintaining Compliance with Updated EEOC Regulations, 2003
• Massachusetts Tax Advisory, 2002
• 2001 IPO Report, 2002
• Labor and Employment Bulletin, 2001
• WilmerHale Venture Group, 2001
• New SEC Rules Facilitate Switching between Public and Private Offerings, 2001

Representative Cases

• Blue Mountain Wallcoverings , (Massachusetts Appeals Court)
• Heywood Hospital
• Lufthansa and other defendant airlines , (US District Court for the District of Massachusetts)
• Managing Intellectual Property: Patent Firms, 2008
• Marine Biological Laboratory

West Practice Categories

Biotechnology, Business Organizations, Corporate Governance, Energy Law, Intellectual Property Law, Joint Ventures, Pharmaceutical Products, Public Finance, Science & Technology Law, Technology Licensing, Venture Capital