About

Ian Stock, a different kind of corporate lawyer

Ian Stock

On a hike near Lake Tahoe

Experience
My experience spans thirty plus years on two continents, the US and Europe, working at major firms and independently.

I speak fluent French. More importantly, having practiced corporate law for ten plus years in Europe, I am well-placed to help non-US tech and start-up clients move their center of gravity to Silicon Valley, and understand their investors and other strategic American partners.

I was born and raised in the UK, earned my Bachelor of Arts with Highest Honors in Human Ecology at U.C. Berkeley and my J.D. at the Yale Law School (motto: don’t forget the “the!”).

Traditional Firms
I spent many years working in traditional law firms:

Kronish Lieb Weiner & Hellman (now part of Cooley LLP) in New York
Kevorkian & Rawlings in Paris
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Palo Alto

I learned a lot, a whole lot, in each these firms, and greatly respect them all.

But they cost a whole lot too, way more than a startup can afford when it isn’t yet investor-financed.

Ian Stock Law is for the startup without that financing. . .

I’d rather work my own way, helping the people whom I want to help, treating them fairly.

That means using all my top-tier experience for the benefit of early stage start-ups, their founders and others who don’t want to pay the level of fees which traditional law firms charge.

If you need help with a tech transaction, the complex M&A, product sale and licensing transactions which I have shepherded on both sides of the Atlantic will stand you in good stead.

My LinkedIn profile is here:

linkedin.com/in/ianstock

Endorsements

Ian has over thirty years experience representing technology and other growth companies on an extensive array of business matters. You will be hard pressed to find anyone anywhere close to approaching his level of experience and ability. We have referred multiple matters to Ian – generally where there has been a conflict or where a client has needed sophisticated legal services but could not justify paying big-firm rates – and have never been disappointed.

John Fore

Partner, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Palo Alto

Ian Stock was invaluable for us at Atmel because of his broad-based experience in commercial transactions. He handled a wide variety of negotiations and contracts for us, and handled them well. In short, it is rare to find a commercial lawyer of Ian’s caliber and experience anywhere outside of a major law firm.

Mike Ross
Former VP and General Counsel, Atmel Corporation

Like most entrepreneurs, when I was starting and growing my company, money was tight and I couldn’t afford the big-name firms. Thanks to Ian, I didn’t have to. Ian’s specialty is providing exactly the legal services that entrepreneurs need, without a lot of expensive extras and overhead. Ian often said things like, “Let’s not spend money on that now”, so I trusted him when he said, “Hey, we really need to spend money on this right away.”

Ian provided things like organizing documents, shareholder agreements, and option plans exactly when my business needed them. Ian’s approach meant my company got the benefit of top-notch legal services provided by a lawyer with experience in big-name firms, without the big-name price tag.

To top it off, Ian has the kind of energy, wit, and demeanor that fits naturally into the startup culture. Simply put, Ian gets entrepreneurs. If you’re looking for the right lawyer to help you start and grow your business, Ian’s your guy!

Jeremy Neuner
Founder, NextSpace (Currently at Google)

“Ian Stock negotiated and brought to a successful conclusion the crucial marquee customer contract that my telecoms equipment startup needed to achieve recognition in a tough market.

I remember breathing a sigh of relief. As CEO, I appreciated Ian’s responsiveness as much as his excellent work.

Most of all, when a Federal Prosecutor came knocking years later because of the shenanigans of one of our strategic partners, I appreciated that Ian’s handling of the prior deal at issue had insulated me and my CFO from any adverse consequences.”

Dean Hamilton
Founder, President and CEO, CoSine Communications (now at Jektr)

“Having been involved with the launch of several entities, the initial legal structuring process is still a bit of a “mystery” to me. Ian’s novel approach of clearly defining, segregating and pricing each step provides certainty and efficiency.”

Joe Madden
CEO , EOS Climate

The real value-add that Ian Stock offers us at Mattson Technology is the wealth of his experience in commercial contracts.

Thanks to this experience and his own great judgment, Ian has a strategic intelligence and vision that enable him to find the best way through our most complicated deals. We have the comfort of knowing that he has been there and done that.

Ian handles easily transactions of a complexity that we were previously obliged to delegate to larger and more expensive law firms.

John R. Horn
Former VP and General Counsel, Mattson Technology

From day one, Ian Stock was the natural outside lawyer for us. His international background and extensive start-up experience made him the perfect choice. He was a great help during our negotiations with VC and Angel investors, helped guide us through the financing process and ensured that our agreement terms were fair to all parties.

We were sufficiently impressed with what Ian did for us as our business lawyer to invite him to join our Advisory Board. His advice from the trenches, his commercial common sense and his international instincts were invaluable to us. Ian’s top-tier startup exposure at Wilson Sonsini makes him a great choice for growing technology companies dealing with complex international legal issues.

Thomas Meehan-Ritter
Co-Founder and Former President, Amikai, Inc. (Google, Blackrock)