Fenwick remembers our friend and partner Sayre E. Stevick, who passed away in April 2022 after a sudden illness. Sayre spent his entire career at Fenwick, and while he was influential as a lawyer, his influence was felt even more deeply through his friendship, loyalty and humor.
Sayre was smart and insightful, and he was a consummate problem-solver, rarely coming across an issue for which he couldn’t find a creative solution. Sayre was a committed team player, consistently looking for ways to promote collaboration and foster a spirit of service within the firm. He generously shared his time and energy, which made him a treasured friend, adviser and mentor.
Sayre is fondly remembered for his sense of humor, intensity and disarming wit. He had an infectious enthusiasm not only for the work he was doing, but also for the people with whom he did that work. Across the Fenwick team and among his clients and friends, Sayre could be counted on for incisive observations, well-timed jokes and a penchant for mischief. (As a devoted Cal alum, he was particularly proud of the epic Big Game pranks he masterminded and executed on his Stanford alum colleagues over the years.)
Sayre began his career as a paralegal with Fenwick in 1992. He left to earn his law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. After graduating magna cum laude in 1997, he rejoined the firm as a corporate associate and was promoted to partner in 2005. During his time at Fenwick, Sayre played a central role in building the firm’s preeminent Startup & Venture Capital practice, advising leading technology clients and some of the most influential Silicon Valley investors. His skills spanned from complex corporate transactions to day-to-day advice for founders, boards and investors. No matter the context, Sayre was beloved and trusted by his clients for his unique combination of irreverence and dedicated, thoughtful counsel.
Though Sayre played a critical role in many important transactions and client relationships and was known as a thought leader within the firm and the startup and venture industry, his legacy at Fenwick is defined by his integral role in the firm’s culture and success for the past 25 years. Sayre was deeply respected and beloved by our Fenwick team, and he is dearly missed.
Our thoughts are with Sayre’s wife, Amy, and their children Hadley, Perry and Mason.
At the family’s request, those wishing to honor Sayre can make an honorary gift in his name to the Peninsula Open Space Trust. Notifications of tributes, private cards and condolences for the family can be directed to the address below.
The firm is also collecting tributes to be shared with Sayre’s family and within our firm. Written remembrances and condolences can be submitted here.
In Memoriam Sayre E. Stevick
c/o Rodger Cole
801 California Street
Mountain View, CA 94041
United States