Will Black

650-335-7180
wblack@fenwick.com
Partner
Corporate

Will C.
Black

Will C.
Black

Will C.
Black

Partner
Corporate

Will provides strategic counseling and thought partnership to founders and emerging companies that are reshaping how people connect, create, and experience the world through AI. He also advises leading venture capital firms and growth investors supporting these innovators. Will counsels companies at every stage of growth, from early-stage startups to established technology leaders, guiding them through complex legal and business challenges as they evolve.

As a trusted advisor to entrepreneurs building transformative technologies, Will combines a deep understanding of emerging business models with pragmatic legal expertise. Providing full-life cycle counseling, Will’s experience includes venture capital financings, growth equity investments, strategic acquisitions and partnerships, and corporate governance. Will’s approach centers on building long-term relationships, allowing him to provide tailored advice aligned closely with each client's unique goals as they pioneer the next generation of human experiences.

Beyond his practice, Will is deeply committed to fostering diversity within the startup and venture capital ecosystems, including through his work with SomosVC. He is also passionate about mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs and startup attorneys, co-teaching Venture Capital at Stanford Law School and previously teaching Business Law at UTEP.

  • Alta in its $11M seed financing
  • Netic in its $20M Series A funding
  • Akido Labs in its $60M Series B funding
  • Multiple financings for Saildrone, including its $14M Series A, $60M Series B, and $100M Series C financings
  • Fabric Cryptography in its $33M Series A funding
  • Formation Bio in its $372M Series D funding
  • Found in its $50M Series C funding
  • Material Security in its $100M Series C financing
  • Multiple financings for Alchemy, including its $80M Series B, $250M Series C, and $200M Series C-1 financings
  • Captivate IQ in its $100M Series C financing
  • TrialSpark in its $156M Series C financing
  • Leading venture capital investors like Khosla Ventures, Founders Fund, Lightspeed, Menlo Ventures, and a16z in multiple investments, including Portola Labs, Ramp, Helion, Aurascape, and others
  • Cisco Investments in its investments in Thinking Machines Lab, Groq, and Anthropic
  • Rockset in its acquisition by OpenAI
  • Science Exchange in its acquisition by Waud Capital Partners
  • ThousandEyes in its pending acquisition by Cisco

  • Alta in its $11M seed financing
  • Netic in its $20M Series A funding
  • Akido Labs in its $60M Series B funding
  • Multiple financings for Saildrone, including its $14M Series A, $60M Series B, and $100M Series C financings
  • Fabric Cryptography in its $33M Series A funding
  • Formation Bio in its $372M Series D funding
  • Found in its $50M Series C funding
  • Material Security in its $100M Series C financing
  • Multiple financings for Alchemy, including its $80M Series B, $250M Series C, and $200M Series C-1 financings
  • Captivate IQ in its $100M Series C financing
  • TrialSpark in its $156M Series C financing
  • Leading venture capital investors like Khosla Ventures, Founders Fund, Lightspeed, Menlo Ventures, and a16z in multiple investments, including Portola Labs, Ramp, Helion, Aurascape, and others
  • Cisco Investments in its investments in Thinking Machines Lab, Groq, and Anthropic
  • Rockset in its acquisition by OpenAI
  • Science Exchange in its acquisition by Waud Capital Partners
  • ThousandEyes in its pending acquisition by Cisco