Overview
Lyman Thai is a partner and business lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP. Lyman is based in the firm’s San Francisco and Silicon Valley offices, where he is a member of the firm’s Transactions Practice Group and Venture & Growth Capital Team.
Lyman advises founders, management teams and boards of directors in a wide range of transactions across all stages of growth. He advises business clients on company formation, founder and employee equity arrangements, fundraising, corporate governance, federal and state securities laws, stock and option administration, intellectual property protection, employment and compensation, commercial contracts, M&A, and other strategic transactions, including equity, debt, and convertible instrument financings and investments. He also represents venture capital firms and corporate investors in their investments in high-growth companies, including seed capital, venture capital, growth capital, and strategic investments.
Lyman has represented clients operating businesses or investing in companies across a wide range of industries, including cloud computing, cybersecurity, digital media, enterprise software, financial technology, mobile applications, on-demand services, online travel, social media, software-as-a-service (SaaS), video games, and other emerging businesses and technologies.
In addition to advising clients on general business issues, Lyman leads client teams and coordinates specialists to address licensing, patent and trademark prosecution, tax, employee benefits, employment and general commercial litigation, real estate, privacy, CFIUS/national security, HSR/antitrust, and other regulatory matters.
Prior to Foley, Lyman represented emerging companies and investors from the San Francisco and Palo Alto offices of a global technology law firm headquartered in Silicon Valley. He also previously served as general counsel for a venture capital-backed legal technology company. In that capacity, Lyman helped the company raise $65 million in venture capital through multiple rounds, supported the company’s growth from 25 to 200 people, negotiated strategic transactions and commercial contracts, and managed business and legal risks across the organization.
Education
- University of Michigan Law School (J.D., cum laude)
- Editor, Michigan Law Review
- Co-Founder and Production Editor, Michigan Journal of Environmental and Administrative Law
- Harvard University (A.B.)
Admissions
- California