Sidley is pleased to announce that Cynthia Bai and Nicholas (Nic) Frey have joined the firm as partners in its Palo Alto office. Ms. Bai joins the firm’s Global Finance group from Cooley LLP, while Mr. Frey joins the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation practice from Baker Botts. Sidley’s presence in Northern California continues to grow with more than 100 lawyers serving technology, life sciences, emerging companies, venture capital, and other practice areas.

“With over a dozen new partners nationally in the emerging growth practice over the past several years, our strategic investment in this sector is only gaining momentum,” said Martin Wellington, leader of Sidley’s Emerging Companies and Venture Capital practice and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. “Cynthia and Nic bring the Silicon Valley-native experience that entrepreneurial technology and life sciences companies expect in credit and executive compensation matters, as they are intimately familiar with the bespoke practices and market norms that have grown up in this sector.”

Mr. Frey focuses on executive compensation and benefits, equity plan and award design, M&A and capital markets transaction support, ERISA matters, and general public and private company compensation and benefit matters.

“Sidley has built a strong pipeline of technology and life sciences capital markets and M&A opportunities,” said Matthew E. Johnson, co-leader of the firm’s global Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation practice. “Nic’s experience will be a great asset to the team and the firm.”

Ms. Bai focuses her practice on debt financing transactions involving technology, life science, healthcare, and other high growth verticals, with an emphasis on venture debt and other emerging growth debt facilities, as well as fund finance. Her clients include debt funds, banks, and other lenders, as well as operating company and investment fund borrowers.

“We continue to attract the highest level of talent to our globally recognized practice,” said Kevin Blauch, leader of Sidley’s Global Finance practice and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. “Cynthia’s strong knowledge of the structures common to early stage and high growth borrowers and venture funds is a great addition to our team.”

With more than 180 lawyers, Sidley’s Global finance group is a destination practice for high-value, complex financings across a broad spectrum of platforms, industries and asset types. Sidley lawyers have pioneered the development of financial instruments for the world’s financial markets and is consistently recognized by leading publications as one of the world’s leading finance practices.