Lowenstein Sandler is pleased to announce that Jason R. Sanderson has joined the firm as a partner in its Emerging Companies & Venture Capital (ECVC) Group, based in the firm’s Palo Alto office. Sanderson has spent nearly two decades as a San Francisco Bay Area-based lawyer advising startups, growth companies, venture funds, and investors in the United States and Europe.
Sanderson represents venture-backed companies from pre-seed through exit (often by merger and acquisition), advises venture funds, family offices, and angel investors on their portfolio investments, and has advised investors and companies on more than 1,000 venture capital financings globally. His practice also spans domestic and international M&A of venture-backed companies, including transactions ranging from small tuck-in acquisitions and acqui-hires to mergers in the billions of dollars. Sanderson ranks among the best lawyers in California in Venture Capital, according to Chambers USA. He is the second venture capital-focused partner to have joined Lowenstein in as many months, as Hila Cohen recently joined the firm’s Venture Funds Launch Group as a partner, where she works closely with ECVC on fund formation and capital-raising matters for emerging fund managers.
Anthony W. Raymundo, Managing Partner of Lowenstein’s Palo Alto office, and a partner in the firm’s ECVC Group, says: “We have long known and respected Jason as a fixture in the Bay Area venture community with a rare combination of company-side and investor-side experience built over his career. His work spanning seed deals through venture and growth equity financings, as well as billion-dollar venture-backed M&A enables him to genuinely understand both sides of the table, and his pragmatism is exactly what founders and investors value. We are thrilled to welcome Jason as we continue to expand our deep bench of senior Bay Area lawyers.”
Sanderson’s arrival marks the latest in a series of strategic ECVC partner hires in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, expanding upon Lowenstein’s long-standing ties to both the Bay Area and global startup and venture communities. Recent venture-focused partner additions to the Group (in addition to Cohen) include San Francisco-based partner Josh Cook, Palo Alto/San Francisco-based partners Armando Castro and Matteo Daste, and New York-based partners Sara R. Werner, Abraham J. Kwon, and Leia K. Galasso—reflecting the firm’s ability to attract firmly entrenched senior talent in the nation’s leading venture markets.
Ed Zimmerman, who chairs Lowenstein’s ECVC Group, adds: “Jason’s addition further cements our momentum in the Bay Area. His blend of startup and growth company counseling, VC investor-side experience, and M&A sophistication rounds out our platform in exactly the way our clients need as they scale and eventually look toward an exit.”
Prior to joining Lowenstein, Sanderson has spent nearly 20 years as a San Francisco/Silicon Valley-based lawyer. Most recently, he was a partner at Morrison Foerster in San Francisco. Earlier in his career, Sanderson was a partner at BraunHagey & Borden (also in San Francisco) and practiced at Paul Hastings in Palo Alto. He earned his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and his B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Rochester (Phi Beta Kappa).
Sanderson’s arrival adds to a team with sustained recognition in the venture capital market. Lowenstein’s ECVC Group continues to be recognized as one of the most active law firms globally and in the U.S. for venture capital transactions and VC-backed M&A and exits, earning top 10 rankings in both categories—along with top 10 rankings on the West Coast and in the Mid-Atlantic—in PitchBook’s Q1 2026 Global League Tables. Chambers USA 2026 also ranked Lowenstein’s ECVC Group nationwide in Startups & Emerging Companies, with ECVC Chair and Co-Founder Ed Zimmerman and Vice Chair Anthony O. Pergola also individually recognized in the category.
“Lowenstein’s ECVC Group has built one of the most respected platforms in the country for representing startups, growth companies, venture funds, and investors,” says Sanderson. “I’ve spent my career on both the company and investor sides of venture deals, and I’m excited to bring that experience to Lowenstein, particularly as the firm continues to deepen its presence in the Bay Area and European venture markets.”
Founded more than 25 years ago by Zimmerman and Pergola, Lowenstein’s ECVC Group is one of the most active venture capital practices in the country, advising startups, growth companies, and the venture, growth equity, and private equity funds that invest in them, from pre-seed through exit — including venture-backed M&A and other liquidity events. The ECVC Group, from its New York, San Francisco, Palo Alto, and D.C. offices, maintains deep relationships with U.S. and international investors, including leading funds and founders across Europe, Israel, and Africa.
About Lowenstein Sandler LLP
Lowenstein Sandler is a national law firm with over 400 lawyers based in New York, Palo Alto, Roseland, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Wilmington. The firm represents leaders in virtually every sector of the global economy, with particular emphasis on investment funds, life sciences, and technology. Recognized for its entrepreneurial spirit and high standard of client service, the firm is committed to the interests of its clients, colleagues, and communities.
