* as of 8/1/23
Known as the picturesque city by the bay and a hub of innovation with a booming economy, our San Francisco office is one of our largest, offering a full complement of services—and opportunity—across litigation, corporate and transactions, and regulatory law.
Just steps from the Ferry Building and a short walk from Oracle Park, our San Francisco office is a key piece of what makes Wilson Sonsini the technology legal powerhouse it is today.
Our unrivaled client list is rich with former start-ups that grew into industry-leading corporations and the trailblazers that will shape our tomorrows. These include life sciences clients whose technologies help save lives and protect health and well-being as well as clean technology companies working for sustainable energy solutions.
Our San Francisco attorneys represent a sophisticated mix of practices and often join together to provide clients with coverage across highly specialized areas.
Our corporate attorneys handle a range of transactions and governance matters, from formation and venture financings to M&A and capital markets deals. Our IP and patents and innovations teams represent clients in developing and protecting IP, providing strategic IP counsel from the start. And our litigators represent clients in federal and state courts, in jury and bench trials, in arbitrations, on appeal, and before regulatory agencies and administrative tribunals.
San Francisco hosts one of our largest summer classes. Each year, we bring in 10 to 20 summers whose assignments range across our practice areas: corporate, litigation, regulatory, patents and innovations, and technology transactions.
Oh and the views of San Francisco Bay and the Bay Bridge—in sun, rain, and, yes, fog—are stunning.
Explore San Francisco Practices
Join Our Team
We are currently seeking a second to fourth year associate for the San Francisco office to litigate and try IP and technology-focused cases for a career. We handle trade secret, patent, copyright, and other technology-centered commercial disputes for Silicon Valley’s largest companies and cutting-edge start-ups. We have advanced the law repeatedly in key areas. We try cases. Candidates must have excellent academic credentials, as well as top-notch writing, speaking, fact development, and legal research skills. We work collaboratively and seek candidates to learn and run cases. We prioritize early responsibility and leadership opportunities on our case teams.
With the largest Life Sciences-focused patent practice in the world, Wilson Sonsini’s unmatched expertise services a diverse client base from start-ups to established industry leaders on global patent portfolio development and management. Associates learn from the best through early, hands-on experience and comprehensive training and development opportunities. You will draft and prosecute patent applications, prepare patent opinion letters and provide IP counseling to clients as well as supervise junior attorneys and patent agents. We want to hear from you if you have 1-4 years of patent prosecution law firm experience, patent bar membership, and a background in one of the following fields: cell or molecular biology, immunology, biochemistry, bioinformatics, medicinal chemistry, cancer biology, pharmacology, organic chemistry, biophysics, or digital health focused disciplines.
The Legal Education Manager will work closely with the Director of Legal Education & Development; the Chief Professional Development, Engagement & Inclusion Officer; firm management; department and practice group leadership; and the broader PD team to implement relevant, effective, and dynamic legal training programs for our litigation and regulatory departments firmwide.
Wilson Sonsini's Accelerated Consideration for Employment (ACE) program is an opportunity for applicants with a serious interest in Wilson Sonsini to get a decision from us on a much earlier timeline. For those candidates who have done their research and know where they want to be, this program offers an opportunity to begin our application process earlier and move through more quickly.
The ACE application will remain open until May 27th. We will review applications on a rolling basis, and we will conduct screening interviews the week of June 10th. Callback interviews will take place beginning on June 17th. You will be asked to submit your Fall Semester grades as part of this application. Spring Semester grades will be collected at a later time. Our general Summer Associate application will open on May 28th.
If you would like to submit an application to Wilson Sonsini, but do not see an active posting for the office or practice you are interested in, please apply here.
Did you know?
Year after year, Wilson Sonsini ranks among the most diverse law firms in the United States. For us, diversity is not just a commitment—it is integrated throughout our business, from recruiting to promotion.