PALO ALTO, CA (January 6, 2022) – Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the premier provider of legal services to technology, life sciences, and growth enterprises worldwide, announced today that Alison G. Johnson has rejoined the firm’s corporate practice as a partner in the newly launched Salt Lake City office. Johnson, who hails from Boise, Idaho, and comes from law firm Holland & Hart, is joined by associates Lauren Fouser and Kristiana Lubomirova, and paralegal Brandy Lopez. The team will work alongside corporate partners Marc Porter, who also joined the firm from Holland & Hart, and Matt Squires, most recently of Wilson Sonsini’s Seattle office, as well as Utah Supreme Court Justice Deno Himonas, who will join the firm upon his retirement from the bench in March 2022.
Johnson represents companies at all stages of growth, advising on venture capital and other financings, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and corporate governance matters. She has a burgeoning early-stage company practice that is national in reach. In addition to clients in Idaho and Utah, she works with companies across the country in a wide range of industries, including e-commerce, SaaS, biotechnology, and agricultural technology. She also represents venture capital firms and angel investors.
“By opening an office in Salt Lake City, the firm has an opportunity to capitalize not only on the especially strong base we have established in Utah, but also to grow our presence in the entire Mountain State region, which is recognized as a growing ecosystem for technology and life sciences companies,” said Doug Clark, managing partner at Wilson Sonsini. “We are confident Alison will advance this strategy. She has proven business development capabilities across the region and has built her own independent practice. We are delighted to welcome Alison back to the firm.”
Previously, Johnson was a partner in Holland & Hart’s Boise office, where she served as a leader in both the emerging company practice and the food & beverage and consumer products industry group. She joined Holland & Hart in 2010 and became a partner in 2016. Johnson started her legal career at Wilson Sonsini as a summer associate in 2006 and, following her graduation from law school in 2007, she joined the firm’s Palo Alto office as a corporate associate.
Johnson earned her J.D., magna cum laude and Order of the Coif, from Santa Clara University School of Law in 2007, where she was articles editor of the Santa Clara Law Review, and her B.A., summa cum laude, in philosophy from Santa Clara University in 2004. She is admitted to practice in California and Idaho, and will seek admission in Utah.
Johnson has been recognized by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the Corporate/Commercial category from 2017 to 2021; named a Mountain States Super Lawyers Rising Star for Mergers & Acquisitions in 2018; received the Idaho Women Lawyers Innovator Award in 2017; and was honored as an Idaho Business Review “Leader in Law” in 2021. She has served on the Women Innovators (W.IN) Leadership Board since 2018 and is on the Board of Trustees for the Idaho Technology Council, where she co-chairs the Capital Connect initiative and contributes to the annual publication of the Idaho Deal Flow Report.
About Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
For more than 60 years, Wilson Sonsini’s services and legal disciplines have focused on serving the principal challenges faced by the management and boards of directors of business enterprises. The firm is nationally recognized as a leading provider to growing and established clients seeking legal counsel to complete sophisticated corporate and technology transactions; manage governance and enterprise-scale matters; assist with intellectual property development, protection, and IP-driven transactions; represent them in contested disputes; and/or advise them on antitrust or other regulatory matters. With deep roots in Silicon Valley, Wilson Sonsini has offices in Austin; Beijing; Boston; Brussels; Hong Kong; London; Los Angeles; New York; Palo Alto; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Shanghai; Washington, D.C.; and Wilmington, DE. For more information, please visit www.wsgr.com.