First time a law firm is among Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies

PALO ALTO, CA (March 8, 2022) — Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the premier provider of legal services to technology, life sciences, and growth enterprises worldwide, announced today that the firm has been named to Fast Company’s prestigious annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies in North America for 2022. This is the first time a law firm is among the innovative technology-driven companies named to the list.

The World’s Most Innovative Companies list honors businesses that are making the biggest impact on their industries and culture as a whole—ultimately thriving in today’s ever-changing world. These companies are creating the future today with some of the most inspiring accomplishments of the 21st century. In addition to the World's 50 Most Innovative Companies, 528 organizations are recognized across 52 categories.

As their next paradigm leap in transforming the legal industry, Wilson Sonsini has launched Neuron, a next-generation proprietary software platform that streamlines, automates, and digitizes the typical legal processes along a start-up’s journey – from formation to exit. Combined with world-class legal expertise, Neuron will deliver high-quality, responsive, and efficient technology-enabled legal services to Wilson Sonsini’s start-up clients. This enterprise-class technology solution addresses start-up clients’ need for fast, frictionless, yet highly personalized, service.

“Having advised hundreds of thousands of start-ups over the past six decades, our emerging companies practice team knows what entrepreneurs need to succeed,” said Raj Judge, corporate partner and co-chair of Wilson Sonsini’s emerging companies practice. “Instead of getting bogged down in paperwork, start-ups and founders can focus on activities that help their businesses grow, while Neuron takes care of labor-intensive legal processes.”

As deal volume, valuations and amounts raised in venture fundings continue to break records, Neuron simplifies the process of getting legal advice, providing clients with a holistic platform to access and collaborate with their legal team and completing routine legal processes in a fraction of the time.

“By developing real and practical technology solutions, we’re reinventing how we serve start-ups—most of whom are driven by pure innovation and leverage technology to enable their growth and success—by delivering accessibility to legal expertise like never before,” said David Wang, Wilson Sonsini’s chief innovation officer.

Fast Company’s editors and writers sought out the most groundbreaking businesses across the globe and industries. They also judged nominations received through their application process. 

The World’s Most Innovative Companies is Fast Company’s signature franchise and one of its most highly anticipated editorial efforts of the year. It provides both a snapshot and a road map for the future of innovation across the most dynamic sectors of the economy.

“The world’s most innovative companies play an essential role in addressing the most pressing issues facing society, whether they’re fighting climate change by spurring decarbonization efforts, ameliorating the strain on supply chains, or helping us reconnect with one another over shared passions,” said Fast Company Deputy Editor David Lidsky.

For the second year in a row, to coincide with the issue launch, Fast Company will host its Most Innovative Companies Summit on April 26–27. The virtual, multiday summit celebrates the Most Innovative Companies in business, and provides an early look at major business trends and an inside look at what it takes to innovate in 2022. Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies issue (March/April 2022) is available online here, as well as in-app form via iTunes, and on newsstands beginning March 15. The hashtag is #FCMostInnovative. 

ABOUT THE EMERGING COMPANIES PRACTICE (ECP)

Wilson Sonsini’s ECP is a global leader in representing start-up companies from formation to IPO and beyond. Over the past six decades, the ECP has advised hundreds of thousands of companies, like DoorDash, Google, Lyft, and Netflix, through various stages of growth and liquidity events. Companies leverage the ECP’s deep experience, top legal resources, and a global network of VCs and industry relationships to scale through all stages of their life cycle.  The ECP has over 400 attorneys worldwide focused on delivering high-quality legal services to the emerging companies ecosystem. For more information, please visit ecp.wsgr.com.

ABOUT WILSON SONSINI

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; Boulder; Brussels; Hong Kong; London; Los Angeles; New York; Palo Alto; Salt Lake City; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Shanghai; Washington, D.C.; and Wilmington, DE. For more information, please visit www.wsgr.com.

ABOUT FAST COMPANY

Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication Inc., and can be found online at www.fastcompany.com.