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Comprehensive Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Experience
John had substantial experience in all aspects of employee benefits and executive compensation, including tax, ERISA, securities, and state law concerns.
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Advised on Significant M&A Deals and Other Transactions
John was involved in some of the most significant M&A deals in the technology sector, advising on executive compensation and employee benefits matters. His experience included strategic partnering agreements, collaborations, joint ventures, spin-offs, and other transactions.
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A Recognized Practitioner
John was consistently recognized in Chambers USA in the employee benefits and executive compensation category.
In 2026, John Aguirre retired as a partner in the employee benefits and compensation practice at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. His practice encompasses all aspects of employee benefits and executive compensation, including tax, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), and federal and state securities law. He also had significant experience in the employee benefits and executive compensation aspects of mergers, acquisitions, and spin-off transactions.
John represented clients in the high-tech, semiconductor, life sciences, retail, and financial sectors, helping them design and administer a wide array of plans, including tax-qualified retirement programs (for example, 401(k) plans), health and disability programs, equity-based compensation plans, and all kinds of executive compensation arrangements.
Listed in the 2006-2025 editions of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, John received substantial market endorsement for his practice. Sources described him as “fantastic and easy to deal with” and as an attorney who “provides high-quality and accurate advice.”
In 2026, John Aguirre retired as a partner in the employee benefits and compensation practice at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. His practice encompasses all aspects of employee benefits and executive compensation, including tax, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), and federal and state securities law. He also had significant experience in the employee benefits and executive compensation aspects of mergers, acquisitions, and spin-off transactions.
John represented clients in the high-tech, semiconductor, life sciences, retail, and financial sectors, helping them design and administer a wide array of plans, including tax-qualified retirement programs (for example, 401(k) plans), health and disability programs, equity-based compensation plans, and all kinds of executive compensation arrangements.
Listed in the 2006-2025 editions of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, John received substantial market endorsement for his practice. Sources described him as “fantastic and easy to deal with” and as an attorney who “provides high-quality and accurate advice.”
- J.D., Stanford Law School, 1987
- B.A., Business Administration, University of California, Berkeley, 1984
- Named in the 2006-2025 editions of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business
- Named in the 2005-2013 and 2018 editions of Northern California Super Lawyers
- Selected for inclusion in the 2009-2011 and 2014-2018 editions of Best Lawyers in America
- J.D., Stanford Law School, 1987
- B.A., Business Administration, University of California, Berkeley, 1984
- Named in the 2006-2025 editions of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business
- Named in the 2005-2013 and 2018 editions of Northern California Super Lawyers
- Selected for inclusion in the 2009-2011 and 2014-2018 editions of Best Lawyers in America
Select Representative Matters
- Advised on executive compensation and employee benefits matters related to some of the nation's most significant mergers and acquisitions, including:
- An electronics manufacturer's $16.7 billion acquisition by a global technology company
- An infrastructure software company's $4.3 billion acquisition by a private equity firm
- A software development company's $5.3 billion acquisition by an investment firm and an investment management organization
- A semiconductor manufacturer's $4 billion merger with another semiconductor company
- A cloud computing company's $390 million acquisition of an enterprise software company
- A financial services software company's $2.7 billion acquisition of a software company
- An e-commerce company's $280 million acquisition by a supermarket chain
- Represented executives, or executive teams, in going-private transactions (private equity leveraged buyout), including:
- A global technology company's $3 billion acquisition of an audio products company and a subscription streaming music service
- A multinational computer technology company's $25 billion going-private transaction
- Represented executives and company founders, including the CEO and founder of an action camera manufacturing company, in employee benefits and executive compensation matters, as well as structured CEO employment agreements for companies or on behalf of individuals
Select Representative Matters
- Advised on executive compensation and employee benefits matters related to some of the nation's most significant mergers and acquisitions, including:
- An electronics manufacturer's $16.7 billion acquisition by a global technology company
- An infrastructure software company's $4.3 billion acquisition by a private equity firm
- A software development company's $5.3 billion acquisition by an investment firm and an investment management organization
- A semiconductor manufacturer's $4 billion merger with another semiconductor company
- A cloud computing company's $390 million acquisition of an enterprise software company
- A financial services software company's $2.7 billion acquisition of a software company
- An e-commerce company's $280 million acquisition by a supermarket chain
- Represented executives, or executive teams, in going-private transactions (private equity leveraged buyout), including:
- A global technology company's $3 billion acquisition of an audio products company and a subscription streaming music service
- A multinational computer technology company's $25 billion going-private transaction
- Represented executives and company founders, including the CEO and founder of an action camera manufacturing company, in employee benefits and executive compensation matters, as well as structured CEO employment agreements for companies or on behalf of individuals
Select Publications
- Co-author with L. Stimmell and D. Thomas, "Pay Ratio Disclosure: How to Tackle the SEC Rule," Corporate Secretary, December 29, 2017
Select Publications
- Co-author with L. Stimmell and D. Thomas, "Pay Ratio Disclosure: How to Tackle the SEC Rule," Corporate Secretary, December 29, 2017
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