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Kathy H. Ku
Partner
Mergers & Acquisitions
Century City
Palo Alto
kku@wsgr.com

D424-446-6905

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Katherine H. Ku is a corporate and securities partner in the Los Angeles office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. She represents both public and private companies and private equity funds in a variety of corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt financings, and joint ventures. Kathy also advises clients on corporate governance and securities compliance matters. In addition, she has experience representing special committees of boards of directors in connection with buy-out matters.

Kathy is recognized in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, where sources describe her as “an absolute rockstar,” “extremely smart,” “commercially-minded” attorney who is “excellent in negotiation and contract development” and “a key piece of the acquisition team.” 

Prior to joining the firm, Kathy was a corporate partner in the Los Angeles office of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP.

Following her graduation from law school, Kathy served as a law clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (2003-2004) and for Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the U.S. Supreme Court (2004-2005).

Experience

Katherine H. Ku is a corporate and securities partner in the Los Angeles office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. She represents both public and private companies and private equity funds in a variety of corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt financings, and joint ventures. Kathy also advises clients on corporate governance and securities compliance matters. In addition, she has experience representing special committees of boards of directors in connection with buy-out matters.

Kathy is recognized in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, where sources describe her as “an absolute rockstar,” “extremely smart,” “commercially-minded” attorney who is “excellent in negotiation and contract development” and “a key piece of the acquisition team.” 

Prior to joining the firm, Kathy was a corporate partner in the Los Angeles office of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP.

Following her graduation from law school, Kathy served as a law clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (2003-2004) and for Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the U.S. Supreme Court (2004-2005).

Education
  • J.D., UCLA School of Law, 2003Order of the Coif; Editor-in-Chief, UCLA Law Review
  • B.A., History and Literature, Harvard University, 1996Cum Laude
Associations and Memberships
  • Member, Board of Directors, Bet Tzedek
  • Member, Board of Directors, Town Hall - Los Angeles
Honors
  • Named among Daily Journal’s “Top Women Lawyers 2024”
  • Named among the “Women of Influence: Attorneys 2024” by Los Angeles Business Journal
  • Honored among the 2023 “Women Leaders in Tech Law” by The Recorder
  • Recognized in 2022 as one of the “Top 100 Lawyers” in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal
  • Recognized among the Daily Journal’s “Top Women Lawyers” for 2022
  • Recognized in the 2021-2026 editions of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business
Admissions
  • State Bar of California
Credentials
Education
  • J.D., UCLA School of Law, 2003Order of the Coif; Editor-in-Chief, UCLA Law Review
  • B.A., History and Literature, Harvard University, 1996Cum Laude
Associations and Memberships
  • Member, Board of Directors, Bet Tzedek
  • Member, Board of Directors, Town Hall - Los Angeles
Honors
  • Named among Daily Journal’s “Top Women Lawyers 2024”
  • Named among the “Women of Influence: Attorneys 2024” by Los Angeles Business Journal
  • Honored among the 2023 “Women Leaders in Tech Law” by The Recorder
  • Recognized in 2022 as one of the “Top 100 Lawyers” in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal
  • Recognized among the Daily Journal’s “Top Women Lawyers” for 2022
  • Recognized in the 2021-2026 editions of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business
Admissions
  • State Bar of California

Representative Matters

  • Represented the owner of The Los Angeles Times in the sale of The San Diego Union-Tribune to Alden Global Capital
  • Represented Weee! in its Series E financing
  • Represented Pensando Systems in its acquisition by AMD
  • Represented Sarcos in its de-SPAC transaction with Rotor Acquisition Corp.
  • Represented Lyft in the sale of its self-driving car division to Woven Planet Holdings, a Toyota subsidiary
  • Represented Lyft in its collaboration with Argo AI and Ford Motor Company
  • Represented Electriphi in its sale to Ford Motor Company
  • Represented Careem in its sale to Uber
  • Represented Air Lease Corporation in its initial public offering
  • Represented BDT Capital Partners LLC in its investment in Cox Automotive as part of Cox's acquisition of Dealertrack Technologies
  • Represented Berkshire Hathaway in its acquisition of Duracell from Procter & Gamble
  • Represented Eagle Cliff Partners and Emerging Impact Fund in venture capital investments
  • Represented Guardian Industries in its recapitalization, and minority equity investment and subsequent acquisition by Koch Industries
  • Represented Internet Brands Inc. in its initial public offering, subsequent sale to Hellman & Friedman, and sale to KKR
  • Represented senior executives of Petco in the acquisition of control of the company by CVC Capital Partners and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
Matters

Representative Matters

  • Represented the owner of The Los Angeles Times in the sale of The San Diego Union-Tribune to Alden Global Capital
  • Represented Weee! in its Series E financing
  • Represented Pensando Systems in its acquisition by AMD
  • Represented Sarcos in its de-SPAC transaction with Rotor Acquisition Corp.
  • Represented Lyft in the sale of its self-driving car division to Woven Planet Holdings, a Toyota subsidiary
  • Represented Lyft in its collaboration with Argo AI and Ford Motor Company
  • Represented Electriphi in its sale to Ford Motor Company
  • Represented Careem in its sale to Uber
  • Represented Air Lease Corporation in its initial public offering
  • Represented BDT Capital Partners LLC in its investment in Cox Automotive as part of Cox's acquisition of Dealertrack Technologies
  • Represented Berkshire Hathaway in its acquisition of Duracell from Procter & Gamble
  • Represented Eagle Cliff Partners and Emerging Impact Fund in venture capital investments
  • Represented Guardian Industries in its recapitalization, and minority equity investment and subsequent acquisition by Koch Industries
  • Represented Internet Brands Inc. in its initial public offering, subsequent sale to Hellman & Friedman, and sale to KKR
  • Represented senior executives of Petco in the acquisition of control of the company by CVC Capital Partners and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board

Select Speaking Engagements

  • Panelist, “Intro & Overview: M&A Market by the Numbers,” M&A Bootcamp, Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center, February 16, 2022

  • Panelist, “Traditional IPOs v. SPACs,” Wilson Sonsini’s 28th Annual Medical Device Conference, June 25, 2021

  • Panelist, "Overview of the M&A Market," M&A Bootcamp: The Ultimate Guide to Mergers & Acquisitions for Start-Ups, Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center, April 21, 2021
Insights

Select Speaking Engagements

  • Panelist, “Intro & Overview: M&A Market by the Numbers,” M&A Bootcamp, Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center, February 16, 2022

  • Panelist, “Traditional IPOs v. SPACs,” Wilson Sonsini’s 28th Annual Medical Device Conference, June 25, 2021

  • Panelist, "Overview of the M&A Market," M&A Bootcamp: The Ultimate Guide to Mergers & Acquisitions for Start-Ups, Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center, April 21, 2021
Focus Areas
  • Biotech
  • Capital Markets
  • Clean Energy
  • Consumer Products and Services
  • Corporate
  • Corporate Governance
  • Digital Media and Entertainment
  • Internet
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Private Equity
  • Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs)
Recent Insights
News Articles
Wilson Sonsini Practices, Attorneys Recognized in 2026 Chambers USA Guide
The 2026 Chambers USA guide has recognized Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati as a leading law firm in 44 geography-specific practice categories and named 87 Wilson Sonsini attorneys among the best in their fields. This year, the firm received four new practice area rankings, including in the nationwide National Security and Capital Markets: Convertible Debt categories, and three improved practice area rankings.
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News Articles
2025 Chambers USA Guide Recognizes Wilson Sonsini Practices, Attorneys
The 2025 Chambers USA guide has recognized Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati as a leading law firm in 39 geography-specific practice categories and named 86 Wilson Sonsini attorneys among the best in their fields. This year, the firm received three new practice area rankings, including in the Artificial Intelligence category, and four improved practice area rankings.
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Startup Launchpad: Empowering Growth Through Technology & Innovation #EarlyStageLA
Wilson Sonsini is the proud presenting sponsor of #EarlyStageLA. Join us for an exciting and dynamic evening at the Startup Launchpad, where innovation meets opportunity and investment. This event is tailored for growing startups seeking to raise capital, scale their businesses, and connect with potential investors. ​Attendees will gain invaluable insights from industry leaders in technology, finance, legal, and HR, as well as opportunities to pitch their companies to investors and forge strategic partnerships.
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Affiliated Programs
#EarlyStageLA Launch Party: Presented by Pyrium by StartupStarter x Wilson Sonsini
Wilson Sonsini is the proud presenting sponsor of Early Stage Los Angeles. Join us for the #EarlyStageLA Launch Party, a landmark event designed to kickstart a transformative initiative for early-stage startups in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. This event marks the beginning of the city-wide effort to activate brand partnerships, venture capital funds, accelerators, universities, and promising startups, driving significant investment into the region's entrepreneurial ecosystem.
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