Polsinelli Expands Technology Startup and Venture Capital Capabilities with Addition of Brian Willbur in San Francisco

Polsinelli is pleased to welcome Brian Willbur as a principal in its Venture Capital and Emerging Growth Companies Practice in San Francisco. An experienced advisor to emerging technology companies and venture capital investors on financings, corporate growth strategies, and complex transactions, Brian’s arrival reinforces the firm’s ongoing growth in Northern California, as well as its ability to serve high-growth technology companies and the funds that invest in them.

“Brian is a seasoned, business-minded lawyer with deep ties to the Silicon Valley ecosystem,” said Rick Jordan, Co-Chair of Polsinelli’s Venture Capital and Emerging Growth Companies Practice. “His arrival reinforces Polsinelli’s commitment to building out our coast-to-coast platform with a team that, among other things, serves the broader legal needs of venture-backed companies, including commercial matters, intellectual property, privacy, employment, litigation, and day-to-day corporate counsel.”

Brian represents emerging companies across the technology sector throughout their life cycles—from formation and venture financings to strategic financings and exits—as well as the top-tier venture capital funds that invest in them. He also counsels these clients on numerous corporate and securities matters, including corporate restructurings, debt transactions, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, and public offerings. In addition, Brian regularly advises on investor-side financings and cross-border corporate structuring matters, with an emphasis on Latin America-focused transactions.

"Brian exemplifies the caliber of talent we’re attracting as Polsinelli continues to grow its presence in the markets that matter most to our clients,” said Chase Simmons, Polsinelli’s CEO and Chairman. “The technology and venture capital space demands advisors who understand not just the law, but the broader business landscape—and Brian brings both in abundance. We’re thrilled to have him on our team."

Throughout his nearly 20-year career, Brian has represented clients in a wide range of technology industries, such as enterprise software, fintech, e-commerce, consumer internet, education technology, mobile communications, networking, and cybersecurity.

“Polsinelli’s dedication to the Northern California market, paired with its nationwide venture capital and emerging growth companies practice, make it the ideal next step in my career,” Brian said. “I look forward to collaborating with the firm’s impressive group of attorneys and leveraging the firm’s expansive platform to deliver the innovative, business-oriented counsel my clients have come to expect.”

Brian earned his J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of Law, and his B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.

With a focus on the emerging company market, Polsinelli has helped launch and grow hundreds of businesses. Recently recognized in Pitchbook’s Q1 2026 Global League Tables for its dealmaking activity across mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital, Polsinelli’s interdisciplinary team is experienced and equipped to guide clients through every stage of growth, from pre-launch to initial funding, through IPOs, mergers and exits.

Polsinelli’s Venture Capital and Emerging Growth practice is focused on representing investment funds and venture-backed companies across a range of industry verticals, with a special concentration on disruptive technology, biotech/life sciences, and consumer. The team’s approach and processes allow clients to receive thorough and diligent counsel, with the speed, pace and economics that venture capital requires.