Christopher E. La Chance

Chris represents clients in a broad range of capital-raising and strategic transactions, including angel and seed investments, convertible debt and bridge loans, SAFEs, venture capital financings, and mergers, acquisitions, asset sales and other liquidity events. Chris also advises technology companies on the day-to-day legal needs of their businesses, including structuring, corporate governance, director and officer fiduciary duties, securities law compliance, equity compensation, employee and consultant engagements, commercial contracts, and intellectual property protection.

Prior to joining VLP at its founding in 2008, Chris spent many years practicing at premier law firms. He was a member of the Corporate & Securities Practice Group at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Palo Alto, and the Supreme Court & Appellate Practice Group at Mayer Brown in Chicago. Chris also served as Senior Attorney and Assistant General Counsel at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton in San Francisco.

Chris completed two federal judicial clerkships: first for the Honorable Robert R. Beezer of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and then for the Honorable Harry D. Leinenweber of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Chris received his J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and Principal Senior Editor of the Columbia Law Review. He received his A.B. with honors in philosophy from The University of Chicago and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
Outside of work, Chris enjoys playing competitive bridge, noodling on the acoustic guitar, reading intellectual history, and international travel.