Cynthia Clarfield Hess

Cynthia Clarfield Hess has been a corporate attorney for 25 years and represented some of the world's most prominent brands from Silicon Valley to Israel.

Hess helped bring the FitBit health monitoring device through its initial $732 million public offering and a follow-on offering of $493 million.

"Helping to take FitBit public was a notable achievement," Hess said. "FitBit is a fast-moving business with lots of things that needed to come together."

Hess said FitBit is a particular challenge because the company is growing quicker than people can be hired. In addition, Hess said, a new public company may not be used to the scrutiny. Fast-growing technology companies have even less time than a traditional business to adjust to the scrutiny, she said, "because the growth curve goes up like a hockey stick."

Hess also took GoPro through its $427 million public offering, which at the time was the largest stock debut by a consumer electronics company in more than two decades.

Later, Hess was on hand when it came time for GoPro to ink a $200 million cross-border investment deal with Foxconn Electronics Inc. She continues to provide GoPro with day-to-day counseling.

In addition, to IPOs and major financings, Hess has helped high technology companies raise hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital, and provided counsel to both acquiring companies and to those being purchased.

Hess' work doesn't stop at international borders. Besides the international deal with Foxconn Electronics, she has become active with Fenwick's Israel Practice Group where she represents several companies. Her international clients include: CloudOn, Gigya, Kenshoo, Shopping.com (an eBay subsidiary), Taboola, Topio, Totango and Yevvo.

"Israeli companies are about 15 to 20 percent of my business," Hess said.

Hess is also representing companies doing research and development in India.

- Thor Biberman