Allison Leopold Tilley

A partner in Pillsbury’s Silicon Valley office, Tilley advises technology clients in transactional matters, ranging from formations and venture capital financings to multi-billion-dollar M&As and initial public offerings.

Some of her most recent deals have included representing public semiconductor company Inphi Corp., a client of over 15 years, in its sale to Marvell Technology for $10 billion announced in October 2020. Inphi’s shareholders approved the sale in April. The combined company will have an enterprise value of about $40 billion.

“It was really one of the first huge deals that I had worked on during the pandemic, so it was really an interesting mix of everyone trying to do due diligence, negotiations and meetings virtually, which had historically all been done in a face-to-face manner,” Tilley explained.

For Tilley, a member of the managing board at Pillsbury and chair of the firm’s nominating committee, the biggest challenges of the deal were the speed at which it was negotiated and signed, as well as its virtual nature.

“I think a combination is good,” said Tilley of adopting a virtual approach in deal work. “Especially in the beginning stages of negotiation, it is great for people to meet in-person, negotiate in-person and get to know each other. I think that really helps the process. But at the same time, I think people have learned that we can accomplish a lot more virtually than we probably all thought a year and a half ago.”

Other deals she handled last year include a spin-off transaction on behalf of SYNNEX Corp. for their subsidiary Concentrix Corp. Tilley also advised Awake Security in its acquisition by Arista, and she represented Rancher Labs, another longtime client, in its acquisition by SUSE.

Outside of her practice, Tilley dedicates her time to her non-profit OutSmart Brain Cancer and has served on the board of the Women in Law Empowerment Forum and the Ronald McDonald House at Stanford.

— Kamila Knaudt