Robert S. “Bob” Gans

Partner, Practice Group Leader
Litigation

Contact

415.735.5933
[email protected]
San Diego, CA
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Bob is a highly experienced complex commercial litigator and public company general counsel who brings a unique perspective to these roles, having spent much of his career prosecuting securities fraud, accountants’ liability, and corporate fiduciary actions on behalf of large, sophisticated investors and public pension funds.  His extensive experience as a trial lawyer includes obtaining one of the few class action securities fraud verdicts on behalf of plaintiffs since the passage of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, which the trial court described as “the best tried case I’ve witnessed in my years on the bench.”  Bob’s experience as a successful trial attorney capitalizing on mistakes made in the C-suites and board rooms of his adversaries gives him an enhanced ability to identify potential red flags and minimize litigation risk when advising his corporate clients and negotiating transactions, which includes having overseen over $150 million in public offerings and private placements over the past several years.  Bob’s expertise in securities fraud, accountants’ liability and corporate governance also allows him to engage as a peer with auditors and other outside professionals regarding materiality and disclosure matters, further enhancing his effectiveness as a general counsel.

Areas of Expertise

Outside General Counsel
Capital Markets
Mergers & Acquisitions
SEC Compliance
Accountants’ Liability
Corporate Governance
Investor Rights
Complex Litigation

Prior Associations

ShiftPixy, Inc.
Industrial Human Capital, Inc.
Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP
Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP

Education

Dartmouth College
New York University School of Law

Bar Admission

California
New York

Articles and Press

Why Startups Need a General Counsel

It’s hard to imagine most start-ups embarking on a capital raise without an experienced Chief Financial Officer or other key personnel responsible for the venture’s success, but many of these same companies often view a general counsel as an unnecessary extravagance.

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8 Crucial Risk Mitigation Strategies for Startups from a Former Litigator

For young start-ups with limited capital, founders are typically even more focused on devoting resources to growth initiatives rather than paying lawyers to prevent missteps regarding seemingly arcane or theoretical matters. However, those issues being ignored are usually far from trivial.

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