DLA Piper announced today that Cisco Palao-Ricketts has joined the firm as a partner in the Employment practice in Northern California in the Silicon Valley office.

Palao-Ricketts advises clients on equity compensation arrangements, including incentive and non-qualified stock options, restricted stock, stock appreciation rights, employee stock purchase plans, profits interests, and phantom equity plans. He also assists clients with executive compensation plans and agreements, including change of control and non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements. Additionally, Palao-Ricketts consults in the design and administration of qualified retirement plans, including 401(k), defined benefit pension, profit sharing, and stock bonus plans.

”Cisco’s benefits experience is ideally suited for our enterprising and dynamic platform, in addition to our increasing pipeline of corporate transactions work,” said Michael Sheehan, US chair and global co-chair of DLA Piper’s Employment practice. ”He will be a critical anchor to our growing M&A and emerging company practice.”

Palao-Ricketts is the most recent addition to DLA Piper in Northern California, following litigation partner Mark McKeen; international tax partner Idan Netser; real state partner Lynn Cadwalader, corporate and M&A lawyer Brian Wheeler; corporate and M&A lawyer Louis Lehot; outsourcing lawyer Adam Sak; venture capital lawyer Jonathan Axelrad; information and electronic data lawyer Amor Esteban; white collar lawyer Lisa Tenorio-Kutzkey; former venture capitalist Tom Furlong; and former general counsel of Apple and Oracle, Daniel Cooperman.

”We are continuing to expand our presence in Northern California and Cisco’s addition will help keep our capabilities in line with our growth expectations,” said Sang Kim, DLA Piper’s regional managing partner in Northern California and co-chair of the US Tax practice. ”He’s already shown that he can build a significant practice and is a tireless and creative practitioner.”

Palao-Ricketts joins DLA Piper from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. He received his A.B. from the University of Illinois and his J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law. He also received his LL.M. in tax from Georgetown University Law Center.

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