Nixon Peabody is growing its Global Business & Transactions practice on the West Coast with the addition of counsel Richard V. Zolezzi. Nixon Peabody is familiar territory for Mr. Zolezzi, who was once a partner at predecessor firm Lillick & Charles. He served high-tech companies involved with M&A deals and securing venture capital, and did transactional work for banks and financial institutions. He left the firm in the mid-1990s to go in-house at SPL WorldGroup, a multinational company with operations in more than 15 countries. During his ten years at SPL, Mr. Zolezzi held various roles, including chief strategy and legal officer, and interim president/CEO. He was the principal proponent of the company’s expansion in Europe and led the company through several U.S. and international M&A transactions prior to overseeing the successful sale of the company to Oracle. Most recently, Mr. Zolezzi has been a partner at Catapult Advisors, a boutique investment bank focused on Internet and software companies.

“Having lived in the law firm and business worlds, Richard brings rich perspective and experience to our clients, “ said David Martland, leader of Nixon Peabody’s Global Business & Transactions practice. “He is a sought-after business strategist who knows a diverse range of industries.”

“Richard understands how large businesses operate and the challenges they face,” added Anthony Barron, managing partner of Nixon Peabody’s San Francisco office. “We look forward to collaborating with Richard as we help our clients overcome obstacles and foresee new opportunities in their businesses particularly in the technology and financial sectors.” Nixon Peabody is actively expanding its practice in Northern California. Karen Ng, a nationally recognized leader in employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), recently joined Nixon Peabody’s Labor and Employment practice in San Francisco.

Mr. Zolezzi earned his J.D. from University of California’s Hastings College of the Law and his A.B. in economics from Stanford University. He is on the board of directors of the French-American Chamber of Commerce as well as the Stanford Club of Marin. Mr. Zolezzi is also a senior member of the Guardsmen, a San Francisco not-for-profit organization that helps at-risk youth.

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