Andre Gharakhanian is the founder of Silicon Legal Strategy. He has an established track record of delivering top-tier legal and strategic advice to emerging technology companies, c-level executives and venture investors.

Andre has served as the primary legal counsel for emerging companies at varying stages of development – from fledgling endeavors to venture-backed companies with hundreds of employees. Over the last two decades, he has been the first or early legal counsel to over 20 unicorns.

He has advised both companies and investors in connection with thousands of venture capital financings. He has also helped clients to negotiate and structure countless M&A transactions, strategic partnerships, consulting arrangements and licensing agreements.

Andre has also counseled Boards of Directors as they hire executives and advised executives as they negotiate compensation packages.
In 2012, Andre was named one of the top 20 Lawyers in California under the age of 40 by the Daily Journal. Andre is also consistently named among the top venture lawyers in Silicon Valley via social media outlets like Quora and Venture Hacks.

Prior to Silicon Legal, Andre was an attorney with Orrick’s Emerging Companies Group in Silicon Valley. From September 2006 to September 2007, he also served on the Executive Board of the San Francisco Web Innovators Network.

Andre began his legal career at Mayer Brown LLP in Chicago, where he focused on large-scale securities offerings and public company mergers and acquisitions for a number of years. Prior to Mayer Brown, Andre held positions at the US Securities and Exchange Commission and NERA Economic Consulting. Andre received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and his undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Andre served on the advisory board of FTAC Olympus Acquisition Corp., a Special Purpose Acquisition Company focusing on the intersection of finance and technology that later went public via merger with Payoneer Global. Andre has also served on the advisory boards of a handful of startups, including, Generator Lab, BitGirder Technologies and MagBooth.

Andre enjoys travelling with his family, mixology and Michigan Football. In 2001, Andre was a winner on the hit NBC game show, the Weakest Link.