Partner
David Friedman
- UC Berkeley, J.D. (2000)
- UC Berkeley, B.A. (1997)
Dave Friedman is an accomplished business litigator who represents publicly traded companies, startups, investors, and directors and officers in high-stakes litigation. He handles a wide variety of complex disputes in courts across the country, including the Delaware Court of Chancery.
Dave has extensive experience in corporate governance and other securities disputes, representing plaintiffs and defendants in breach of fiduciary duty litigation, corporate control fights, post-acquisition disputes, and founder, partnership, and fund disputes. He also represents clients in internal investigations, regulatory investigations, and litigation involving the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
In addition to his securities practice, Dave regularly represents clients in trade secret litigation, professional liability litigation, employment disputes, policyholder disputes, and large breach of contract cases.
Prior to joining Stris & Maher, Dave was a named partner of a San Francisco litigation boutique, Ogloza Fortney + Friedman LLP and was counsel at the San Francisco office of Latham & Watkins LLP, where he practiced for twelve years.
Dave received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley and his Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Securities Litigation Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco.
Dave handles a wide variety of complex business cases.
SECURITES AND PARTNERSHIP DISPUTES
Crosscode (now Codelogic, Inc.) Crosscode, Inc. v. Sharma
Dave was brought in after the startup SAAS company terminated its founder and CEO. Dave and his team led an internal investigation and discovered that the CEO engaged in securities fraud and other wrongdoing. The former CEO retaliated by claiming that pursuant to an agreement, he owned all of the company’s intellectual property and was wrongfully terminated. Dave’s team secured a preliminary injunction against the former CEO from enforcing the agreement and using the Company’s IP, and ultimately achieved a beneficial settlement. Dave also helped his client successfully navigate bankruptcy and shed liabilities created by the former CEO so that the company could emerge with a clean slate. He also obtained a rare vexatious litigant order precluding the former CEO from filing new lawsuits against the Company and its executives.
Mayacamas Winery
Dave’s team partnered with a large firm to handle a breach of fiduciary duty and partnership dispute between two 50% members of an LLC involving the storied California winery, Mayacamas. Simultaneous litigation ensued in Napa County and the Delaware Court of Chancery, which ultimately led to a successful resolution for his client.
Re: CG Blockchain
Dave recently represented a client in an SEC investigation related to the cryptocurrency company, CG Blockchain, the subject of significant press due in part to the fact that the Company’s founder concealed his true identity and his prior conviction for engaging in one of Canada’s largest financial scams.
Storm Ventures, L.P. vs. Pipedrive, Inc.
Dave’s team represented Pipedrive, a venture-backed SAAS company in litigation filed by one of its seed-investors in which the Plaintiff claimed that it was entitled to more shares of the company on a breach of contract theory. The case was successfully resolved as part of Pipedrive’s acquisition by a large private equity fund.
Confidential Client in SEC Insider Trading Investigation
POLICYHOLDER REPRESENTATION
Certain Hospital Management Companies
BREACH OF CONTRACT LITIGATION
Storm Ventures, L.P. vs. Pipedrive, Inc.
Dave’s team represented Pipedrive, a venture-backed SAAS company in litigation filed by one of its seed-investors in which the Plaintiff claimed that it was entitled to more shares of the company based on the terms of the investment agreement. The case was successfully resolved as part of Pipedrive’s acquisition by a large private equity fund.
World Ag Associates, LLC v. Oligo, et al.
We successfully represented the supplier of natural feed additives against its distributor in this multi-national, breach of contract case pending in federal district court. The matter settled on favorable terms, allowing the client to continue its distribution business.
Confidential Technology Clients Pre-Litigation Disputes
EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT REPRESENTATION
Confidential Portfolio Manager Client
Dave’s client was enticed to start a new fund for a large investment entity. As it turns out, the fund was not what was represented, and the investment entity ultimately decided to not launch the fund and terminate Dave’s client before the fund ever launched. Dave was able to achieve a successful settlement for his client and ensure that his client could successfully launch a new fund with a different investment company.
Confidential Chief Investment Officer
Dave was retained to negotiate a severance, and if necessary file litigation, against a large, privately held grantmaking foundation.
Confidential Founder, Chief Executive Officers of Startup Company
TRADE SECRET CASES
Crosscode (now Codelogic, Inc.) Crosscode, Inc. v. Sharma
Dave’s team filed litigation against his client’s former CEO, seeking declaratory judgment that a purported license agreement that gave the company’s intellectual property to the former CEO was null and void. Dave’s team was able to obtain a preliminary injunction in which the Northern District of California held among other things that: (i) the purported license agreement was likely fabricated and (ii) that the former CEO was enjoined from enforcing the purported license agreement or otherwise using the Company’s trade secrets. The case was ultimately resolved, with the Company able to retain complete control over its intellectual property.
Confidential Wine Distributor Company
- Executive Committee Member of the Securities Litigation Section, Bar Association of San Francisco
- Peer rated “Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell.
260 California Street, 7th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111
Overview
Dave Friedman is an accomplished business litigator who represents publicly traded companies, startups, investors, and directors and officers in high-stakes litigation. He handles a wide variety of complex disputes in courts across the country, including the Delaware Court of Chancery.
Dave has extensive experience in corporate governance and other securities disputes, representing plaintiffs and defendants in breach of fiduciary duty litigation, corporate control fights, post-acquisition disputes, and founder, partnership, and fund disputes. He also represents clients in internal investigations, regulatory investigations, and litigation involving the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
In addition to his securities practice, Dave regularly represents clients in trade secret litigation, professional liability litigation, employment disputes, policyholder disputes, and large breach of contract cases.
Prior to joining Stris & Maher, Dave was a named partner of a San Francisco litigation boutique, Ogloza Fortney + Friedman LLP and was counsel at the San Francisco office of Latham & Watkins LLP, where he practiced for twelve years.
Dave received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley and his Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Securities Litigation Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco.
Representative Matters
Dave handles a wide variety of complex business cases.
SECURITES AND PARTNERSHIP DISPUTES
Crosscode (now Codelogic, Inc.) Crosscode, Inc. v. Sharma
Dave was brought in after the startup SAAS company terminated its founder and CEO. Dave and his team led an internal investigation and discovered that the CEO engaged in securities fraud and other wrongdoing. The former CEO retaliated by claiming that pursuant to an agreement, he owned all of the company’s intellectual property and was wrongfully terminated. Dave’s team secured a preliminary injunction against the former CEO from enforcing the agreement and using the Company’s IP, and ultimately achieved a beneficial settlement. Dave also helped his client successfully navigate bankruptcy and shed liabilities created by the former CEO so that the company could emerge with a clean slate. He also obtained a rare vexatious litigant order precluding the former CEO from filing new lawsuits against the Company and its executives.
Mayacamas Winery
Dave’s team partnered with a large firm to handle a breach of fiduciary duty and partnership dispute between two 50% members of an LLC involving the storied California winery, Mayacamas. Simultaneous litigation ensued in Napa County and the Delaware Court of Chancery, which ultimately led to a successful resolution for his client.
Re: CG Blockchain
Dave recently represented a client in an SEC investigation related to the cryptocurrency company, CG Blockchain, the subject of significant press due in part to the fact that the Company’s founder concealed his true identity and his prior conviction for engaging in one of Canada’s largest financial scams.
Storm Ventures, L.P. vs. Pipedrive, Inc.
Dave’s team represented Pipedrive, a venture-backed SAAS company in litigation filed by one of its seed-investors in which the Plaintiff claimed that it was entitled to more shares of the company on a breach of contract theory. The case was successfully resolved as part of Pipedrive’s acquisition by a large private equity fund.
Confidential Client in SEC Insider Trading Investigation
POLICYHOLDER REPRESENTATION
Certain Hospital Management Companies
BREACH OF CONTRACT LITIGATION
Storm Ventures, L.P. vs. Pipedrive, Inc.
Dave’s team represented Pipedrive, a venture-backed SAAS company in litigation filed by one of its seed-investors in which the Plaintiff claimed that it was entitled to more shares of the company based on the terms of the investment agreement. The case was successfully resolved as part of Pipedrive’s acquisition by a large private equity fund.
World Ag Associates, LLC v. Oligo, et al.
We successfully represented the supplier of natural feed additives against its distributor in this multi-national, breach of contract case pending in federal district court. The matter settled on favorable terms, allowing the client to continue its distribution business.
Confidential Technology Clients Pre-Litigation Disputes
EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT REPRESENTATION
Confidential Portfolio Manager Client
Dave’s client was enticed to start a new fund for a large investment entity. As it turns out, the fund was not what was represented, and the investment entity ultimately decided to not launch the fund and terminate Dave’s client before the fund ever launched. Dave was able to achieve a successful settlement for his client and ensure that his client could successfully launch a new fund with a different investment company.
Confidential Chief Investment Officer
Dave was retained to negotiate a severance, and if necessary file litigation, against a large, privately held grantmaking foundation.
Confidential Founder, Chief Executive Officers of Startup Company
TRADE SECRET CASES
Crosscode (now Codelogic, Inc.) Crosscode, Inc. v. Sharma
Dave’s team filed litigation against his client’s former CEO, seeking declaratory judgment that a purported license agreement that gave the company’s intellectual property to the former CEO was null and void. Dave’s team was able to obtain a preliminary injunction in which the Northern District of California held among other things that: (i) the purported license agreement was likely fabricated and (ii) that the former CEO was enjoined from enforcing the purported license agreement or otherwise using the Company’s trade secrets. The case was ultimately resolved, with the Company able to retain complete control over its intellectual property.
Confidential Wine Distributor Company
Associations
- Executive Committee Member of the Securities Litigation Section, Bar Association of San Francisco
Awards
- Peer rated “Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell.
