Professor Abe Cable joined the UC Law SF faculty in 2011. Prior to joining the faculty at UC Law SF, he was a partner at Miller Nash LLP, in Portland, Oregon. In ten years of practice he worked on a broad range of matters, including private and public offerings of securities, angel and venture capital investments, sale of subprime mortgage-backed securities, and negotiation of software licenses. He has been a visiting professor at Berkeley Law and an adjunct professor at Willamette University College of Law and University of Oregon School of Law.

Professor Epstein is a corporate governance expert and has advised founders, executives, directors and investors for over 18 years in Silicon Valley and internationally. In 2023, Professor Epstein was named one of the most influential leaders in corporate governance by the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) as part of the 2023 NACD Directorship 100™, an annual list of leading corporate directors and governance advocates. Evan is also the founder and managing partner of Pacifica Global, a corporate governance advisory firm based in San Francisco. He is the host and author of the Boardroom Governance Podcast and Newsletter. Prior, Evan was the Executive Director of the Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Center for Corporate Governance, a joint initiative between Stanford Law School and the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Jeff Laretto represents high-growth technology companies, predominately those located in and around New York City and Silicon Valley, at all stages of development. He frequently advises on incorporation and organizational matters, angel, seed and venture capital investments, general corporate strategy, venture debt transactions, strategic investments, complex commercial transactions, acquisitions, employment matters, mergers and other sale transactions. He also counsels venture capital funds, private equity funds and strategic investors in connection with investments, acquisitions and divestitures.

Rachel Proffitt is the CEO of Cooley. As partner and CEO, she serves as a member of the firm’s board of directors, and she is focused on shaping and executing the firm’s strategic priorities, reinforcing and strengthening its unique culture, and promoting the continued elevation of Cooley’s powerful brand. Rachel is known as a trusted strategic adviser to public and private companies – as well as venture capital and investment banking firms and other institutional investors – across a broad range of industries. Prior to becoming CEO in January 2024, Rachel headed Cooley’s San Francisco corporate practice, and served as a member of the strategic committee and board nominating committee.

Sacha Ross, based in New York, is a trusted advisor to leading technology and high-growth companies and their investors. Over the course of $20 + billion in transactions, Sacha has advised these high-growth companies from formation through funding and liquidity events. A fixture in the New York tech scene, Sacha brings a pragmatic, hands-on bi-coastal approach to representing high-growth companies and their investors.

Emily Strauss is an expert in securities regulation, banking, and business law. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in the Southern California Law Review, U.C. Irvine Law Review, Law & Contemporary Problems, and the Boston University Law Review, and has been cited in outlets such as Bloomberg and Reuters.

Prior to teaching law, Strauss was an attorney with Sullivan & Cromwell LLP in New York. She was a member of the litigation department, and her practice focused on securities litigation and criminal and regulatory investigations, including fraud, antitrust, executive misconduct, and bribery-related matters.

Previously, Strauss was Special Counsel at a nonprofit promoting the rule of law in developing countries.

Jeff Thomas is Executive Vice President of Nasdaq's Corporate Platforms business. Prior to this role, he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, focused on integration across the entire business, enhancing client outcomes focus and maximizing Nasdaq’s opportunities.

Previously, Jeff was Head of Western U.S. Listings and Capital Markets, overseeing business development and relationship management for Nasdaq’s listed companies and Investor Relations Solutions’ clients. He also had served as President of Liquidity Solutions at Nasdaq Private Market, where he worked closely with private companies to help them provide shareholder liquidity prior to an IPO.

Before joining Nasdaq in 2014, Jeff held senior positions at SecondMarket, Gerson Lehrman Group and Altera Corp.