Richard d. Blake First National Bank, RICHARD is a partner in Gunderson Dettmer’s Silicon Valley office, where he is a leader in the public securities offerings, public company representation, and corporate governance counseling practices. Richard has represented public and private clients across a broad range of industries, including enterprise software, internet, media, ad-tech, retail, life sciences, telecommunications, semiconductors, entertainment, energy and clean technology, and automobiles, as well as investment banking and venture capital firms.
Richard’s public company and corporate governance practice includes preparing companies for initial public offerings as well as counseling companies and boards of directors on complex public disclosure issues, fiduciary duties, board and committee governance and structure, board leadership, takeover defenses, board audits and self-evaluation processes, officer and director stock transactions, shareholder initiatives, proxy contests, risk oversight, conflicts of interest, relationships with stockholders and proxy advisory firms, compliance with legislative, regulatory, and listing rule requirements, and governance “best practices.” Richard assisted as counsel to the New York Stock Exchange’s Commission on Corporate Governance, which issued its final report in fall 2010.
Richard is a frequent speaker and presenter at conferences and panels including the Practicing Law Institute and NYSE Euronext. He has published numerous articles and was named a 2009 Northern California “Rising Star” by Law & Politics magazine. He is a director of the Silicon Valley Directors’ Exchange (formerly the National Association of Corporate Directors, Silicon Valley Chapter), and is on the advisory board of TheCorporateCounsel.net.