David A. Bell

David A. Bell is a trusted legal advisor with deep experience guiding public and private companies through high-stakes transactions and growth milestones. He provides strategic counsel on mergers and acquisitions, venture financings, IPOs, and intellectual property licensing, serving clients across software, hardware, games, and climatetech industries.

David’s educational background includes a B.S. in Business Administration and an M.B.A. in Corporate Financial Management and Management Information Systems from the University at Buffalo, State University of New York. He earned his J.D. from the University of California, Davis, where he was Order of the Coif, a Phi Kappa Phi member, and served as Symposium Editor of the Journal of International Law & Policy.

David advises both early-stage startups and established companies on capital markets strategy and corporate governance. As a corporate governance practice co-lead, he develops widely cited governance surveys and reports on proxy season trends and diversity benchmarks for leading technology and life sciences companies.

David’s work is informed by years of collaboration with founders, executives, and engineers, offering a hands-on understanding of business models and emerging technologies. He has been instrumental in advising on complex acquisitions, such as Glu Mobile’s $2.4B sale to Electronic Arts and Cloudera’s $5.2B merger with Hortonworks.

David gained significant in-house experience as interim chief compliance officer for InVision Technologies during its FCPA investigation and integration into General Electric. This exposure enhanced his regulatory insight, allowing him to advise on sensitive compliance matters with confidence and precision.

David A. Bell continues to support companies through each phase of their lifecycle, applying his industry knowledge and legal experience to help clients achieve strategic business goals while ensuring compliance and governance excellence.

Law Office Affiliations

• Partner, Fenwick & West LLP
• Fellow, American College of Governance Counsel

Licensed State

• California

Education

• University of California
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• University at Buffalo, State University of New York
  MBA in Corporate Financial Management & Management Information Systems
• University at Buffalo, State University of New York
  BS in Business Administration

Awards & Badges