Walter Hansell is a partner in the firm’s San Francisco office and practices business law with a principal emphasis on serving clients in communications, transportation and logistics, retailing, service, and technology industries. His practice focuses on the development, acquisition, management, operation, and sale of businesses; media and First Amendment law; telecommunications law; infrastructure and real estate; privacy and cybersecurity law; the organization of domestic and international business ventures; litigation and claims avoidance and management; retailing, marketing, and commercial transactions; and trademark, copyright, licensing, and other IP matters.
He routinely handles stock and asset acquisitions, mergers, cross-border investments, trademark registrations, IP and proprietary licensing agreements, governmental franchises, multi-party management agreements and arrangements, executive employment and creative talent contracts, and bank and venture capital financings. These transactions include an array of associated arrangements such as employment, non-competition, consulting, franchise, non-disclosure, licensing, technology transfer, collaboration, technology development, and other agreements. Walter also manages the consent and compliance requirements of business transactions, including federal, state, and municipal franchise, licensing and regulatory requirements, and public and private contractual requirements.
Walter represents clients in a range of industries, including transport and logistics, telecommunications, e-commerce, information technology, consumer products, maritime, and publishing. He regularly advises Boards of Directors including on corporate governance matters. Additionally, he has represented the primary television broadcast and wireless tower/antenna facilities in two of the six top U.S. metropolitan markets. Walter serves as outside general and corporate counsel for several clients and as California counsel for businesses operating in the state but owned by parent organizations in other nations and states.
Walter graduated from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law after earning his B.A. in economics and Mandarin at the University of Illinois. He was formerly state-licensed and registered as an investment advisor with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
