We are a boutique legal practice serving angel and VC-backed emerging growth companies and investors in Silicon Valley, Seattle, and elsewhere on a diverse range of legal matters including general corporate, securities (including preferred stock and debt financings), licensing, IP strategy, mergers and acquisitions, labor and employment, open source, real estate, and international issues.
Our partners have experience from top-tier Silicon Valley law firms like Wilson Sonsini, Venture Law Group (VLG) and Perkins Coie, as well as in-house experience at leading technology companies like F5 Networks, Isilon Systems (acquired by EMC for $2.25 billion) and Concur Technologies (acquired by SAP for $8.3 billion).
From working in and around startups for many years, our partners know that our clients need lawyers who can put on a business hat as well as a lawyer hat.
What we have learned from working for, working at, and even running our own startups is that startups and early-stage companies don’t need lawyers who think and behave like traditional lawyers. They need lawyers who are able to solve their clients’ problems with the founders’ perspective in mind – and at velocity. Because we operate with an extremely agile, low-overhead model, we are able to deliver best-in-class services in a cost-efficient manner.
Noel is a corporate, securities, and licensing lawyer working exclusively with start-ups and the venture capitalists and angels who fund such companies. Noel specializes in preferred stock, SAFE and convertible note financings (company-side and investor-side), M&A, private debt financings, licensing and other commercial agreements, strategic partnerships, equity compensation, and corporate governance. Noel’s clients range from unfunded founders to mid- and late-stage private companies. Most of Noel’s clients are tech companies including software, wireless, health tech, mobile, Internet, medical device, biotech, clean tech, and game companies. Prior to joining TangoLaw, Noel was a principal at Carney Badley Spellman and at Beacon Law Advisors, and VP General Counsel of Melodeo, Inc. (a venture-backed wireless start-up). Noel has also worked at Big Law (DLA Piper and Venture Law Group) and Corixa (a public Biotech company). Noel is a member of the Washington and California State Bars.
Doug founded TangoLaw in 2009 as an expat in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Before starting the firm, he held senior positions at a number of start-ups in the Seattle area, including Isilon Systems (General Counsel and Secretary), F5 Networks (Corporate Counsel), ViAir (now Good Technology) (Director of Business Development), and Concur Technologies (Director of Business and Legal Affairs). He also previously founded Peapod Seattle, where he served as the President and Chief Executive Officer. Doug began his legal career at Perkins Coie. Doug currently lives in Boston and holds a B.Sc. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School, and a Certificat de Cuisine Élémentaire from Le Cordon Bleu cooking school.
Shane Anderson represents companies, investors, and entrepreneurs dealing with start-up matters, private equity and debt financings, commercial and licensing agreements, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate governance. Prior to joining TangoLaw, Shane was a partner at Beacon Law Advisors, PLLC. Before that, he practiced corporate and securities law at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C. He graduated with honors from the University of Texas School of Law in 2011, where he was an editor of the Texas Law Review. He received his B.A. from the University of Washington in 2005. Shane is a member of the Washington State Bar. He lives in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle with his wife.
Henry focuses on financings (debt and preferred stock), cross-border and general corporate matters. Prior to joining TangoLaw, Henry worked as an analyst at PeopleFund, a venture investment group run by some of Latin America's leading tech entrepreneurs. Henry began his career as a lawyer at King & Wood Mallesons, a global firm headquartered in Australia and Hong Kong, where he worked on a mix of mergers and acquisitions and large debt financings. Henry graduated with first-class honors from the University of Melbourne Law School and served as Personal Aide to the Hon. Chief Justice Warren QC of the Supreme Court of Victoria. Henry is a member of the State Bar of California and is also admitted to practice in Australia. Henry is fluent in Spanish. Henry is an external contractor to the firm and works with us on a remote basis.
Anna-Rita Wong Terzo focuses on tax, mergers and acquisitions, and financing and licensing matters related to start-up companies. A recent graduate of the preeminent New York University LLM Taxation program, she earned her J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law. There, she served as the managing editor of the Washington International Law Journal (formerly known as the Pacific Rim Law and Policy Journal) and completed an externship for the Honorable Judge Coughenour in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. Prior to law school, Anna-Rita worked as a corporate and real estate paralegal for seven years in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Anna-Rita is a member of the Washington State Bar.
Evan is a corporate attorney who represents companies, investors, and entrepreneurs dealing with venture capital and start-up matters, private equity and debt financings, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate matters. He has more than 10 years of experience as a director on the board of a closely-held private business with over 500 employees. Prior to joining TangoLaw, PLLC, Evan was a corporate attorney at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C.
He graduated from the University of Washington School of Law in 2019. While at law school, Evan worked and invested with angel investing organizations such as the Keiretsu Forum, was a Commissioner for the City of Seattle’s Design Commission, and was an editor of the Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts.
He received his B.A. in Finance, Information Systems, and Political Science from Western Washington University in 2014.
Evan is a member of the Washington State Bar and a Managing Partner of Hilow Capital.
Tom is a corporate, securities and licensing lawyer who has deep experience working with technology companies, inside and out.
Before joining TangoLaw, Tom was SVP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of ExtraHop Networks, a venture-backed cybersecurity company where he spent 8 years leading the legal department from his hiring as the first attorney through his role as a key member of executive management facilitating a $900 million sale.
Tom previously represented technology companies and venture and private equity funds that invest in them in an extensive array of M&A, equity financing, debt and public markets transactions at the Seattle office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and the San Francisco office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. After law school, he participated in deciding high-stakes corporate litigation as a clerk for the Honorable Leo Strine, Jr. of the Delaware Court of Chancery.
Tom is admitted to practice law in Washington and California. He holds a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he served on the Law Review, a Certificate of Business and Public Policy from the Wharton School of Business, and a B.A. in business administration from the University of Washington.
Kristen Akers is a recent graduate of Seattle University School of Law. She is currently studying to take the Washington State Bar Exam. Prior to and during law school, Kristen was a senior paralegal at TangoLaw. Kristen graduated from the University of Washington in 2015, where she studied Law, Economics, and Business Administration. While attending the University of Washington, she worked on the highly publicized Seattle arena project, which contributed to Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena. While in law school, Kristen externed at Sub Pop Records and dedicated her service hours to benefit youth sports and various community causes that support Seattle families.
Ashley Colton is a paralegal at TangoLaw and previously worked at Beacon Law Advisors, PLLC, a boutique corporate and securities law firm that specialized in working with tech start-ups. She completed her Advanced Paralegal Certificate in June 2017. Prior to Beacon, Ashley was the Store Administrator at Nordstrom in Tacoma, Washington, and Nashville, Tennessee. She graduated in 2011 from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles with an Associate of Arts in Merchandise Marketing and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management.
