Arman Pahlavan
PEOPLE

Arman Pahlavan

Partner
pahlavan.arman@dorsey.com

Overview

A seasoned Silicon Valley attorney, Arman focuses his corporate practice on advising emerging companies and the investors who back them, including venture capital funds, private equity firms, and public and private portfolio companies.

His deal work spans special purpose acquisition companies (SPAC)-related M&A, and acquisitions with private equity and strategic buyers. He also advises clients in corporate finance and intellectual property transactions, with deep experience in investment fund formation.

Arman serves corporate clients navigating cross-border transactions and public market activity, including listings on both U.S. and international stock exchanges. His client base is diverse and technology-forward, encompassing software and mobile platforms, AR/VR, crypto and blockchain, digital health and life sciences, and energy innovation.

Within private equity, Arman counsels sponsors and portfolio companies in industries such as consumer packaged goods, food and beverage, and infrastructure. He collaborates with Dorsey colleagues to advise special committees and boards of publicly traded and growth-stage companies in complex "bet-the-company" litigation.

With billions in aggregate transaction value, Arman has helped companies obtain their first institutional round and recruit CEOs to drive scaling and enhance future fundraising. Beyond traditional private fund work, sovereign wealth funds have relied on him to establish investment structures domestically and internationally.

Education & Admissions

University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (J.D., 1991),

  • Articles Editor, Hastings International and Comparative Law Review

University of California, Berkeley (B.A., 1986),

  • Phi Beta Kappa

Admissions

  • California
  • New York

News & Resources

Industries & Practices

  • Digital Health
  • Emerging Companies
  • Energy & Natural Resources
  • Food, Beverage & Agribusiness
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Private Equity
  • Technology

Professional & Civic

Community Involvement

  • The Arman Pahlavan Scholarship in Iranian Studies - Arman founded the program to support the graduate studies in Iranian studies at UC Berkeley’s Middle Eastern Studies Department.
  • Arman was the commencement speaker at Berkeley School of Middle Eastern Studies in 2017.

Accolades

  • Best Lawyers in America®, 2018-2023
  • Northern California Super Lawyers®, 2013, 2016
Arman Pahlavan