"Menlo has elevated Carrillo, its general counsel and only in-house lawyer, to partner after nearly six years with the firm - a rare distinction inside a venture fund. Carrillo's promotion suggests the role of the legal department is shifting in the venture industry. Carrillo said she's at the table for weekly partner meetings where they pitch deals and bat around ideas."
"Lawyers who go in-house often swap the prestige of firm life for steadier hours and a different kind of influence. At venture firms, general counsels typically haven't been on a path to ownership. Carrillo's new title puts her closer to the upside, giving her a larger claim on future profits. Menlo Ventures is one of the oldest investment shops in Silicon Valley, with $6.8 billion in assets under management."
"It backed Anthropic early on and counts Lovable, Chime, and Carta among its breakout investments. Other firms that have granted the partner title to general counsels over the years include Lightspeed and Bessemer Venture Partners. Before joining Menlo, Carrillo was a partner at the New York law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, where she advised startups and venture firms. She previously taught math in public schools."
Deborah Carrillo transitioned from a decade at a white-shoe law firm to join Menlo Ventures and became partner after nearly six years as general counsel. Menlo elevated its sole in-house lawyer to partner, granting her closer access to firm profits and participation in weekly partner meetings. Carrillo manages compliance, fund structuring, and risk assessment, and maintains the firm's compliance machinery as a one-person legal shop. Her role now includes translating geopolitics into go/no-go investment calls and flagging risks that could trigger government blowback. Menlo Ventures manages $6.8 billion in assets and backed firms like Anthropic, Lovable, Chime, and Carta.
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