Steven J. Boender

Steven Boender is a partner in Stoel Rives’ Corporate group and co-chair of the Transportation Industry Group, and his practice focuses on corporate transactional matters. He is experienced in handling mergers and acquisitions, financings, and other corporate and securities issues. Steven’s client portfolio includes a diverse range of corporate clients and financial advisors, for whom he has managed acquisitions, joint ventures, restructurings, and commercial contracts. His work with startup and emerging growth companies covers formation, fundraising, and structuring, along with technology-focused joint development arrangements.

Whether he is advising a startup company or an established, mature enterprise, Steven’s focus remains the same: putting the client’s needs and expectations first and providing sound, practical advice in a language clients can understand. Understanding the client’s industry, business, goals, and aspirations is critical to delivering that level of service, and Steven’s business background and a broad array of industry experiences, including automotive and transportation, heavy manufacturing, agriculture/food, consumer goods, and technology (both semiconductor and software), allow him to quickly acclimate to any particular client’s unique attributes.

Education

University of Michigan Law School, J.D., 2006, magna cum laude; Order of the Coif

University of Michigan Ross School of Business, M.B.A., 2006, with high distinction

Calvin College, B.A., 2000

Admissions

Oregon

Illinois

Acquisitions

• Counsel to LaMarzocco International in its $374 million combination with De’Longhi’s Eversys group.
• Counsel to Dick Hannah Dealerships in its acquisition of Suburban Auto Group.
• Counsel to Pivot Energy in its acquisition of SGC Power.
• Counsel to Volpara Health in its acquisition of CRA Health, LLC for up to $22 million.
• Counsel to Consumer Cellular in its sale of a majority stake to Chicago-based private equity firm GTCR for a reported $2.3 billion.
• Counsel to Advantest Corporation in the following matters:
  • Acquisition of Essai, Inc.
  • $135 million acquisition of the semiconductor system level test business from Astronics Corporation.
• Counsel to Lithia Motors, Inc. in acquisitions and divestitures of 100+ automotive dealerships and dealership groups.

Equity Investment and Funding

• Counsel to Palladium Energy in its $10 million equity investment from Ultra Capital.
• Counsel to Granite Source Power in its $40 million equity investment from New Energy Capital.
• Counsel to Lithia Motors, Inc. in its strategic partnership with, and equity investment in, Shift Technologies.
• Counsel to True West Capital Partners in connection with equity investments.
• Counsel to many startup and emerging growth companies, primarily in software and cleantech industries, in a variety of general corporate matters (including formation), commercial matters and financings via convertible notes, SAFEs, and common/preferred equity.
• Counsel to a data center infrastructure provider in a $3 million private placement of equity.

General Corporate and Securities

• Counsel to Portland General Electric, FormFactor, and United States Antimony Corporation with respect to SEC compliance matters.
• Counsel to Aurora Innovation, a leading developer of autonomous vehicles, in general corporate and commercial matters.
• Counsel to Waymo, an Alphabet/Google-affiliated developer of autonomous vehicles, in various commercial and joint development arrangements.
• Counsel to People Data Labs, a Founders Fund-backed emerging company, in general corporate matters.
• Counsel to Versity software, a provider of archiving software for data center applications, in general corporate and commercial matters.
• Counsel to a semiconductor manufacturer in complex transactional and commercial matters.
• Counsel to the Portland Trailblazers in general corporate matters.

Insights & Presentations

• Co-author, "2025's Midmarket M&A Terrain May Hold A Few Bright Spots," Law 360, December 2024
• “Foreign Corrupt Practices Act,” Chapter 11 of The Law of Solar Energy: A Guide to Business and Legal Issues, Stoel Rives LLP, Sixth Edition, 2022
• “Foreign Corrupt Practices Act,” Chapter 16, The Law of Wind: A Guide to Business and Legal Issues, Stoel Rives LLP, Ninth Edition, 2022
• “Changes in the Manufacturing Industry Post-Covid-19 May Surprise You,” Portland Business Journal, October 2020
• Quoted, “Shareholder lawsuit unlikely to block Salesforce acquisition of Tableau,” Puget Sound Business Journal, July 2019
• Co-presenter, “Startup Law 101,” InventOR Train the Trainer, Portland, OR, August 2018
• Co-presenter, “InventOR: Startup Law 101,” InventOR State Finals, Klamath Falls, OR, June 2018
• Organizer, Ross School of Business Alumni Speaker Series: Josh Reynolds, Ruby Jewel CEO, February 2018
• Organizer, “Portland Thought Leaders: Food and Beverage,” January 2018
• Presenter, “The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act The Basics, A Record Year, and an Uncertain Future,” PDX General Counsel Forum, October 2017
• Panel moderator, “Networking: Strategies, Successes and Lessons Learned,” University of Michigan Alumni Club of Portland, 2017

Multimedia

• Stoel Rives LLP Andrew Guy Pro Bono Award, Recipient, 2021

Professional

• Inclusion Committee, Member
• Transportation Industry Group, Co-Lead
• Artificial Intelligence Working Group, Member
• Women Lawyers’ Affinity Group, Member
• Ally Action Plan, Sponsor
• Main Street Relief Project (no-cost legal service for independent restaurants, bars, and retail establishments affected by COVID-19 in the communities where the firm has offices), Co-founder

Civic

• Friends of PIR, Board Member and Secretary
• Friends of Forest Park Elementary, Board Member
• TechStart, Board Member
• The University of Michigan Alumni Club of Portland, former Board Member
• Portland Multi-school MBA Alumni Club, Organizing Committee Member
• Oregon State Bar Public Service Advisory Committee, former Member
• Portland Small Business Legal Clinic, Volunteer
• Law Firm Antiracism Alliance, Committee Member