Zachary Lerner was born and raised in Corrales, New Mexico. He holds a B.A. in Biological Basis of Behavior from the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated magna cum laude in 2003. As a senior at Penn, he worked in a neuroscience lab investigating the properties of glial brain cells and got his first glimpses of what it is like to work on the cutting edge of a technological field. In 2008, Zachary supplemented his science degree with a J.D. from the University of Kansas School of Law. He served as an editor of the Kansas Law Review during law school and earned membership into the Order of the Coif and Phi Beta Delta International Honor Society.

Zachary began his legal career in San Francisco in 2008 as an associate in the Transactions Department of O’Melveny & Myers LLP, where he gained experience in a variety of corporate transactions, ranging from secured credit facilities, mergers and acquisitions, public securities offerings, restructurings and bankruptcies. In 2010, he joined Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C., one of Silicon Valley’s preeminent technology-focused law firms, where his practice focused on debt finance for venture-backed companies and other corporate finance transactions.

Zachary left the large law firm environment in 2012 to explore his own entrepreneurial goals. Two major projects in which he is currently involved include a mobile marketplace app for used children’s clothing and a mobile app designed for thrift store junkies. In late 2013, Zachary returned to his home state of New Mexico and was delighted to discover the vibrant startup community in Albuquerque. Lerner Venture Law’s mission is to support that community and help it thrive.