European tech law firm opens Cambridge office
Having opened a Munich office at the end of 2024, YPOG has already established a strong presence in one of Germany’s most important centres for science-based innovation, home to many of the country’s leading venture capital and growth equity funds.
Cambridge now complements this position within the UK and the global innovation landscape.The Cambridge office is dedicated to advising university spin-outs and science-oriented companies – particularly in the fields of life sciences, healthtech, and deeptech.
The new base is headed by Partner Susanna Stanfield and Associated Partner Mary Harley who both joined in September as part of the Withers tech team move to YPOG. Both have many years of experience in venture capital and being at the interface between science and business and are said to be particular well connected in the Cambridge region.
Susanna is listed in the UK Legal 500 as a leading lawyer for venture capital in London and for corporate law in Cambridge and is part of the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA) committee for the model form documents. Mary was promoted to Associated Partner on joining YPOG and is listed in the UK Legal 500 as a recommended lawyer for corporate law in Cambridge.
The office in Cambridge operates in close collaboration with YPOG’s London team. Partner James Shaw, who has overseen the firm’s UK expansion, continues to support the Cambridge team on client relationships and transactions.
Parallel to the opening of the office, YPOG successfully completed its first mandate under the leadership of the Cambridge team and in collaboration with the London office: The law firm advised international investor Serendipity Capital on a seed financing round of £4.6 million in the University of Birmingham's quantum technology spin-out Delta g.
Delta g develops quantum gravity gradiometers that provide high-resolution spatial data, enabling new applications in areas such as navigation and environmental monitoring. The seed financing round will push pilot projects for the use of Delta g's quantum sensors with partners in industry and government, including the UK Department for Transport. The deal exemplifies YPOG's commitment to translating scientific breakthroughs into marketable technologies and promoting the connection between science and capital.
“Our presence in Cambridge is a logical next step in YPOG's development into a European law firm for the technology and science industry,” says Dr. Carola Rathke, co-Managing Partner at YPOG.
“Cambridge is one of Europe's most productive centers of innovation, with unique scientific excellence and a thriving ecosystem of spin-outs and investors. With Susanna and Mary we are ideally positioned to provide legal support for this dynamic environment.”
Stanfield added: “Advising science-oriented companies and spin-outs is more than just a corporate transaction. It requires a deep understanding of research, patents, regulation, and growth capital. Our job is to help these pioneers translate scientific discoveries into successful business models in a secure, sustainable, and globally scalable way.”