Patti Burris

Patti Burris is an associate in the firm’s Business Law Department and a member of the firm’s Private Investment Funds and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) & Impact practices. She primarily focuses on all aspects of the formation, operation and ongoing maintenance of private investment funds, including venture capital funds, private equity funds and impact funds. She also has experience with fund-related credit facilities.

Patti advises clients on both their formation and fundraising activities, as well as their ongoing operational affairs, including regulatory compliance, investor relations, governance, investment personnel matters and administrative considerations.

Prior to becoming a lawyer, Patti worked for several years as a corporate controller overseeing several companies across the United States, particularly focused on growing start-ups in a broad range of industries before their next business phase.

Patti was a member of the diverse, all-female team from Goodwin that advised Serena Williams’s inaugural venture capital fund, Serena Ventures, which invests in founders who solve everyday problems through unconventional thinking and diverse points of view, with the goal of building a more inclusive economy and equitable future. Patti was also on the team that advised Advent International, a preeminent global private equity firm, on its fundraising for Advent GPE X with total commitments at the hard cap of $25 billion, as well as the teams advising TA Associates, a leading global growth equity firm, on its fundraising for TA XIV with total commitments of $12.5 billion and Neuberger Berman on its fundraising for NB Secondary Opportunities Fund V with total commitments of $4.9 billion.

While in law school, Patti interned with the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit for Judge Juan R. Torruella, and the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court for Justice Elspeth B. Cypher.

Patti is a lecturer at Boston University School of Law where she co-teaches “Private Equity & Venture Capital Transactions.” She is also a member of the Boston Bar Association.

Patti previously managed the career of a professional BMX rider and X-Games medalist, Matt Ray. With a passion for her community, she continues to partner with him on events, including producing community initiatives for at-risk youth in Greater Boston and Lowell.