Abigail "Abby" Hipps

Abigail "Abby" Hipps is General Counsel at two prominent California venture capital firms—August Capital and Lobby Capital—where she plays a critical role in legal strategy, investment structuring, and regulatory compliance. With over a decade of experience in venture law, Abby serves as a trusted advisor to investment teams navigating complex venture financings, exits, fund formation, and portfolio management.

Abby earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Science and Policy from Duke University before pursuing her legal education at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law (now UC College of the Law, San Francisco), where she received her Juris Doctor. She is licensed to practice law in California (State Bar #234673).

Abby began her legal career at Gunderson Dettmer, one of Silicon Valley's most prestigious law firms specializing in venture capital and emerging growth companies. At Gunderson Dettmer, she represented both startups and venture capital firms on a comprehensive range of corporate and securities law matters, including corporate formation, venture financings, corporate governance, employment issues, initial public offerings (IPOs), and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Her work gave her deep exposure to the full lifecycle of high-growth technology companies, from incorporation through exit.

After Gunderson Dettmer, Abby served as a Senior Associate at Silicon Legal Strategy in San Francisco, where she concentrated on early-stage investment transactions and continued to build her expertise in venture capital law.

In 2014, Abby joined August Capital as General Counsel, bringing her venture expertise in-house to support one of California's established venture firms. In this role, she advises the August Capital team on venture investments, exit and deal structuring, portfolio maintenance, fund structuring, and fundraising. She later expanded her role to also serve as General Counsel at Lobby Capital, managing legal affairs including investments, regulatory compliance, and operations for the newer firm founded in 2021.

Abby resides in the Sierra Nevada foothills with her husband and three children, balancing her demanding legal career with family life in Northern California.

As General Counsel, Abby Hipps does not lead investments or maintain a personal investment thesis in the traditional sense. Instead, she provides critical legal and strategic support to the investment professionals at August Capital and Lobby Capital, enabling them to execute their investment strategies effectively and compliantly.

August Capital (where Abby has served since 2014) is an early-stage venture capital firm founded in 1995 by Dave Marquardt and John Johnston. The firm manages approximately $2.5 billion across multiple funds and focuses on companies differentiated by technical innovation and entrepreneurial excellence. August Capital primarily invests in Series A and Series B stages, with a portfolio of 175+ companies including 6 unicorns. Notable portfolio companies include Seagate, Zulily, Splunk, MaintainX, Kin, PayNearMe, and Rocket Lawyer. The firm's investments span the technology spectrum, with particular strength in business/productivity software, financial services, and property and casualty insurance sectors.

Lobby Capital (founded in 2021) is a newer venture firm based in San Francisco that focuses on early-stage technology investments, primarily at the Seed and Series A stages. The firm is dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs who challenge, disrupt, and redefine the technological landscape. Lobby Capital invests across diverse sectors including enterprise applications, enterprise infrastructure, fintech, high-tech, artificial intelligence industry applications, consumer enterprise, e-commerce, and ed-tech.

In her dual general counsel role, Abby's value-add includes:

• Deal Structuring: Ensuring venture investments are properly structured with appropriate terms, protections, and compliance measures
• Exit Strategy: Advising on M&A transactions, IPOs, and other liquidity events for portfolio companies
• Portfolio Management: Supporting ongoing corporate governance and legal needs of portfolio companies
• Fund Formation: Managing legal aspects of fundraising and fund structuring for both firms
• Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring both firms operate within evolving regulatory frameworks governing venture capital