Orrick Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM

When Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe entered the Boston legal market this past January with a cybersecurity and data team from Ropes & Gray, Orrick chairman Mitch Zuklie said the firm's presence in Boston was sector-focused and not geographically driven. 

Gregg Griner of Orrick/courtesy photo

Orrick can add another practice offering to its growing Boston portfolio after bringing former Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian partner Gregg Griner to the fold. Griner will head up Orrick's corporate practice in Boston.

"I had been speaking with Orrick since the fall," Griner said. "This is an exciting challenge. In 27 years of practicing law I have never been the builder of a practice. Now I have an opportunity to go and establish one."

That idea of building a corporate practice with a focus on life sciences and biotech, as well as the ability to provide a larger, more global presence to his clients than he was able to at Gunderson Dettmer, were the primary reasons for Griner's move, he said.

Griner represents life sciences and technology companies in all stages of development, Orrick said in a release, including advising on "financings, corporate governance, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, strategic partnerships and initial and follow-on public offerings."

"Gregg is deeply respected in the Boston market and brings a top-quality transactional practice with a strong roster of clients," Heather Egan Sussman, Orrick's Boston office leader, said in a statement. "He's a terrific cultural fit, and we look forward to working with him to launch and grow our corporate practice in Boston."

Big Law has been making a play in Boston for a few years now, with firms such as Kirkland & Ellis, Morrison & Foerster, Hogan Lovells and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan all recently setting up shop in Beantown. 

Since January's opening, Orrick's Boston office has onboarded eight partners: Griner, the Ropes & Gray cybersecurity and privacy team that opened the office and an IP litigation team from Fish & Richardson. 

"We entered Boston because it is a rich market for life sciences and tech-focused talent," said Don Keller, Orrick's technology and innovation sector leader, in a statement. "We're thrilled to now add life sciences and tech corporate and M&A capabilities, and under Gregg's leadership, grow the practice."

Griner said while the descent of Big Law into Boston may facilitate some changes in the legal community, he didn't envision a scenario where the big firms take all the talent away from the smaller, Boston-based firms.

"Boston is such a dynamic market," he said. "Smaller firms might merge with global firms to share talent, but I don't see a mass exodus of talent from established Boston firms."

Griner had been at Silicon Valley-based tech favorite Gunderson Dettmer for close to 15 years. Before that he was a partner at Testa, Hurtwitz & Thibeault for almost seven years, where he started his legal career as an associate. In between roles at Testa, he did a stint as an associate at Cooley, which was known at the time as Cooley Godward Kronish.

Gunderson Dettmer did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding Griner's departure.

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