Baker McKenzie offices in Washington, D.C. Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM

With this week's addition of veteran Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher dealmaker Lisa Fontenot and rising star Derek Liu from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Baker McKenzie's California mergers and acquisitions practice is at "full strength."

The firm signaled its ambitions to build out its transactional capabilities in Silicon Valley six months ago with the hire of Leif King, the former leader of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom's Palo Alto corporate practice. The latest hires bring Baker McKenzie's tally of M&A lawyers in Northern California to 23, a figure that King says compares favorably with any other firm's practice in the region.

"We've had significant offices in San Francisco and Palo Alto for years, and it's always been in the cards for us to build that out. What we've been lucky to have is an opportunity with Leif, who's a top-tier name in his field," said Baker McKenzie's newly minted global chair Milton Cheng. "He knew that he would have the support from top leadership."

King said that both Fontenot and Liu have reputations as star players in the California market.

Fontenot spent the last two decades at Gibson Dunn, representing clients including Zynga and Intel in U.S. and international transactions. 

Lisa Fontenot, Baker McKenzie. (Courtesy photo)

"She has a real presence as a leader within the community, with the ability to execute on transactions and a reputation as one of the few elite-level boardroom counselors," King said. 

Liu, who King called one of the leading young partners in the M&A bar in Northern California,  joined the partnership at Wilson Sonsini two years ago, after five years as an associate at the firm. He started his career in New York at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.

"As deals get larger and companies become more major, they do become more global, and inevitably you have more cross-border issues. It's a place I can offer [those capabilities] to clients all under one umbrella as opposed to coordinating among a number of international counsel," Liu said of his new firm.

A spokesperson for Gibson Dunn said the firm wished Fontenot well, and a spokesperson for Wilson Sonsini said the same with regard to Liu.

Derek Liu, of Baker Mckenzie.

The two are the latest in a series of additions following King's arrival, following former Weil, Gotshal & Manges attorney Lawrence Lee, who joined the firm from cryptocurrency exchange CoinBase, and Tom Asmar, a former Skadden attorney who focuses on compensation and benefits arrangements tied to corporate transactions.

In addition to hiring, King said that he's been busy introducing the growing team to potential clients, selling their "Wall Street" ability to execute transactions in combination with the firm's global reach.

"It's really an educational process. The value proposition, once clients understand it, is compelling and quite clear," he said. "It's a matter of getting this message out."

Beyond California, according to Cheng, the firm is intent on building its transactional capabilities more broadly. He also recognizes that global trade and investment flows are shifting, as players in the U.S., China and elsewhere are looking at destinations that weren't priorities five years ago. As a consequence, the firm's longstanding presence in many of its 46 countries—allowing an awareness of cultural complexities, language capabilities and deep understanding of local regulators—is a difference-maker. 

"It's not just about global footprint, it's about being organically global," Cheng said. "Many of our competitors are trying to replicate that, but they will need time."

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