Freshfields Bruckhaus DeringerFreshfields Launches in Silicon Valley With Partners From Several Elite Firms
The firm has hired from Davis Polk & Wardwell, Sidley Austin, Latham & Watkins and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati for the launch and relocated two of its current partners.
July 01, 2020 at 07:57 AM
3 minute read
The original version of this story was published on Law.com International
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has opened a debut office in Silicon Valley, grabbing five lawyers from U.S. firms for the launch, the firm said in a statement on Wednesday.
The new base will be led by Davis Polk partner Sarah Solum, who joins Freshfields as head of its U.S. capital markets practice.
Solum is a major grab for Freshfields. She joins after 20 years at heavyweight Davis Polk, according to her LinkedIn page.
Sidley Austin partner John Fisher joins as the firm's head of U.S. technology and life sciences M&A. He leaves Sidley after more than six years as a partner at the firm.
The duo are joined in the new venture by Latham & Watkins tax partner Maj Vaseghi and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati partner Boris Feldman and associate Doru Gavril.
Current Freshfields partners Pamela Marcogliese and Alan Ryan are relocating from the firm's New York and Brussels offices, respectively, to Silicon Valley for the launch.
"Silicon Valley is one of the most dynamic regions in the world and it continues to lead innovation across the globe," Freshfields senior partner Edward Braham said in a statement. "The impact and strategic importance of technology and life sciences businesses will only continue to grow and advisers who can provide strategic counsel on key domestic issues within a global context will be highly prized.
"We are thrilled to have five of the country's top corporate and litigation lawyers from the Bay Area join us to deliver the firm and its expertise seamlessly in Northern California."
Freshfields currently operates U.S. offices in New York and Washington, D.C. It has seen mixed fortunes in its attempts to scale up in the U.S. in recent years.
In 2019, it made waves with the hire of a four-partner team led by Ethan Klingberg from Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton but suffered a blow to its operations with the departure of U.S. head of M&A and global transactions, Mitchell Presser in April.
In May, it added Latham & Watkins employment partner Lori D. Goodman to its New York base, which followed the departure of Dechert-bound employee benefits and executive compensation partner Howard Klein in January.
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