DLA Piper has recruited a five-partner team from Hogan Lovells' intellectual property (IP) practice in Los Angeles, reports The National Law Journal.

The group includes Richard de Bodo, a former IP practice leader at Hogan Lovells whose clients have included Dow Jones, News Corp and Panasonic.

Joining him as partners are Siegmund Gutman, Robert Benson, Christopher Broderick and Troy Schmelzer. Lawrence McClure, of counsel at Hogan Lovells, will become a partner at DLA.

The lawyers have particular experience in Japanese electronics, life sciences, pharmaceutical, chemistry, biologics and internet matters. Most of the team's work involves patent litigation as well as patent prosecution.

DLA Piper US managing partner Terrence O'Malley said the additions are designed to strengthen the firm's global IP practice and provide a broader platform for the lawyers.

"We continue to invest in building a leading global patent litigation practice," O'Malley said.

Hogan Lovells co-CEO Warren Gorrell said that the departures were due to client conflicts. "We are supporting them and cooperating with them for a smooth transition," Gorrell said.

The team move is the latest departure for Hogan Lovells in the wake of the May merger of Lovells and Hogan & Hartson.

Earlier this month Moscow partners Dominic Pellew and Suren Gortsunyan left to join Baker Botts and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld respectively, while in July a five-strong pharma team quit the firm's Warsaw office to join Baker & McKenzie in the Polish capital.

The National Law Journal is a US affiliate title of Legal Week.