US west coast tech leader Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati is opening an office in London as the firm sets its sights on a push into the UK technology and life sciences markets.

The office, which will be based on Old Street, will be led by corporate and technology partner Daniel Glazer, who heads up the firm's US expansion practice, which focuses on advising international technology and life sciences companies through their US life cycle.

Wilson Sonsini is one of the top law firms in the tech sector, and in recent years has taken high-profile roles such as leading for Twitter on its 2013 initial public offering (IPO) and advising LinkedIn on its $26.2bn acquisition by Microsoft in 2016.

It also acted for Google on its $3.1bn acquisition of DoubleClick in 2007 and led for Yahoo! on its $4.83bn acquisition by Verizon two years ago, while high-profile IPOs the firm has advised on include those of Apple, Netflix and Pixar.

Glazer, who is relocating from New York to lead the new base, has been at Wilson Sonsini since 2016 after joining from Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson, where he co-led the technology transactions and emerging companies group. He has worked with a raft of organisations that support UK companies on their expansion into the US, including the Mayor of London's International Business Programme.

The firm said the London office, which will open on 1 August, will provide "US access and support to UK-based technology and life sciences companies".

Managing partner Doug Clark said: "Our firm has maintained its established position in the US as the leading law firm provider to innovative enterprises, dating back to Silicon Valley's formative years, because of our sustained success in helping emerging companies advance through the business life cycle.

"By opening an office in London, we are extending the many resources we offer to UK-based technology and life sciences companies to help them launch and scale their US operations, raise US capital, and complete cross-border transactions. This is a key milestone for the firm and we are very enthusiastic about the opportunities it will present to our clients and colleagues in London."

London will be Wilson Sonsini's 15th office, alongside 11 domestic bases and four other international outposts in Brussels, Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

However, it has seen a handful of departures during the past year, including competition partner Michael Rosenthal, the founder and head of its first European office in Brussels, who left to launch a base in the Belgian capital for Sullivan & Cromwell, while a sizeable US team, including three partners, left to join Cooley last summer.

The move comes after US tech rival Cooley launched in London in 2015. The base has since grown rapidly and in 2017 took in revenues of $57.5m.