After over 22 years at Weil, Gotshal & Manges and leading the firm's California complex commercial litigation practice, Christopher Cox has jumped to Hogan Lovells' Silicon Valley office.

“I saw an opportunity to build out a litigation practice off of a tremendous platform,” Cox, who officially joined Hogan Lovells on Tuesday, said in an email. “I did it before at my prior firm and am proud of the culture of support, inclusion and commitment to excellence we were able to establish. I now have the opportunity to do it again.”

This is not the first time in recent memory Hogan Lovells has hired from Weil. In 2017, the firm lured a five-partner M&A and technology transactions group from Weil's Silicon Valley office, including Richard Climan, Keith Flaum, Jane Ross, John Brockland and Chris Moore.

Cox said he is looking forward to working with his former partners again.

For over 25 years, Cox has spent a significant part of his practice advising clients on intellectual property, employment and litigation matters, including commercial disputes, trade secrets, patents and internal investigations. Prior to joining New York-based Weil in 1997, Cox was at Redwood City-based Ropers Majeski Kohn Bentley, where he started his legal career in 1990.

Christopher Cox. Christopher Cox of Weil, Gotshal & Manges.

While at Weil, Cox worked with the firm's deal team, including technology and IP transactions partner Karen Ballack, to advise Yahoo Inc. on its $4.83 billion sale to Verizon Communications Inc. in 2016.

Hogan Lovells' cross-focus on technology, life sciences and consumer sectors in the Silicon Valley office sets it apart from other firms with operations there, Cox said—it “distinguishes our go-to-market strategy from many of our competitors,” he said.

“That being said, there is also a tremendous need for litigators to serve our Silicon Valley clients and provide its U.S. and international clients with support from the Bay Area,” he noted. “There is substantial capacity for the growth of the litigation practice in the Bay Area, which may not be true for some other firms in the area.”

The firm has been strategically expanding in Silicon Valley with an eye on technology clients, Des Hogan, head of Hogan Lovells' litigation practice in the Americas, said in a statement.

“Chris has extensive experience representing technology companies, and will add to our roster of strong tech litigators who can meet the growing needs of our many clients in the technology sector,” Hogan said.

Hogan Lovells' Silicon Valley office, which opened in 2008, has a total of 14 attorneys, according to the firm. Firmwide, Hogan Lovells has about 455 litigation attorneys across the globe.

The firm's litigation department recently saw IP litigator Christian Mammen, who spent the past six years working at Hogan Lovells' San Francisco office, leave for Womble Bond Dickinson's Silicon Valley office.

Weil did not respond to a request for comment on Cox's departure. The firm has 11 partners in its Silicon Valley office, according to its website.

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