Budd Larner is losing at least 16 lawyers, including two members of the firm's executive committee, to other firms.

Executive committee member Andrew Miller is leading a group of 15 intellectual property lawyers to the Madison office of Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf. The group is joining as of April 15 and includes partners Constance Huttner, Ajay Kayal, Alan Pollock, Frank Rodriguez, Stuart Sender and Louis Weinstein, Windels Marx confirmed.

Also departing Short Hills-based Budd Larner is partner and fellow executive committee member James Fitzsimmons. As of Friday, he is joining the Florham Park office of Drinker Biddle & Reath as a partner in the corporate and securities practice, according to a source at that firm.

For Budd Larner, the moves represent at least the second group defection over the last seven months, including the departures of three of the firm's five executive committee members. Last September, Joseph Schiavone, who also was an executive committee member, led a seven-lawyer insurance law practice group to Saiber.

Miller couldn't be reached by phone or email but said in a statement that Windels Marx “provides a great platform for our existing clients and an exciting opportunity to service new clients.”

Peter Frazza and Susan Reach Winters are the two remaining members of the executive committee, according to a former Budd Larner attorney who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Frazza, Winters and others didn't respond to calls and emails seeking comment Thursday.

Fitzsimmons also couldn't be reached about his move to Drinker Biddle.

The departing attorneys bring a substantial IP practice to Windels Marx. Miller, a former federal prosecutor, advises pharmaceutical industry clients, and the group collectively handles Hatch-Waxman Act litigation, among matters.

The additions also double the size of Windels Marx's Madison shop, which is one of two offices the New York-based firm has in New Jersey. The firm's website listed 13 attorneys as resident in that office as of Thursday. Miller's group of 15 would push that total close to 30.

The firm also has an office in New Brunswick.

Samuel Destito, managing partner of Windels Marx's Madison office, said by phone that intellectual property is essentially a new practice for the firm. “That's a big area, and we did have clients who would come to us for certain things, and we would farm out the IP work.”

He said the 18,000-square-foot office at 1 Giralda Farms has sufficient space to absorb the new lawyers.

“We always like to have additional space because you never know when opportunities come along,” Destito said.

The opportunity to take on Miller's group came with no significant personal ties between that group and existing Windels Marx lawyers, Destito added.

Miller said in his statement that he is “excited about the opportunity to build out a full-service intellectual property practice, as well as help with the ongoing expansion of the Madison office.”

Windels Marx firmwide managing partner Robert Luddy said in a statement, “We're thrilled to so significantly expand our practice mix with the arrival of Andy and his deep bench of intellectual property attorneys. It compliments well our core strengths in New Jersey including: real estate, banking and financial services, complex insurance matters and health care.”

Four staff also are making the move to Windels Marx, according to the firm.