Weber Gallagher Simpson Stapleton Fires & Newby is bulking up its medical malpractice capabilities in New Jersey, bringing on a five-lawyer group from Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker.

Led by partner Ken Brown, the group represents hospitals, health care systems and providers in medical malpractice litigation as well as medical device cases. Brown, four associates and a paralegal are joining Weber Gallagher's Bedminster, New Jersey, office.

“We're strong in medical malpractice in Pennsylvania. We wanted to be stronger in medical malpractice and medical device litigation in New Jersey,” Weber Gallagher chairman Paul Fires said. Brown, he said, “truly checked every box” for the firm.

Fires said his firm has come across a number of potential lateral hires in the medical malpractice space who have just one or two major clients, but Brown and his group work with a wider variety, from large health systems to individual practitioners. His clients include Atlantic Health System Inc., according to federal court records.

Brown's rate structure matched up well with Weber Gallagher's, Fires said, and bringing on his group presents cross-selling opportunities.

Brown said he had not been planning to make a lateral move before he was connected with Weber Gallagher through a recruiter. But he became interested in the firm's geographic footprint and existing practices, he said, noting cross-marketing opportunities with the firm's contacts in New Jersey.

“I liked their regional platform. I really didn't need a national platform and all that came with that, so Weber was a nice fit,” Brown said.

Weber Gallagher has 10 offices in the mid-Atlantic region, and around 100 lawyers. The firm just opened its 10th office in New Castle, Delaware, earlier this year. Last week, the firm lost several litigators who left to join a newly formed firm, Bardsley, Benedict + Cholden.

Brown said his group's mix of large and smaller clients has helped keep work flowing in despite fewer medical malpractice lawsuits being filed.

“The consolidation of the hospital systems throughout the country is certainly interesting and makes it a little challenging,” he said. “Fortunately for my team, we seem to get busier each year.”

A spokesman for Wilson Elser declined to comment on the group's departure.