Melinda LeDuc Barker, a former managing partner of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman's office in Palo Alto, California, has left the firm to bring her estate planning expertise to Thoits Law.

The old-line Silicon Valley shop, formerly known as Thoits, Love, Hershberger & McLean, recently added Barker to its main office in Los Altos, California. Thoits has another office in nearby Santa Cruz.

Barker spent almost nine years at Pillsbury, making partner in 2013. She ran the firm's Palo Alto office from 2015 to 2016. Her practice focuses on advising high net worth clients on estate planning issues.