Willkie Farr & Gallagher expanded its corporate and intellectual property expertise with lateral partners in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Former Cooley partner Ray LaSoya joined Willkie’s corporate and financial services department. LA-based LaSoya is a member of the firm’s private equity practice group. The partner has advised private equity investors and their portfolio companies, as well as public and private companies, in complex transactions and day-to-day legal affairs in a number of industries, including communications, media, entertainment, technology, retail, legal services, financial services and manufacturing.

Willkie also recruited litigator Barrington Dyer in the firm’s intellectual property department from Polsinelli. Barrington, who is based in Willkie’s San Francisco office, has focused on the fintech, AdTech, and InsurTech industries. Before becoming a lawyer, Dyer was a software engineer for a media technology company.