Thomas Gaynor, who became the San Francisco managing partner of Nixon Peabody in July, is also relatively new to the firm. He joined from Squire Patton Boggs in April 2015. Gaynor spoke with The Recorder recently about the firm’s willingness to let lateral partners take on leadership positions, how he’s kept his M&A practice growing, and why he objects to Nixon Peabody being called an out-of-town firm.

Q: How does Nixon set itself apart from other out-of-town firms in San Francisco?