Irvine’s Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP is making a growth push with the recent hiring of lawyers in Orange County and plans to open an East Coast office.
The firm has hired some 30 lawyers at its Irvine office, who are set to start in the fall, said managing partner Steven Nataupsky.
Knobbe Martens, which ranked No. 2 on the Business Journal’s most recent list of the top law firms here, now will have close to 160 lawyers locally. That puts it in the running with the top local firm, Costa Mesa-based Rutan & Tucker LLP, which counted 147 OC lawyers last year.
A good chunk of the hires had been summer interns with the firm, he said.
It’s also moving forward with plans to open an East Coast office, so it can be closer to clients there and in Europe. It’s narrowed the location down to Washington, D.C., Nataupsky said.
The firm focuses on intellectual property, patent, trademark, copyright and trade secrets law,areas that have helped it carve a niche.
Knobbe Martens considered a New York office but chose Washington, D.C., because it’s close to U.S. Patent and Trademark and Copyright offices, Nataupsky said.
Having a branch near the government offices will boost efficiency for the firm while it’s working on time sensitive cases involving trademark and patent issues, he said.
“It will make things a lot more convenient for everyone,” Nataupsky said. “We have a significant number of clients that are based on the East Coast and opening an office in Washington, D.C., is a logical option for us.”
The firm has represented clients such as Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Princeton, N.J., and the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. Local clients include Irvine-based Masimo Corp., Foothill Ranch-based Oakley Inc. and Yamaha Motor Co. in Cypress.
Knobbe Martens still is on the hunt for an office building in D.C. No date has been set for when it will open, Nataupsky said.
“It’s all still very new so it’s a little too early to say what all of the details are. But we will be in Washington, D.C.,” Nataupsky said.
Some Could Transfer
The number of lawyers there is yet to be determined. The office will likely have about five or so lawyers, plus a number of other workers, he said.
Some lawyers might transfer from its Irvine or San Diego offices, Nataupsky said.
The East Coast market is a competitive one. Many intellectual property law firms, including some with OC offices, already have a foothold there.
Philadelphia-based Pepper Hamilton LLP, which opened an Irvine office in 2004, has offices in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Berwyn, Pa., New York, Boston, New Jersey and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.-based Howrey LLP, which also has an Irvine office, has been on the East Coast since it was founded in 1956.
Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll LLP of Philadelphia opened its Washington, D.C., office nearly 30 years ago.
Knobbe Martens is aware of the competition.
“It would be one thing if we didn’t have any clients in that area but since we already do it should work out well for us,” Nataupsky said.
The D.C. office will be the seventh one for the law firm, which also has offices in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Francisco and San Luis Obispo.
The firm is the first of the top three based here to open an East Coast practice.
First of Top Three
Knobbe Martens counted 129 OC lawyers and 190 firmwide on the Business Journal’s most recent list, which ranks firms by local lawyers.
Rutan & Tucker, which specializes in business and real estate litigation, has a second office in Palo Alto. Last year, Rutan counted 147 OC lawyers and 148 firmwide.
Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth of Newport Beach, which specializes in corporate, securities, labor, employment and real estate law, is the third largest firm in the county. It has offices in San Diego, Sacramento, Santa Barbara and San Francisco. Last year it counted 108 lawyers here and 119 firmwide.
