Irvine-based Knobbe, Martens, Olson & Bear LLP, Orange County’s largest law firm, has opened an office in New York City.
The Big Apple office is its eighth and its first new location since opening a Silicon Valley office in 2011.
It also has locations in Seattle and Washington, D.C., in addition to multiple offices across California.
Knobbe Martens has nearly 300 attorneys, including 164 in Orange County. The company is OC’s largest law firm by headcount, according to last month’s Business Journal ranking.
The firm, which specializes in intellectual property work and litigation, said that five of its existing attorneys—including four from OC—will relocate to the New York office, and that it plans to bring in its first summer associate class to the office next year.
“Many of our clients are based in the Tri-State area, and we’re experiencing increased demand for intellectual property services there,” firmwide Managing Partner Steven Nataupsky said in a statement. “We’re looking forward to enhancing our current relationships by having an office in close proximity, as well as expanding our footprint in the region.”
Clients that the firm works for in the area include Kate Spade & Co.
Partner Robb Roby, who attended New York University School of Law, will relocate from Orange County to lead the office as managing partner.
The tri-state region’s industries—including medical device, tech, media and entertainment—along with an environment of innovation, are “a perfect fit with Knobbe Martens’ intellectual property and technology law practices,” according to the firm.
Opening an office in New York should allow it to recruit highly qualified candidates with advanced technical and law degrees graduating from top universities in the state, as well as the entire Northeast Corridor, the firm said.
“We are witnessing a decrease in graduating law students with degrees in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields—which are held by more than 96% of our attorneys firmwide—and this is heating up competition for new recruits,” Roby said.
“While we see many East Coast law school grads in our West Coast summer associate programs, having an office in New York will significantly expand the pool of young attorneys prepared to join the firm and take on high-level IP work,” he said.
Roby joined Knobbe Martens out of law school in 1997; he clerked for a New York City patent law firm throughout law school.
He represents clients in a variety of technology areas and in various stages, from startup companies to well-established multinational companies, such as Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited.
The other attorneys relocating from Irvine include Partner Tom Yee, who focuses on optimizing the commercial value of intellectual property, from sole inventors and midsize companies to large multinational corporations; Dan Fischer, an associate who helps clients with preparing and managing patent portfolios in various technological fields, including medical devices, semiconductors and catalytic converters; and Zach Hong, an associate who focuses on intellectual property portfolio development for clients of varying sizes, from startups to large multinational corporations.
Another associate, Mitchell Hadley, will relocate from San Diego to the New York office.
