The move furthers Allen & Overy's expansion in the US as it also launches two new offices in California
Allen & Overy has swiped eight partners from White & Case’s tech team in the US in what the former called a “game-changing” move.
The multidisciplinary tech group is composed of Shamita Etienne-Cummings, Bijal Vakil, David Tennant, Noah Brumfield, Eric Lancaster, Adam Chernichaw, Daren Orzechowski and Alex Touma. These lawyers bring to the table experience in patent litigation, IP, antitrust and tech-focused transactions like fintech matters.
Their clients include both startups and Fortune 100 companies in Silicon Valley.
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“Allen & Overy is committed to growing the firm’s technology focused transactions and disputes practices and bringing this team’s expertise to our clients globally, whether they are innovator companies or consumers of technology. Our clients will benefit from a global technology law practice that we will continue to develop based on their needs,” Allen & Overy US senior partner Tim House said.
The new partners will practise from their respective bases in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, New York and Washington, DC. Vakil and Orzechowski have also been named the co-leads of Allen & Overy’s global tech group.
“Allen & Overy provides an ideal platform for our sophisticated technology practice, offering one of the strongest and most elite global networks alongside an engaged, entrepreneurial and supportive partnership,” Vakil said. “We look forward to introducing clients to this enhanced offering and continuing to help their businesses evolve.”
In line with the expansion of its US presence, Allen & Overy is also set to launch two new branches in Silicon Valley and San Francisco.
“All businesses are technology businesses now. Our clients have been asking us when we will have a presence in Silicon Valley, and now we are adding an offering that we will grow to serve as the firm’s centre of excellence in a range of technology areas,” senior partner Wim Dejonghe said. “This is truly a top team and integrating them into our existing practice will be game-changing for us, not just in the US, but in our capabilities to serve clients in the key markets of Europe and Asia as well.”
Allen & Overy’s other West Coast office is located in Los Angeles. The branch was opened following the firm’s launch of a renewables practice in Southern California.