The new office is the firm’s eighth, joining offices in Washington, DC, Seattle, and throughout California. ‘Many of our clients are based in the Tri-State area, and we’re experiencing increased demand for intellectual property services there,’ said firm-wide managing partner Steven Nataupsky. ‘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.’

Recruit better qualified canditates

Opening an office in New York allows Knobbe Martens to better recruit highly qualified candidates with advanced technical and law degrees graduating from top universities in the state as well as the Northeast Corridor by offering a new location many candidates seek.  ‘We are witnessing a decrease in graduating law students with degrees in STEM fields – which are held by more than 96 per cent of our attorneys firm-wide – and this is heating up competition for new recruits,' said partner Robb Roby. Mr Roby, who attended New York University School of Law, will relocate from Orange County to lead the new office as Managing Partner of the New York office. He added: ‘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.’

New York a good fit

Knobbe Martens, which celebrates its 55^th anniversary this year, has grown to more than 300 lawyers, five of whom are relocating to New York. The company said that the region’s medical device, tech, media and entertainment, fashion and luxury goods and pharma industries, along with its thriving start-up innovation environment were a perfect fit with Knobbe Martens’ intellectual property and technology law practices.

Team

Mr Roby, who joined Knobbe Martens out of law school in 1997, represents clients in diverse technology areas and in various stages, from start-up companies to well-established multi-national companies. He has deep expertise in a wide range of industries from medical device to media and entertainment, and he advises clients regarding offensive and defensive competitive strategies, prelitigation strategies, infringement studies, invalidity and noninfringement opinions, strategic transactions, and complex patent prosecution. The lawyers joining Mr Roby in the New York office include Tom Yee, Dan Fischer, Zach Hong and Mitchell Hadley.