Irish law firm A&L Goodbody has become the first Irish firm to establish in downtown San Francisco, its second California location after Palo Alto.The firm launched the new office this week at a party in the city for 200 clients and advisors. Headed up by resident Partner John Whelan, who leads the firm's International Technology Practice, it will target US corporates which use Ireland as their European base.“Our practice is Irish law and helping the many US firms here, doing their "non-US" business, and in particular their European business, through Ireland,” Whelan said. “The welcome we have received for the new office has been overwhelming. In tech, after San Francisco, Ireland is seen as the next go to place for talent. Companies talk about their expansion from Silicon Valley to the Silicon Docks in Dublin.” “The Bay Area remains the hub of activity for entrepreneurs,” said client Patrick Collison, founder of San Francisco-basedonline payment company Stripe, one of the hottest companies in town. “Dublin is the happening place in Europe for tech, maybe followed by Berlin. The corridor between the West Coast of America and Ireland is facilitating and driving cross border investment and entrepreneurial activity.” A&L Goodbody is one of Ireland’s leading law firms with over 400 legal staff and a headcount of approximately 600 from offices in Dublin, Belfast, London, New York, San Francisco and Palo Alto.