Eversheds Sutherland is expanding its West Coast operations with a new office in Silicon Valley, hiring a litigation partner from Baker McKenzie for the launch.
Bradford Newman has joined the firm after five years at Baker McKenzie, where he was North American trade secrets practice chair. At Eversheds he will serve as US head of complex technology disputes.
Lino Mendiola, global co-CEO of Eversheds Sutherland, said the new office and Newman’s hire was a significant step in the firm’s aim to service clients in key innovation hubs.
“[Newman’s] leadership in cutting-edge legal areas, particularly in technology and emerging industries, combined with his proven ability to build and lead high-performing teams, aligns with our commitment to delivering exceptional service to clients across industries and geographies,” Mendiola added.
The office will be the firm’s fourth in California and follows it launching in San Francisco in 2022 to expand its corporate and data privacy capabilties in the Bay Area. It also has locations in Sacramento and San Diego.
Eversheds said the decision to open in Silicon Valley reflected growing demand in California and across the West Coast from clients including Fortune 100 businesses in the tech sector for litigation and regulatory counsel.
Newman brings extensive experience in trade secrets litigation and next-generation technologies, including AI, blockchain, decentralised finance and digital evidence. Before joining Baker McKenzie he practised for 15 years at Paul Hastings, where he chaired the trade secrets practice.
His hire is one of the first key initiatives under the leadership of Eversheds’ US litigation group co-chairs, Michael Bahar and Kym Kochis, and is intended to create more opportunities for cross-practice collaboration, particularly in cybersecurity, data privacy and technology law, areas where Eversheds said it continues to see strong demand.
Newman commented: “The opportunity to found and build out a Silicon Valley office, and to lead a world-class litigation team in California, backed by a global platform and a forward-looking leadership team, is incredibly exciting.”
A Baker McKenzie spokesperson thanked Newman for his contributions to the firm and wished him well.
Eversheds also boosted its US bench recently with the hire of a 12-lawyer tax controversy team in Atlanta in March from national tax specialist Chamberlain Hrdlicka.
Meanwhile, in May, the firm confirmed it would launch a new Irish practice, following the end of merger talks between its existing Irish arm and leading Irish independent Willam Fry.
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