BakerHostetler has bolstered its West Coast IP litigation bench with the hire of Erik Carlson as a partner in Los Angeles from Am Law 50 rival Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. 

The arrival of Carlson comes just a few months after BakerHostetler added IP litigation capabilities in Los Angeles with the hire of veteran Wilson Sonsini partners Ed Poplawski and Olivia Kim, the latter of whom leads the IP team in LA. 

Eric Sagerma, managing partner of BakerHostetler’s Los Angeles office, said: “Over the past few months, BakerHostetler has been fortunate to welcome several impressive laterals to our Los Angeles office. Erik’s arrival, combined with the recent addition of Ed and Olivia, showcases our firm’s commitment to being one of California’s leading IP practices.”

Carlson has joined BakerHostetler as a partner after five years at Wilson Sonsini, where he was an associate, prior to which he practised at Sidley Austin. He has tried cases in top patent venues in Delaware, California and Texas. He also has experience advising medical technology and healthcare leaders, as well as clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies, in patent cases in US district courts and the US Patent and Trademark Office.

“Erik’s arrival arms us with an unmistakable force in IP and immediately boosts the firm’s prowess in patent litigation,” said Mark Tidman, firm-wide chair of BakerHostetler’s IP group. “His broad technological intellect, combined with his deep understanding of complex technologies, will serve the firm and its clients well.”

Prior to law school, Carlson worked as an engineer for a multinational aerospace and defence conglomerate. He led a team developing classified infrared targeting pods for F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets and developed computer algorithms for optical image stabilisation in spy satellites. After graduating from law school, Carlson worked on secondment at a US medical technology company, prosecuting patents for artificial heart valves and other cardiac medical devices.

Carlson is the latest in a series of West Coast IP hires by BakerHostetler over the past year as the firm moves to build a full-service IP practice in the region. Last spring the firm also added a 19-person IP team  from Morgan Lewis & Bockius in Costa Mesa led by partners Mark Itri and Michael Dreznes and last summer hired partner Melody Drummond Hansen from O’Melveny & Myers to lead its IP strategy for San Francisco and Silicon Valley.

DLA Piper also moved to build its West Coast IP offering recently, hiring a 30-strong team of patent lawyers from Dentons led by partner Peter Yim for its San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Seattle offices.