Willkie launches Los Angeles office with three Venable hires

Willkie Farr & Gallagher, New York, US REUTERS / Andrew Kelly

• Willkie hires three Venable companions to open an workplace in Los Angeles
• After Palo Alto and San Francisco, Willkie’s LA workplace is the third California workplace

The corporate and workplace names listed above are mechanically generated from the textual content of the article. We’re enhancing this characteristic as we proceed to check and develop the beta model. We admire your suggestions, which you’ll submit utilizing the suggestions tab on the best aspect of the web page.

(Reuters) – Willkie Farr & Gallagher introduced Thursday that they’re opening a 3rd workplace in California and bringing a trio of companions from Venable to open a brand new outpost in Los Angeles.

The New York-based legislation agency has employed Alan Epstein, Michele Mulrooney and Alex Weingarten to open the workplace and expects extra attorneys to affix the staff within the coming weeks.

Willkie chairman Thomas Cerabino stated within the assertion that constructing his presence on the west coast stays a “strategic focus” for the corporate.

Willkie planted his flag within the Golden State in 2018 after luring two company companions away from Paul Hastings to open an workplace in Palo Alto. One other Bay Space workplace in San Francisco was added in 2019 with the hiring of two litigation attorneys from Keker, Van Nest & Peters. She now has 30+ attorneys in California and the Los Angeles workplace, based on the agency’s web site.

“Los Angeles is a various and dynamic enterprise hub and a few of our current prospects are based mostly in or close to LA, or have vital workplaces there,” stated Cerabino. “Alan, Michele and Alex know the market, have necessary relationships and are an amazing match for our collaborative and entrepreneurial tradition.

Venable didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

Previous to becoming a member of Willkie, Epstein was chairman of the media and leisure departments of Venable and the West Coast Enterprise Transactions Group, whereas Mulrooney was a member of the board of administrators of Venable and chaired the corporate’s West Coast Property Planning Group.

Epstein and Mulrooney joined Venable’s Los Angeles workplace in 2011 from the leisure boutique Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer Austen Mandelbaum Morris & Klein, whereas Weingarten joined the agency in 2014 after Venable acquired its enterprise course of boutique Weingarten Brown.

“We’ve admired Willkie’s growth of its nationwide platform lately, notably on the West Coast, and are honored to open its Los Angeles workplace,” Epstein stated within the assertion.

Epstein works with all kinds of shoppers within the leisure and media industries. Based on his firm biography, Epstein has represented actor Ryan Reynolds on numerous offers and helped former MGM Studios CEO Gary Barber negotiate his exit from the studio.

Mulrooney’s follow focuses on property planning for prime web value people and their corporations, in addition to nonprofit organizations. Weingarten is a enterprise litigation lawyer representing purchasers within the leisure, property, restructuring and enterprise litigation areas.

Willkie has additionally expanded within the Midwest. In March 2020, she opened a Chicago workplace with six attorneys, together with former Jenner & Block chairman Craig Martin who turned the agency’s chairman for the Midwest area. The Chicago workplace now has about 45 attorneys, based on its web site.

Willkie has 850 attorneys in 13 workplaces throughout the US and Europe.

Proceed studying:

Willkie provides Palo Alto companions as its presence within the Bay Space grows

After a 12 months and a half, the ex-Jenner chairman says Willkie’s Chicago ambitions have paid off

Xiumei Dong

Xiumei Dong experiences on the authorized enterprise. She lives in Washington, DC. You may attain them at Xiumei.Dong@thomsonreuters.com.