Husch Blackwell last week announced the opening of new offices in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. The new office openings were prompted by the arrival of a 21-lawyer litigation team from Dentons, an international law firm, which greatly expands Husch Blackwell’s presence in California, where the firm has maintained a Sacramento office since 2018. The group includes Los Angeles-based partners Bradford J. DeJardin, Frederic Norris, Kelvin Wyles, and Jules Zeman; the new Bay Area partners include Lisa L. Oberg, Lynne Patricia Blair, Michelle C. Jackson, Jennifer J. Lee, Michael E. Sandgren, and Christopher W. Wood.
The group also includes 11 counsel and associates. Joining the firm as counsel are Patricia Alberts, Arlene Barton, Erin Carpenter, Kimberly Chew, Daniel Hoye, Kathy Huynh, Karen Luong, and Natasha Sumner; among the three associates joining the firm are Natalie Lashinsky, Shayan Heidarzadeh, and Amrita K. Pannu. The firm has also added 14 administrative staff, bringing the total new-arrival headcount for its California offices to 35.
“The arrival of our new California colleagues deepens the bench and resources available to our clients who have a variety of litigation needs in the region,” said partner Greg Smith, under whose chairmanship Husch Blackwell first expanded into California.
“California is often a bellwether state in terms of the regulation of private business, and we are very pleased to add a substantial presence in a state that is vital to so many of our clients,” said Paul Eberle, Husch Blackwell’s Chief Executive. “This is just the first chapter in our growth in California; we look forward to adding additional depth and talent when the opportunities arise.”
“The economics of handling large portfolios of complex tort claims can be difficult to master, but we have built a platform for doing just that,” said Joseph Orlet, the head of Husch Blackwell’s Technology, Manufacturing and Transportation industry group. “Our approach and the technology applications we bring to bear on these matters enable us to provide clients with a compelling value proposition. Risk and reward are shared, and ultimately, this aligns our goals with those of our clients.”
In addition to the creation of two new California offices, some of the new attorneys plan to join Husch Blackwell’s The Link, a virtual office created in July 2020. The Link was formed to enable attorneys to work remotely and to provide the administrative support, leadership, and technology necessary to serving clients in the remote environment.
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