June 18, 2001
THE CALIFORNIA LAW BUSINESS JOURNAL
PALO ALTO – Manatt Phelps: BAY AREA ATTORNEY GETS TOO BIG FOR SMALL SHOP
Half of San Francisco’s Georgopoulos & Pahlavan took his practice to the Palo Alto office of Manatt Phelps & Philips.
Arman Pahlavan joined the 220-lawyer Los Angeles firm with associate Alex Volchegursky on June 4. Pahlavan’s former partner, Zach Georgopoulos, says he and two of-counsel lawyers are maintaining solo practices.
Georgopoulos, who’s of Greek heritage, feigns relief that the Persian Pahlavan name can come off the firm letterhead.
“Historically, those names just shouldn’t be together,” he says of the Greek and Persian names.
“I was solo before so it’s no skin off my nose,” Georgopoulos says of Pahlavan’s departure.
Georgopoulos says his former partners’ technology practice outgrew their corporate firm, which caters to mostly small brick-and-mortar companies. Pahlavan represents venture capital and technology clients in corporate finance, transactional and intellectual property matters.
“Silicon Valley-based clients require a broad range of legal services,” Pahlavan says. “Manatt’s multidisciplinary capability in the technology, health care and regulatory arena, together with the firm’s service focus and entrepreneurial approach to the practice of law, will enable me to serve my clients with greater breadth and ability.”
Recruiter Larry Watanabe of Los Angeles’ Watanabe Nason & Seltzer brokered Pahlavan’s move to Manatt Phelps.