July 12, 2012
LOS ANGELES DAILY JOURNAL
By Andrew McIntyre
LOS ANGELES – Davis Wright Tremaine LLP continued to build its nascent real estate practice group in Los Angeles with the announcement this week of its fifth addition since Jan. 1.
At the end of 2011, the office did not have any attorneys in the firm’s real estate practice group, but a flurry of 2012 additions to that practice – the newest being partner Kevin A. Corbett – has significantly changed its capabilities in the region.
Corbett comes to Davis Wright from Locke Lord LLP.
“Kevin brings a lot of strength in [representing] institutional investors,” said Mary H. Haas, partner-in-charge of Davis Wright’s Los Angeles office. “He continues to grow out that national practice of the firm… We just think he fits really nicely into the existing group.”
Davis added partners Mark L. Nelson and Tiffany K. Switzer and of counsel Nancy B. Clapp – all from DLA Piper – to its real estate practice in January, and brought on associate Feather Moy-Welsh – a 2011 UCLA School of Law graduate – to its real estate group in May. “I think that Southern California presents an extraordinary opportunity for Davis Wright,” Corbett said. “Los Angeles represents an excellent opportunity to make the firm’s real estate practice grow.”
Corbett said he also brings to the firm an expertise in leasing.
Prior to working at Locke Lord, where he was a partner, Corbett worked at Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP, Mayer Brown LLP and at real estate investment services firm CBRE Global Investors – formerly CB Richard Ellis Investors – where he spent 12 years as in-house counsel.
“He is going to be a tremendous benefit for us to expand the real estate group here in L.A.,” said Switzer. “He has a terrific practice and we’re excited do have him on board.”
Building up Davis Wright’s real estate practice group is one the firm’s overarching goals, and consistent with that goal, Davis Wright may see more growth in its Los Angeles real estate practice group, partners said.
“This is a key component of our growth plan, to expand the national real estate practice,” Haas said. “We have a goal to bring in more folks [to the Los Angeles practice group], but nothing immediately on the horizon. It is one of the local goals.”
Davis Wright has approximately 500 lawyers in nine offices – eight across the U.S. and one in Shanghai. The firm’s real estate practice group now has more than 40 attorneys.