August 16, 2013

By David Ruiz
THE DAILY JOURNAL

MENLO PARK – With addition of three, Menlo Park location founded in 2012 now boasts nine attorneys

San Diego-based Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP has bolstered its Menlo Park office with three more lawyers, bringing the attorney count there to nine.

Partner Robert H. Sloss joined the firm Aug. 1 from his position as senior corporate counsel at Redwood City-based Oracle Corp., where he helped manage the company’s patent litigation matters. Also this month, Mindy M. Morton joined the office as senior counsel from Bergeson LLP. Meanwhile, Procopio associate Aiko Yamakawa has relocated to Menlo Park from the firm’s headquarters in San Diego.

The office has grown since the firm established a “fly-in” office in Silicon Valley in February 2012 and gained a team of full-time lawyers there in November. Several months later it leased permanent office space.

‘The rates that we charge are San Diego-based rates. They’re a little lower than companies are typically used to seeing around here.’ – Robert H. Sloss

Last month, partner Jon C. Gonzales joined the firm’s Menlo Park office from Mountain View-based GCA Partners LLP, where he represented both private and public companies in financings, mergers and acquisitions and filing procedures.
Sloss said the firm’s approach to Silicon Valley expansion is one he trusts.

“I think it’s a firm with really terrific lawyers, and the rates that we charge are San Diego-based rates,” Sloss said. “They’re a little lower than companies are typically used to seeing around here, and we have the highest quality lawyers available.”

Sloss joined the firm’s intellectual property team, which currently has one other IP litigator and five patent prosecutors, he said. Before joining Oracle, he worked at Farella Braun & Martel LLP from 2002 to 2011.

Gonzales said he was approached by legal recruiter Victoria Gamble of Watanabe Nason LLC, who explained why the firm would be a good fit.

“Only after talking to her I found out the billing rates would allow me to keep my client base,” Gonzales said. He said these lower rates also boost the firm’s ability to stay healthy in Silicon Valley.

“More and more, clients are just really watching their costs,” he said. “The difference is Procopio has big firm resources but offers rates that are about 30 [percent] or 40 percent less than a lot of the bigger firms.” Earlier in his career Gonzales practiced at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC.

Portola Valley-based Baier Legal Search LLC founding president Carl A. Baier, who was not involved with the moves, said Procopio is being smart by adding attorneys with Silicon Valley connections to its office.

“For Procopio, if they’re going to have an office in Silicon Valley, it’s certainly a good thing to expand methodically,” he said.