August 19, 2013

LOS ANGELES DAILY JOURNAL

By Alexandra Schwappach

SAN DIEGO – Amid firm’s plans to close its southernmost California office, Steven A. Moore scoots to long-time Golden State incumbent

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP swiped an intellectual property litigation partner in San Diego from Goodwin Procter LLP. Steven A. Moore’s jump occurs about a month before Goodwin plans to close its 18-attorney San Diego office.

Moore, whose practice focuses on representing companies in the electronics field, has experience litigating complex patent cases including issues involving wireless communications devices, hardware and software architectures, and biomedical optical instruments.

Moore said Pillsbury’s IP practice is an “exciting platform” that he is looking forward to joining.

“Pillsbury has really dynamic people and smart lawyers across all jurisdictions,” he said. “I am very excited about working there.”

Goodwin announced in June that it will close its San Diego office at the end of September due to a lack of corporate transactional work. Moore was one of eight attorneys offered a relocation package, but he said he wasn’t in a position to leave San Diego.

“It just didn’t make any sense for me to leave here,” he said. “There are good, solid people at Goodwin. I wish them well.”

Jack S. Barufka, head of Pillsbury’s IP practice, said one of the more challenging aspects of building the firm’s IP group is avoiding client conflicts.

“When you are looking at hiring a partner with a substantial book of business like Steve, you are always dealing with the fact that he has many big clients and that there may be some overlap,” he said. “We don’t want to put our new hires in a situation where they have to leave a substantial client behind.”

Though Moore has a noteworthy list of clients, the firm had no conflict issues, Barufka said.

“Steve’s practice is a perfect fit from that standpoint,” he said. “He’s expected to bring his entire client base with him to the firm.”

Moore represents ZTE Corp., a global provider of telecommunications equipment, and has been the company’s lead counsel on various patent cases. Barufka said Moore’s work with the international company was especially appealing to Pillsbury.

Larry Watanabe, a San Diego legal recruiter who placed Moore at the firm, said Moore’s addition will help Pillsbury expand its representation of corporate and emerging company clients throughout California.

“Steve’s expertise and clients are in the wireless industry and in cutting edge technology and matters which extend to China and other international jurisdictions,” Watanabe said. “Many firms were interested in him.”

Watanabe added that Pillsbury will likely continue to grow in IP and in all its California offices. “The firm has been steady and stable,” he said. “I expect Pillsbury will grow in highly strategic areas such as IP in the near term.”