Law Firms
McDermott Leases Heller’s Silicon Valley Offices, Plans Expansion
Posted Nov 11, 2008, 05:58 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
Chicago-based McDermott, Will & Emery has signed a 10-year lease for most of the Silicon Valley offices once occupied by Heller Ehrman lawyers.
McDermott will move 60 lawyers into 85,000 square feet of office space in Menlo Park that could house up to 100 lawyers, the Recorder reports. Anthony de Alcuaz, partner-in-charge of McDermott's Silicon Valley office now in Palo Alto, Calif., told the publication the goal is to hire more people.
"This is a huge commitment to continuing our growth," he said.
The move comes even as McDermott is recovering from the loss of several partners this year in its intellectual property practice, the story says. De Alcuaz told the publication the office will hire new lawyers in other areas such as labor and employment, corporate law and taxation.
The move is good news for Heller, which was able to negotiate a settlement to avoid responsibility for the lease, according to the story. The law firm has also managed to shed its leases for offices in Alaska and Wisconsin. Still on the negotiating table are leases in New York and San Francisco.
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