Perkins Coie, the international firm headquartered in Seattle, is announcing today that it’s opening an office in Austin, its 20th overall. The Texas Lawbook already reported the news, citing sources.
M&A and venture capital counsel Andy Smetana is joining from Vinson & Elkins as a partner and litigation partner Jose Villarreal is coming over from Wilson Sonsini, as The Lawbook reported. Craig Tyler, a trial and appellate lawyer, also is coming on from V&E.
Perkins Coie said establishing an office in Austin furthers the firm’s momentum in building a strong tech-based practice in Texas to serve companies in computer electronics and other technology industries. It also plans to offer legal services to retail, transportation, healthcare and pharmaceutical companies as they increasingly adopt technology-related platforms and applications.
The firm entered the state 10 years ago in Dallas and added three more partners there last year.
“We see a significant opportunity for a firm that understands the technology industry to be there for companies who need help.” Dean Harvey
Bill Malley, Perkins’ overall managing partner in Washington, D.C., told The Lawbook that the firm determined that Austin was “the market to be in” as part of its strategy to build practices that are important to its technology clients.
“Building a strong presence in Austin is going to reinforce the strength we have firm wide,” he said.
Dean Harvey, managing partner of the Dallas office and a national expert on technology law and legal issues involving artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics, said that Perkins aims to be the top technology firm in Texas.
“Three hundred companies a year are relocating to Dallas and Austin, some are clients and some are not,” he said. “We see a significant opportunity for a firm that understands the technology industry to be there for companies who need help.”
Malley and Harvey said they anticipate that one or more Perkins lawyers will move to Austin from other locations and that they will continue to recruit laterals to build out the office to 10 to 15 lawyers.
The firm’s Dallas office is now at around 30 lawyers out of about 1,100 across the U.S. and Asia.
Harvey said the firm launched in Dallas first when an opportunity arose to hire experienced finance attorneys there.
“We initially backed into Texas – we didn’t open a full office – while we built out New York and the Bay area,” he said. “But then people began to see the state’s growing technology market, the vibrant economy and the clients who were here.”
Harvey noted that Perkins was able to attract Austin talent as the city has seen law firms shrink or close offices, including Akin Gump, Fish & Richardson, Brobeck, V&E and Jones Day.
“The market is aware of it and understands our venture capital and IP practices,” he said. “We do focus on technology and the reception has been very enthusiastic.”
Perkins Coie will operate out of a temporary space at 500 W. 2nd Street in Austin until it identifies and builds out a permanent location, a spokesman said.