Silicon Valley / Orange County (March 3, 2004) -- The international law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP announced today it has opened offices in Orange County and Silicon Valley, with attorneys who bring a wealth of experience from firms such as Wilson Sonsini, Cooley Godward, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, Baker & McKenzie, Kutak Rok and Manatt Phelps & Phillips. These offices will initially focus on the practices of corporate and securities, venture fund formation and private equity funds, real estate, intellectual property, litigation, tax, estate planning and executive compensation. Greenberg Traurig's expansion in California is the latest example of the firm's long-standing commitment to meet the growing needs of its clients and strengthen its national and international presence. The Orange County and Silicon Valley offices complement the firm's existing Los Angeles office, which currently has more than 70 attorneys.
The Orange County office opens its doors with six attorneys and is expected to grow rapidly, becoming a full service office. The founding group includes managing shareholder and tax and estate planning attorney Gordon Schaller who had been with the firm's Los Angeles office; tax shareholder, Jeff Joy; corporate and securities shareholder, John Stoner; litigation shareholder and Americans with Disabilities Act Practice group co-chair, Greg Hurley. Rounding out the Orange County office are litigation associates Michael Drury and Stacey Jaramillo.
The Silicon Valley office is opening its doors with seven attorneys and is currently in active discussions with more than 10 other attorneys seriously interested in joining the Silicon Valley office. Those joining the firm focus their practices in the areas of corporate and securities, venture fund formation and private equity funds, real estate, intellectual property, tax and executive compensation. Forming the group are corporate and securities shareholders Todd Rumberger, formerly with a successful venture fund in the Valley and before that, with the Orlando office of Greenberg Traurig; Stefan Clulow, from Wilson Sonsini and Khoa Do, formerly of Wilson Sonsini; real estate shareholder Randy Single, former general counsel for Divco West Properties, LLC; executive compensation shareholder Tom LaWer, from Cooley Godward; and tax shareholder Fred Adam from Baker & McKenzie.
"California is an important market for us with the nation's largest population base and thriving economy. These two new offices will help us better serve the California and global business community by covering the state from these three significant markets, Orange County, Los Angeles and Silicon Valley. Whether we are serving the needs of high net worth individuals or corporate and real estate businesses in Orange County, the entertainment and business community in Los Angeles, or the technology and venture fund community of Silicon Valley, Greenberg Traurig is now well positioned to meet the varied and unique needs of the California market," said Cesar Alvarez, president and chief executive officer of Greenberg Traurig.