Freshfields’ Continues Its US Expansion With Big Law Raid

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has continued its expansion in the United States with the recruitment of a legal team from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.

A group of four partners specializing in crisis management, regulatory risk management, and cybersecurity will be joining their team.

The Wilson Sonsini team said they were attracted by the Freshfields’ global reach and growing presence in the United States.

Freshfields’ is #9 on LawFuel’s ‘Most Prestigious’ law firm list.

Leading the newly established strategic risk and crisis management practice at Freshfields will be Beth George, a former official of the U.S. Department of Defense. Together with cybersecurity partner Megan Kayo, George will be based in Freshfields’ Silicon Valley office, which was launched in July 2020. In addition, the firm has welcomed Janet Kim and Andrew Dockham to their Washington, D.C. office.

Kim and Dockham specialize in advising clients on congressional investigations, regulatory enforcement defense, and internal corporate investigations.

George highlighted the increasing concerns among their clients regarding global regulatory impacts, including issues related to data breaches and the global geopolitical climate.

Freshfields’ international presence and commitment to the United States were key factors that attracted the group, particularly due to their work with technology clients.

Freshfields boasts a global team of over 350 U.S.-qualified lawyers, spread across its three U.S. locations.

The firm has recently made other notable hires in the U.S., including partners Damian Ridealgh from Weil, Gotshal & Manges and David Sewell from Perkins Coie, both based in New York. Wilson Sonsini, the Silicon Valley-based firm from which the departing partners originated, expressed their well wishes for the departing lawyers.

Freshfields has previously recruited partners from Wilson Sonsini to expand their California office.

Last year, they hired Brandon Gantus as a compensation and employee benefits partner, as well as Andrew Hill as a corporate partner (who has since moved to venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, according to his LinkedIn account).

Boris Feldman, one of the founding partners of Freshfields’ Silicon Valley office and global co-head of the firm’s tech, media, and telecoms group, is also a former long-time partner at Wilson Sonsini.