Fenwick & West has opened a new office in Santa Monica, giving the firm its first office in Southern California and its third in the state.
Santa Monica sits next to West Los Angeles, the main hub for the city's burgeoning technology sector.
The new office will be led by corporate partners Michael Brown, Faisal Rashid and Ran Ben-Tzur.
"The driving force behind the decision to open in Santa Monica was the explosive growth in our Southern California client base," Brown said about the new office. "We go where our clients are."
Rashid added that Los Angeles currently has an incredibly high demand for experienced legal support in the technology sector.
Regarding plans for growing the office, the attorneys said that the firm's approach was first to start with attorneys steeped in Fenwick's culture, and then remain open to expansion without any specific number of lawyers in mind.
Shortly after Fenwick announced the new office, Goodwin Procter trumpeted news of its own new Santa Monica office.
Asked about how Fenwick will distinguish itself in Los Angeles' competitive legal market, Brown responded that, "The technology and life sciences focus that Fenwick has is unique, and we think that truly is what makes us a compelling legal partner."