If there was any doubt that group lateral moves are still having a moment, Brown Rudnick has put that to rest.
The Biglaw firm announced today that it landed the largest group hire in its history, bringing aboard a 34-lawyer intellectual property litigation team from HSF Kramer while simultaneously planting its flag in Silicon Valley with a brand-new office.
Landing an entire practice group is one thing. Landing one that’s large enough to launch a new office is another.
Led by seven partners across Silicon Valley (Paul Andre, Lisa Kobialka, James Hannah, Kristopher Kastens, and Michael Lee) and New York (Jonathan Caplan and Aaron Frankel), the team brings decades of experience handling intellectual property litigation and patent prosecution matters.
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The announcement is the latest reminder that firms looking to expand marquee practices aren’t always doing it one partner at a time. Recruiting a star lateral is great. Recruiting an established team that already knows how to work together, has an existing client base, and can hit the ground running is even better.
Brown Rudnick CEO and chairman Vince Guglielmotti said the move reinforces the firm’s ambitions in the IP space. “We are excited to welcome this exceptional team of intellectual property litigators to our firm,” he said. “Their stellar reputation in the market for providing sophisticated IP counsel and their deep industry experience strengthens our position as a market leader in technology, life sciences and global litigation. Their arrival underscores Brown Rudnick’s appeal to top-tier lateral partners who want an entrepreneurial platform where they can make an impact.”
For Andre, Brown Rudnick’s entrepreneurial culture and collaborative approach made the firm the right fit.
“Brown Rudnick shares our team’s vision for building a globally prominent IP practice. We were attracted to Brown Rudnick’s boutique approach to client service — with partners who know each other, and an entrepreneurial spirit and innovative approach to litigation funding — where our team can make a strong impact.”
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The move also continues Brown Rudnick’s steady California expansion. The firm has maintained an Orange County office for more than a decade and added a Los Angeles office in 2025. Now, with Silicon Valley joining the mix, Brown Rudnick has an even larger footprint in one of the country’s most competitive legal markets.
Congratulations to Brown Rudnick on landing the biggest group hire in the firm’s history, and best of luck to everyone making the move.
Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.