International law firm Bird & Bird today announces that it is for the first time opening a representative office in the USA in mid-2018, in downtown San Francisco.
The office will focus on building the firm's presence in the region and providing Bird & Bird's US clients with non-US legal advice in their local time zone. The office will also be a platform for partnering with US law firms to provide global coverage for clients.
Bird & Bird has long advised US companies on their international activities in Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. The firm currently advises more than half of the top 100 companies in the Fortune 500 – both tech-based companies and across various other sectors - on matters including international expansion outside the US and international disputes, IP, data privacy, HR issues, complex restructuring and transformational projects, and coordinated multi-jurisdictional services.
Stefano Silvestri, partner and co-head of Bird & Bird's International Corporate Group who is currently based in Milan, and Nick Aries, IP partner who is currently based in London, will relocate to San Francisco, giving US clients greater access to Bird & Bird's international expertise in the same time zone.
Senior partners Roger Bickerstaff (Tech & Comms) and Ian Hunter (Head of International HR Services) will also spend a significant proportion of their time supporting the development of the US office over the coming years. There will also be strong support from Bird & Bird's Asia-Pacific offices – catering to high client demand – and the firm's other international offices.
David Kerr, CEO, Bird & Bird says: "Pursuing our vision to be the number one law firm in the world for organisations being changed by technology or the digital world means that we work with some of the most exciting companies in the region.
"US companies are being hit with major international changes such as GDPR, the Trade Secrets Directive and the Digital Single Market reforms from Europe, and we're also seeing technology drive their transactional activity more and more. This on-the-ground presence enables us to offer a heightened level of support to clients as they tackle these challenges head on.
"We're looking forward to immersing ourselves in the local community in downtown San Francisco and being able to work much more closely with the companies driving innovation in the region."
Bird & Bird's innovative approach to service delivery has a natural affinity with the entrepreneurial spirit of San Francisco. The firm has developed various bespoke matter and relationship management tools which clients say offers true transparency around efficiency.
David added: "Providing innovative client service is a crucial component of Bird & Bird's offering.We approach the key issues that US in-house attorneys face with tech-driven solutions that maximise efficiency."
