Willkie Names Baker Botts Tech Pro In San Francisco

Willkie Farr & Gallagher’s fledgling San Francisco office got its sixth partner on Monday, March 8, with the addition of Baker Botts partner and tech litigation practice co-chair Jonathan Patchen.

New York-based Willkie opened the office in September 2019, launching its second Bay Area location with the help of Simona Agnolucci and Benedict (Ben) Hur from Keker, Van Nest & Peters. The firm opened a Palo Alto office in December 2018 with a pair of corporate partners from Paul Hastings, marking its West Coast debut.

“I admire what Willkie has built in the Bay Area,” Patchen said in a statement. “The combination of a strong and growing litigation team plus the firm’s corporate and private equity clients presents a great opportunity for me to expand my practice while also supporting Willkie’s strategic goals in the region.”

Patchen wasn’t available for additional comment. While at Baker Botts, his clients included Atomic Labs, Arcus Biosciences, Enigma MPC, Keurig Dr Pepper, Voyager Capital, and Zetta Venture Partners, according to his former firm profile.

“His experience complements our growing technology-focused platform in the Bay Area and will promote greater opportunities for our diverse client base,” Hur said in a statement.

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