Taylor Wessing has today (23 June) announced the opening of two representative offices in the US to facilitate access to its European network. Located in tech-focused Palo Alto and New York, both offices are set to open in September this year.
The top 20 firm will not be practising US law but instead plans to use its new US bases to ‘support US clients’ international growth’ from its European, CEE and Asian offices.
Corporate technology partner Mike Turner will head the New York office and divide his time between Manhattan and London, with support from a team of lawyers from Taylor Wessing’s international network. Corporate technology partner Mark Barron, who is currently based in London, will help lead the venture alongside Frankfurt-based technology and data protection partner Kai Westerwelle and corporate technology associate Dennis Tan, who is currently based in Singapore. They will focus on providing ‘on-the-ground access’ to the firm’s lawyers in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Barron said: ‘European expansion has long been a part of the growth strategy for successful US businesses, and now we are seeing a growing triangulation between the US, Europe – notably London, Berlin and Paris – and Singapore for tech innovation and investment in particular, with Singapore attracting an increasing level of US investment, especially from businesses on the West Coast. In addition, US businesses have undertaken considerable investment into the CEE region.’
Westerwelle added: ‘With the opening of our new representative offices in Palo Alto and New York we fulfil the increasing need of US companies for competent on-site advice with respect to their target markets in Europe, CEE, and Asia. Furthermore, we support international clients in realising their US strategies. Thus, after the successful expansions in Europe and Asia, this step into the USA is another milestone in the internationalisation of Taylor Wessing.’
The news comes just weeks after the Anglo-German firm announced it was establishing a presence in South Korea via an association with local full service firm DR & AJU International Law Group.
sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk