Global law firm K&L Gates recently announced the addition of a six-partner team to its San Francisco, Palo Alto, and Houston offices. Transitioning from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman the group strengthens the corporate, intellectual property, litigation, and labor and employment practices of the firm particularly across the technology, artificial intelligence, and life sciences sectors.
The joining team includes three former co-heads of Asia-related practices at Pillsbury. Jenny Liu (廖钰燕), former Co-Leader of the Greater China practice, advises public and private companies and venture funds on US-China cross-border transactions, equity and debt financings, and M&A matters. Julie Park, former Co-Leader of the Korea practice, advises issuers and investors on capital markets and securities matters including IPOs, follow-on offerings, private placements, and public company governance. David Tsai (蔡进昌), former Co-Leader of the Taiwan practice, is a first-chair trial lawyer focusing on intellectual property and complex commercial litigation who regularly represents global innovators in patent, trade secret, and copyright disputes.
Joining alongside them are three additional partners. Theresa Lee, former Co-Leader of the Corporate Reorganizations practice at Pillsbury, guides clients through complex corporate reorganizations, global integrations, and venture capital financings. Zandir Morton focuses on intellectual property, employment counseling, and complex commercial litigation assisting enterprises through alternative dispute resolution and arbitration. Ziyan "Frank" Xue focuses on cross-border transactions advising foreign and domestic clients on M&A, foreign direct investment, and US market entry strategies across the renewable energy and advanced manufacturing industries.
Stacy Ackermann, Global Managing Partner at K&L Gates, remarked that the collaborative spirit of the group closely reflects how the firm works across practices and markets underscoring a strong cultural alignment. Matt Mangan, Office Managing Partner for San Francisco and Palo Alto, commented that the team adds substantial depth aligned with the strategic focus of the firm on innovation-driven industries. Anil Patel, Office Managing Partner for Houston, emphasized that the combined experience enhances the ability of the firm to meet growing client demand for coordinated counsel across Texas, California, and the Asia-Pacific region.
The arrival of this team follows other recent lateral additions in strategic markets including corporate partner Pat Knapp in Dallas, ETF partner Ed Baer in San Francisco, labor and employment partner Carlos Jimenez in Los Angeles, and public policy partner Kate Goodrich Wright in Austin. While actively expanding its partner ranks K&L Gates is also optimizing its internal structure in response to market conditions having confirmed a reduction of approximately 10 percent of its non-lawyer staff earlier this year.
Demonstrating the robust platform supporting these new hires the corporate practice of K&L Gates remains one of the most substantial in the legal industry serving a broad array of Global 500 and Fortune 100 corporations. Concurrently its intellectual property practice boasts over 215 professionals who filed more than 5,475 patent applications and 4,020 trademarks worldwide in 2025 further cementing the market-leading position of the firm.
