Norton Rose Fulbright to Open Chicago Office With 11 Lawyers

Norton Rose Fulbright is opening an office in Chicago with 11 lawyers, the firm’s second expansion in the U.S. Midwest this month.

Eight of the attorneys come from K&L Gates and will focus on tech transactions, intellectual property and privacy and data security law, Norton Rose said Tuesday. Two of the lawyers come from Polsinelli and one from DLA Piper, the firm said.

“Our Chicago office is part of our Midwest growth and will act as an innovation hub,” said Jeff Cody, Norton Rose Fulbright’s U.S. managing partner, in a statement.

The firm a week ago said it’s expanding its Minneapolis office with an 11-lawyer lateral gain, including four partners. The new Minneapolis team, which moved from a local boutique trial firm called Blackwell Burke, was added to bolster the firm’s litigation practice, Norton Rose said April 5.

Cooley opened a Chicago office last May, in large part to bolster its venture capital and emerging companies practice. In September, two Cooley partners said they expected its Windy City office to approach 50 lawyers by the end of that month.

Norton Rose is one of the largest firms in the world, with gross revenues of $2.1 billion last year, according to The American Lawyer. Chicago is the firm’s 12th office in the United States and 53rd worldwide.

Part of Norton Rose’s allure is the firm’s “progressive-minded” and “disruptive” ethos, one of five new partners to join the firm, Daniel Farris, said in an interview. He advises tech companies on transactional, privacy and compliance issues.

The new office will open later this year in the Fulton Market District, an area adjacent to downtown Chicago’s Loop area, where most Big Law firm offices are located. The area is, or soon will be, home to tech companies like Alphabet Inc.'s Google, Syntellis Performance Solutions LLC and Hazel Technologies Inc.

The location, which will include hybrid office features and legal tech tools, shows the firm “is taking lessons learned during the pandemic,” Farris said. It will include some traditional offices as well as open spaces and “hot desks” to increase collaboration, he said.