BakerHostetler Picks Up Large Morgan Lewis California IP Team

BakerHostetler is expanding its IP bench with the addition of three partners and a team of other lawyers, patent agents and specialists from Morgan Lewis & Bockius, the firm announced Monday

Partners Mark Itri, Michael Dreznes and Mark Bentley lead the 19-person group joining BakerHostetler’s electrical, mechanical and computer science prosecution team. They will be located in the firm’s Costa Mesa, Calif., office.

Itri and Dreznes have represented Fortune 500 companies, including Apple, Broadcom, Inc., and Lockheed Martin Corp., according to BakerHostetler. They advise companies on strategic IP planning, patent and trademark portfolio management, and due diligence in connection with technology and trademark acquisitions, the firm said.

The pair focuses largely on emerging technology areas such as machine learning and augmented reality, helping clients build patent portfolios around industry standards.

The larger group moved to Morgan Lewis & Bockius from McDermott Will & Emery in 2018. They chose to jump to BakerHostetler because of the Cleveland-headquartered firm’s workplace flexibility, including on schedules, compensation and titles, Itri said in an interview.

“We’re in a new world. It’s difficult to hold onto good talent,” Itri said, noting that the pool of patent agents and patent lawyers is relatively small. “It’s not just looking at compensation, but also looking at life style.”

BakerHostetler, which says it plans a firm reopening on April 4, has announced it will have a “flexible approach to days in the office.” The firm is generally is asking attorneys to be in the office “regularly and more often than not,” particularly on Wednesdays “to facilitate team meetings and interaction with colleagues and clients,” a firm spokesperson explained.

BakerHostetler has added 75 lawyers to its several West Coast practices since 2019. The firm, which reached nearly $790 million in gross revenue in 2020, has an IP practice with more than 100 lawyers.

“Growth on the West Coast continues to be a strategic firm priority,” said Paul Schmidt, BakerHostetler’s chairman, in a statement. “Adding in this group of outstanding IP attorneys and professionals exemplifies our commitment to recruiting top talent, particularly in California.”

A Morgan Lewis spokesperson—asked about the departures—said the firm has more than 80 IP lawyers and professionals across its Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Orange County and Century City offices. The firm has not publicly announced an official return-to-office date or its conditions.