Ex-Ninth Circuit Judge Watford Joins Wilson Sonsini in L.A.

Former Ninth Circuit Judge Paul J. Watford has joined law firm Wilson Sonsini as partner, giving up a lifetime appointment on the largest federal appeals court after serving 11 years.

Watford, an Obama appointee to the San Francisco-based court, announced plans to resign in January and officially left in May. He joins Wilson Sonsini’s litigation department and will be based in the firm’s Los Angeles office.

“At age 55, I had to look ahead and ask myself if I wanted to stay on the circuit court,” Watford said in an interview. “I always loved being a lawyer before getting on the bench.”

Watford’s departure marked the fourth Obama appointee to leave the federal bench for lucrative roles at large law firms. Since 2018, 14 judges have exited federal district or appeals courts for large law firms, with five of them resigning before meeting the retirement eligibility threshold.

Watford worked at California law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson earlier in his career. He saw a “narrow window” to return to private practice since he isn’t at retirement age, he said.

“It’s a trend to appoint younger judges to the courts, so it will be interesting to see what happens with the judges appointed by Trump and Biden,” Watford said.

Watford authored several notable decisions during his tenure on the court, including his 2015 majority opinion in City of Los Angeles v. Patel striking down an L.A. ordinance allowing law enforcement officials to inspect hotel and motel registries without consent of the renter or a search warrant. The US Supreme Court later upheld the decision.

Wilson Sonsini is a nationally recognized firm based out of Palo Alto. Its lawyers have represented high-profile clientele, including Twitter in its dispute with now-owner Elon Musk and Vanessa Bryant in a suit against Los Angeles County after the death of her husband, NBA legend Kobe Bryant.

“In joining Wilson Sonsini, I will be able to continue working with talented lawyers and professionals in a collaborative culture that places high value on diversity and teamwork,” Watford said in a statement on Tuesday. “I look forward to taking on challenging and engaging matters for the firm’s clients, which include many of the world’s most innovative and dynamic companies.”

The firm reported more than $1.3 billion in gross revenue last year, along with more than $3 million in profits per equity partner, according to data compiled by The American Lawyer. Wilson Sonsini has more than 950 attorneys around the world.