Debevoise hires John (Jay) Neukom in San Francisco

Debevoise hires John (Jay) Neukom in San Francisco

A Wall Street firm has hired a second senior Bay Area executive to help construct an office for 2021 by hiring John Neukom

Debevoise & Plimpton recently opened its first San Francisco office and hired John (Jay) Neukom from Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom to expand its intellectual property litigation practice.

Debevoise has recruited Kristin Snyder from the US Securities and Exchange Commission in March as well, Neukom is the second hire for the firm in San Francisco this month.

Neukom joins all four partners and a team of corporate and litigation specialists from the firm's previous US bases in New York and Washington, DC, who relocated to the London office last September.

Besides advising Bay Area companies on business and IP disputes, he is also experienced in dealing with topics such as trade secret theft and other IP infringement cases. More than 100 IP disputes have been tried in state and federal courts across the US by him in jury and bench trials, representing clients like Cisco, Google, Philips and Fortinet.

"Jay's intellectual property litigation experience is extensive and broad and his expertise in technology areas, such as semiconductors, network security and software, is unmatched," said David Bernstein, chair of Debevoise's IP litigation group.

After just over four years at Skadden in Palo Alto, where he led the firm's intellectual property litigation practice, Neukom joins Debevoise. According to his LinkedIn profile, Neukom was a partner at the San Francisco law firm Quinn Emanuel for six years before becoming a partner at Sorkin.

Jay is a well-respected member of the Bay Area legal community, so we are thrilled to have him join our team here, said David Sarratt, co-managing partner of Debevoise's San Francisco office. He is a tremendous asset to the IP practice in the region and nationwide with his broad knowledge and intimate connections to the local tech and business communities."

Managing partner Michael Blair told reporters that the firm continues to prioritize growth in Northern California.

Neukam noted: "I have long admired Debevoise and its collaborative culture and the outstanding reputation of its intellectual property litigation practice, which represents some of the world's most prominent brands."

In recent months, a number of top firms have opened their doors in California and expanded their presence there, enamored by the region's flourishing technology sector.

Goodwin Procter hired Baker Botts' California litigation chair Jonathan Shapiro in San Francisco earlier this month and Davis Polk & Wardwell picked up Ropes & Gray's global M&A head Paul Scrivano to join its Menlo Park deals team in February.