Simmons & Simmons inaugurates first US office in Silicon Valley
Simmons & Simmons inaugurates first US office in Silicon Valley
City law firm has employed the former managing partner of Osborne Clarke to head its new office
In the Bay Area, Simmons & Simmons, City law firm has opened its first U.S. office with the former Silicon Valley managing partner of Osborne Clarke.
Emily Jones, who led Osborne Clarke's Silicon Valley office for five years, will direct the Silicon Valley office. In May, 2022, Jones will join the firm as a partner in the areas of data privacy, cyber security and technology law.
Although the firm's spokesperson said that a number of factors will determine the timing of the opening, the office is expected to be fully operational within the next six months. There will be no practice of law in the US. A spokesperson with the firm said Jones is the only member of the Bay Area team confirmed to date, but the company plans to expand the team in both short and long term.
Simmons & Simmons' TMT practice head Alex Brown hailed the new office as a "globally significant move for the firm's TMT practice".
Many of the world's largest technology companies are headquartered in Silicon Valley, which is the epicenter of global technology. Our firm is well-positioned to win new work and forge stronger relationships with our existing US TMT sector clients, thanks to Simmons' existing TMT sector expertise and on-ground presence," Simmons said.
Additionally, Brown mentioned the firm's office in Shenzhen, in addition to its presence in two of the world's most important tech hubs.
Following his appointment as a trainee at Osborne Clarke in 2002, Jones spent a total of 19 years there. A significant part of her practice involves providing business advice to technology companies with rapid growth. She will coordinate Simmons' client advice across multiple jurisdictions, working with the firm's teams across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
"I spent the last five years building my client base and reputation in Silicon Valley, worked closely with companies as they expanded internationally, and gained valuable knowledge of the issues, concerns, and challenges that are important to these companies. Therefore, I am the perfect choice for the role of Simmons representative on the US West Coast." She said.
In addition, she said she was delighted to join the firm "at a time when the Silicon Valley market has experienced tremendous growth and innovation".
Steve Wilson, the firm's US managing partner, will be in charge of managing Osborne Clarke's Silicon Valley office after Jones' departure. Wilson is in charge of the firm's Silicon Valley, San Francisco, and New York offices. 11 professionals work in the Silicon Valley office.
Jones was wished well in her future endeavors by a spokesperson for Osborne Clarke.
There have been other UK law firms that have expanded their US coverage to the Bay Area recently, including Magic Circle giants Allen & Overy and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, which established bases there in August 2021 and July 2020.
