Troutman Sanders LLP announced today plans to open an office in San Francisco, the firm's fourth office on the West Coast since it first expanded into California in 2009. The office will officially open on April 1 in the Financial District at 580 California Street, where the firm has leased the entire eleventh floor. 

"Our office in San Francisco will support our successful growth on the West Coast, and it will expand the robust work that we are already performing there for clients in our core practices of energy, finance, insurance, and intellectual property," said Robert W. Webb, Jr., Chairman of Troutman Sanders. "In addition, as the United States business gateway to China, San Francisco will provide a unique and valuable link to our thriving offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong to support and enhance the rapid growth of inbound and outbound work for our clients between our U.S. and China offices." 

The San Francisco office will focus initially on the areas of energy, finance, insurance, intellectual property, litigation, and China inbound and outbound work, but it is expected to expand to environmental, corporate, and real estate work. The firm has announced its intention to quickly grow the office to provide these full service capabilities. 

"We are very excited to continue our expansion in California in a city in which a substantial number of our clients do business," said Stephen E. Lewis, Managing Partner of Troutman Sanders. "Our new San Francisco office will strengthen our ability not only to meet our clients' existing needs, but also to help them identify new business opportunities. In combination with our existing Orange County, San Diego and Portland offices, our San Francisco office will enable us to provide exceptional service on the West Coast for our clients' most important matters." 

The San Francisco office will be led by Office Managing Partner Craig Kline, who is moving from the Troutman Sanders office in New York City. Kline is a member of the Troutman Sanders Executive Committee and the head of the firm's renewable energy practice. He has a significant client base in San Francisco and more than 20 years of experience as a leading finance lawyer in New York. 

Joining Kline as initial resident members of the San Francisco office are three other Troutman Sanders lawyers: 

Jennifer Mathis, a Partner who has been practicing in the firm's Orange County office, has nearly 20 years of litigation experience, with a special focus on insurance coverage matters in California. Mathis has litigated numerous cases in Northern California courts. 

Kevin He, a Partner who will be moving to San Francisco from the firm's New York office, has more than 10 years of experience as an intellectual property lawyer, focusing on patent litigation, licensing, and patent prosecution. He represents many clients in China and the Bay Area. 

Craig Stearns, an Of Counsel currently in the firm's New York office, will bring his skills in renewable energy, complex financing, and tax equity transactions to the San Francisco office. 

In addition to the full time resident lawyers who will initially staff the office, nine Troutman Sanders lawyers resident in other offices will be spending significant time working in the San Francisco office. Partners John Leonti (renewable energy), Stephen Hall (renewable energy), Adam Kobos (tax), Richard Pollak (finance), Marty Taylor (finance), Kevin Kieffer (insurance), and Doug Salyers (intellectual property), as well as senior associates Christine Byrnes (energy) and Angela Levin (environmental), will be actively involved in the firm's San Francisco office. 

"Having represented clients in the San Francisco market for a long time, I am very excited to serve as the Managing Partner of our new office," said Kline. "I am looking forward to our rapid growth and to providing our clients with the high level of service that this new venture will provide."