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Out-of-state firms have had varied success in launching in the Silicon Valley region.
Of the 100 largest law firms in Pennsylvania, Duane Morris has become the ninth to open in the Silicon Valley region. Reed Smith; Morgan, Lewis & Bockius; K&L Gates; Dechert; Jones Day; Littler Mendelson; Greenberg Traurig; and DLA Piper have offices in the area.
Khachatourian said she has seen a number of firms look to enter the market and the "winning recipe" is one that Duane Morris has adopted. The key, she said, is to already have a base in the region and a client need to open there. The concept of "build it and they will come" does not work in Silicon Valley, Khachatourian said.
Because of the success of Jameson's team and the work being done by the firm's existing California attorneys, Duane Morris has a jumpstart on a successful launch in the area, Khachatourian said.
And "sometimes law firms tend to want to bring the culture of their base office into the Silicon Valley, particularly when they are based on the East Coast, and that doesn't translate," Khachatourian said.
Khachatourian noted Duane Morris' choice to add her as the face of the office sends a strong message that they have someone familiar with the market "to really be the eyes and ears on the ground."
Soroko agreed Silicon Valley can be a tough market to crack. The firm had been looking for the right opportunity for some time, he said.
In the meantime, Duane Morris has been focusing its growth efforts, in part, outside of the United States. The firm has increasingly grown in Singapore. While Soroko said there are no immediate plans for new offices in that region, Duane Morris is "very keen" on looking at that part of Southeast Asia for new growth opportunities in the future.
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