Beyond that, however, the story of California law firms’ expansion into New York is, to a large degree, a familiar tale of two other cities.

While both Los Angeles and San Francisco firms have targeted New York for growth, their competitive positions in the New York market reflect their experiences in the West. Generally speaking, the major Los Angeles firms are well-entrenched New York players; the San Francisco firms are newer entrants with big ambitions fueled by the massive tech boom.