In a move that shows a growing trend among firms to bolster their in-house appellate divisions by recruiting marquee talent, McDermott, Will & Emery has announced that Rory Little, a well-known Hastings College of the Law professor, will join its Palo Alto, Calif., office.

“He’s a pre-eminent talent in the appellate world,” said Jeffrey Stone, head of the firm’s trial department in Chicago, who spent months trying to persuade Little to come aboard.