Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner has acquired the 12-lawyer Seattle litigation boutique Harrigan Leyh Farmer & Thomsen, the Am Law 100 firm announced Tuesday, as part of a long-term strategy to build out a Seattle office that also includes business transactions and real estate practices.

For BCLP, the latest acquisition is tied to the firm’s initial interest in Seattle: litigation. Having already worked with local litigators such as those at Harrigan Leyh, global litigation and investigations department leader Lee Marshall said he saw an opportunity to capitalize on a litigation-focused market cycle and the city’s growth as a disputes hub.