Morrison & Foerster Opens Austin Office, Further Expanding Leading Technology, Life Sciences, and Healthcare Offering

AUSTIN (March 7, 2022) – Morrison & Foerster, a leading global law firm, is pleased to announce that it has opened an office in Austin to further expand its premier technology, life sciences, and healthcare capabilities, and to strengthen its market-leading IP Litigation, and Corporate and Emerging Companies + Venture Capital (ECVC) practices. Morrison & Foerster’s initial expansion in Austin includes four partners. The office is the firm’s 17th office globally and its first in Texas. Further additions to the Austin office are anticipated in the weeks and months ahead.

“Austin is compelling to Morrison & Foerster’s strategy,” said Larren M. Nashelsky, Chair of Morrison & Foerster. “It is a natural extension and synergy for the firm to open an office in Austin—a hub for innovation, technology, life sciences, and emerging companies. Many of our key clients have been growing rapidly in Texas in recent years and we anticipate this trend will accelerate. We know tech and life sciences inside and out—we work for virtually all of the biggest technology companies in the world and half of the top 20 life sciences companies globally. Our market-leading knowledge of these sectors and our deep roots in Silicon Valley position us for success in Silicon Hills. So does the outstanding group of partners joining us in Austin, who bring a combined 60 years of experience in the Austin market to the firm. We’re delighted that they have chosen MoFo and thrilled to offer them a premier platform to grow their practices not just in the U.S. but globally. We are excited about what we can bring to Austin and what Austin will bring to our platform.”

The firm’s Austin office will focus on providing companies, including emerging growth companies, and investors in the technology, life sciences, and healthcare sectors, access to a full-service platform and global network, with an initial focus on IP litigation and transactional matters. As part of the opening, Brian C. Nash and Aaron G. Fountain join the firm’s IP Litigation Group, and Steve Tyndall joins the Corporate and Emerging Companies + Venture Capital Groups.

Brian C. Nash joins from a leading firm where he was an IP litigation partner and head of the Texas IP practice. Mr. Nash is an experienced trial and appellate attorney, having represented clients in over 220 complex commercial litigation cases involving intellectual property and technology in U.S. District Courts, the Federal Circuit, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and the International Trade Commission. He is a registered patent attorney with an engineering degree who handles disputes across a wide range of technical fields, and he is a recognized leader in the Western District of Texas, where he has handled over 80 cases and held numerous leadership roles in the Austin legal community.

Aaron G. Fountain joins from another leading firm, where he was an IP litigation partner. His practice focuses on strategic patent trials and appeals, usually in the context of competitor-on-competitor cases. Mr. Fountain has extensive experience representing clients as lead counsel in patent infringement matters in the Western and Eastern Districts of Texas, the District of Delaware, the International Trade Commission, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. He has also coordinated international patent infringement disputes involving cases across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

“Opening an office in Austin with a strong focus on IP Litigation is a transformational milestone for Morrison & Foerster,” said Bradley D. Wine, Global Co-Chair of Morrison & Foerster’s Litigation Department, who will be relocating to Austin and serving as managing partner for the office. “The Western District of Texas has become a prominent venue for IP litigation case filings, particularly patent litigation, involving many of our clients. Welcoming Brian and Aaron—two outstanding IP litigators who are well-known and well-respected in the Texas legal community—will add tremendous value to our clients on their most complex matters.”

Corporate partner Steve Tyndall brings extensive experience advising clients in diverse industries, including technology, life sciences, medical device, and healthcare technology. Mr. Tyndall joins from another leading firm where he was a partner together with Mr. Nash. He represents companies, including emerging companies, throughout their lifecycle, from formation to capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, and into the public capital markets. He also represents venture capital investors.

“Austin is a key market for our corporate clients and there is no doubt the city will continue to attract start-ups and venture capital funding in coming years,” said Eric McCrath, Global Co-Chair of Morrison & Foerster’s Corporate Department. “Welcoming Steve to the firm underscores the continued strategic expansion of the firm’s market-leading Emerging Companies + Venture Capital Group at a time of increasing demand from start-ups, emerging growth companies, and venture capital firms in a variety of cutting-edge sectors. His arrival in Austin closely follows the high-profile additions of Michael Glaser, Mike LaPlante, and Paul Navarro on the West Coast. Morrison & Foerster has added 12 ECVC partners in recent years, who were either promoted to partner or joined as lateral partners, to meet the growing needs of our clients in key technology and life sciences hubs around the globe.”

Mr. Nash, Mr. Fountain, and Mr. Tyndall are admitted to practice in Texas. Mr. Wine is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia.*

*He is not yet admitted in Texas.