Morrison Foerster Opens Seattle Office, Welcomes 15 Litigation Partners, and Establishes Market-Leading Presence in the Pacific Northwest

(February 5, 2026) – Morrison Foerster, a leading global law firm, is pleased to announce that it has opened an office in Seattle, a significant expansion that establishes a presence in one of the nation’s most important innovation markets. The firm will welcome 15 partners, most resident in our Seattle office. The Seattle group will provide immediate depth and scale across the firm’s trial, complex litigation, product liability, and regulatory practices, and its technology and AI industry groups. The office is the firm’s 19th globally.

“Seattle represents a critical market for technology and regulated industries, areas that are well aligned with our core capabilities and areas of strategic growth,” said Eric McCrath, Chair of Morrison Foerster. “Given our deep tech roots, Seattle has been an important market for the firm for years, and the timing was right for us to get boots on the ground in one of the most active tech hubs in the world. To anchor the office, we are thrilled to welcome an exceptional group of litigation partners, including Brendan Murphy and David Perez. This group brings strong local and national connections and established client relationships, with synergies across our global platform, and reinforces MoFo’s position as a worldwide technology and innovation market leader.”

A seasoned team of trial lawyers joins Murphy and Perez, including Zachary Davison, Mallory Gitt, Ray Hartman (based in San Diego), Laura Hill, Megan Houlihan, Michelle Maley, Christian Marcelo, Tara McGrath (based in San Diego), Matthew Mertens,* Gregory Miller, Jillian Sommers,* Jacob Speckhard (based in San Diego), and Eric Weiss.

A cornerstone of the Seattle office will be its market-leading litigation practitioners, whose experience spans product liability and mass tort capabilities, nationwide consumer class actions, cross-border disputes, constitutional issues, business torts, real estate litigation, and other high-stakes disputes. The team represents many of the leading companies in the Pacific Northwest, especially in technology, manufacturing, retail, real estate, and life sciences.

“This move creates a unique opportunity to build a truly integrated trial and litigation platform in the Pacific Northwest,” said Perez. “Morrison Foerster’s collaborative culture and global reach give us the ability to handle the most complex disputes our clients face anywhere in the country or the world, while expanding our presence in a market that sits at the center of technology, commerce, and innovation.”

“A number of the most consequential product liability and consumer litigation issues facing technology companies today are being shaped in this region,” said Murphy. “Morrison Foerster offers the scale, integration, and strategic focus that allow us to deliver exceptional results for clients while expanding the reach and impact of our practice.”

“With the opening of the Seattle office, Morrison Foerster continues its disciplined approach to growth—investing in key markets, adding high-caliber talent, and strengthening its ability to serve clients wherever innovation and business intersect,” said Michael Glaser,* West Coast Head of the firm’s Emerging Companies + Venture Capital practice and Managing Partner of the Seattle office. “MoFo is a storied tech firm with deep ties to the Bay Area, so it was a natural step for us to move into the Pacific Northwest and establish ourselves in Seattle, a city that is synonymous for technology and future-focused businesses.”

*Glaser, Mertens, and Sommers are not admitted in Washington; admission by motion pending.