Unequaled opportunities for professional and personal growth.

THE RIGHT FIRM
Lateral partner teams come to Baker & Hostetler to expand
their practice and the services they can offer to clients.
John Weber and 28 other
attorneys and staff from his IP
firm joined Baker & Hostetler.
After practicing intellectual
property law for 20 years,
mainly in “boutique” firms,
Weber had the feeling that
something was missing from his
practice.
He didn’t want to change the focus of
his practice; he wanted to be able to offer
his clients representation in other areas,
such as antitrust and labor.
“All we could do was intellectual
property and we were passing up a lot of
opportunities,” Weber said.
The lateral additions instantly fortified
the Baker & Hostetler Intellectual Property
practice, which now counsels clients in
patent prosecution and litigation. The
expansion has had a positive effect on the
attorneys.
“Lateral hires bring work to a firm and
thus more opportunity,” Weber said.
John H. Weber
Intellectual Property
Washington, D.C., Office
Nancy L. Patterson
Employment and Labor
Houston Office
Nancy Patterson and three
associates joined the Houston
office after an intensive search
to find a firm that would be a
good fit.
“Baker & Hostetler had a well-established
Employment and Labor practice and
an aggressive growth strategy, which included
hiring laterals,” Patterson said.
“A lot of firms are content with their institutional
clients and don’t see the need to hire
as many laterals, who bring in new business.”
Patterson, who is included in the 2003-
2004 edition of The Best Lawyers in America,
is a solid supporter of lateral hiring because
it generates new work and greater opportunity
for young lawyers. With the addition of
Patterson and the other associates, the firm’s
Houston office is now recognized as having
one of the top groups of employment and
labor attorneys in the city and the state.
“Large companies will only hire firms
with a national presence and practice,”
Patterson said. “Firms that want to reach
that status not only grow their talent, but also
bring in experienced talent.”
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