Foley Continues Strategic Expansion in California with Addition of Four Partners, Enhancing Corporate and Intellectual Property Capabilities

Their arrival supports rising demand in the firm’s Innovative Technology and Health Care & Life Sciences Sectors and builds on multiyear growth across Foley’s five California offices

Foley & Lardner LLP announced today the expansion of its California platform with the addition of four partners to its San Diego, San Francisco, and Silicon Valley offices. Matt Browne, Darby Chan, Sanjeet “Sanj” Dutta, and Peter Stockburger join the firm’s Corporate and Intellectual Property Departments, bringing extensive experience advising clients across a wide range of industries and legal disciplines. Their arrival enhances Foley’s capabilities in its Innovative Technology and Health Care & Life Sciences Sectors, key areas of sustained client demand and a central pillar of the firm’s long‑term growth strategy.

Collectively, the four partners add significant depth across emerging technologies, health care and life sciences, complex transactions, and advanced intellectual property matters. Their combined experience spans artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, and data-driven technologies, semiconductor and engineering‑based innovation, digital health and diagnostics, venture financings and M&A, and high-stakes patent and PTAB matters.

“California is one of the most dynamic and competitive legal markets in the country, and we have been deliberate about strengthening our position here,” said Daljit Doogal, Foley chairman and CEO. “Matt, Darby, Sanj, and Peter each bring broad experience and strong sector alignment that further enhances our capabilities across core areas driving the state’s innovation economy, including next‑generation technologies and health care and life sciences. We are thrilled to welcome this outstanding group of partners to Foley.”

Over the past two years, Foley has expanded significantly in California, adding 17 partners and 43 additional attorneys, underscoring the firm’s investment in the region and the momentum of its growing platform. As the firm marks the 30th anniversaries of four of its five California offices this month — Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, and San Francisco — the arrival of these four partners further highlights Foley’s longstanding presence on the West Coast and its ongoing commitment to serving innovative, high-growth industries.

“This is a significant period of growth for Foley in California and across our national platform,” Doogal added. “By investing deliberately in the markets and sectors where our clients are innovating most rapidly, we are building momentum and aligning our capabilities with the evolving needs of clients nationwide. The arrival of these partners further strengthens our platform and advances the strategic priorities guiding the firm’s growth.”

Additional attorney arrivals in California are anticipated in the coming months as the firm continues executing its strategic priorities across the state.

Matt Browne — Transactions Practice Group, San Diego

Browne, who joins from Cooley, brings extensive experience advising emerging growth, late‑stage private, and public companies on corporate formation and governance, financings, M&A, SPAC transactions, securities matters, and public offerings. He works with management teams across industries such as software, cybersecurity, semiconductors, digital health, medical devices, biotech, financial services, and consumer products. Browne also guides clients on commercial agreements, strategic collaborations, and compensation issues throughout the full growth lifecycle.

Peter Stockburger — Technology Transactions, Cybersecurity, and Privacy Practice Group, San Diego

Stockburger, former managing partner of Dentons’ San Diego office and head of its U.S. AI, Global Autonomous Vehicles, and Privacy and Cybersecurity Teams, advises global companies on legal and regulatory issues involving artificial intelligence, data privacy, cybersecurity, autonomous systems, and emerging technologies. His practice includes developing AI governance frameworks, negotiating complex technology agreements, building privacy and security programs, conducting risk assessments, and guiding clients through regulatory inquiries, litigation, and cyber incidents.

Darby Chan — Mechanical & Electromechanical Technologies Practice Group, San Francisco

Chan, previously with Wilson Sonsini, focuses on patent prosecution and counseling in the health care and life sciences sectors, particularly at the intersection of engineering and medicine. His experience includes building patent portfolios, developing global filing strategies, conducting freedom‑to‑operate analyses, and supporting IP diligence for financings and acquisitions. Chan has advised on technologies spanning biomedical imaging, robotic surgery, neurotechnology, diagnostics, digital health, therapeutic devices, drug-device combinations, research tools, and biomedical instrumentation, and has served as patent counsel on transactions exceeding $2 billion since 2021.

Sanjeet “Sanj” Dutta — Electronics Practice Group, Silicon Valley

Joining from Goodwin, Dutta brings deep experience guiding technology‑focused companies on patent strategy, portfolio development, and IP matters involving AI, semiconductors, robotics, and advanced computing. He represents clients in patent litigation and trade secret disputes across federal courts, ITC proceedings, and PTAB matters, including inter partes and ex parte reexaminations. Dutta also advises on IP aspects of venture financings and strategic acquisitions.

About Foley & Lardner LLP

Foley & Lardner LLP is a preeminent law firm that stands at the nexus of the Energy & Infrastructure, Health Care & Life Sciences, Innovative Technology, and Manufacturing Sectors. We look beyond the law to focus on the constantly evolving demands facing our clients and act as trusted business advisors to deliver creative, practical, and effective solutions. Our 1,100 lawyers across 27 offices worldwide partner on the full range of engagements from corporate counsel to intellectual property work and litigation support, providing our clients with a one-team solution to all their needs. For nearly two centuries, Foley has maintained its commitment to the highest level of innovative legal services and to the stewardship of our people, firm, clients, and the communities we serve.