Robert J. Guite has joined the San Francisco office of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP as a partner in the firm’s Business Trial practice group. Guite joins from Squire Sanders, where he was hiring partner for that firm’s Northern California offices.

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King & Spalding has recruited veteran intellectual property lawyer Kenneth Steinthal as a partner in its San Francisco office. Steinthal joins King & Spalding from Greenberg Traurig, where he served as head of its San Francisco office, and prior to that, as co-head of Weil, Gotshal & Manges’ IP/media practice. Also joining King & Spalding’s San Francisco IP practice, as counsel, is Joseph R. Wetzel, who practiced with Steinthal at Steinthal’s previous two firms.

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On March 1, the attorneys from the top-tier trial and litigation defense firm of Brown Eassa & McLeod LLP will join Sedgwick LLP. Brown Eassa is a well-known civil defense firm, with a breadth of experience in product liability, class action, commercial litigation, mass tort, labor and employment, and environmental matters. Seven partners and their team of associates will be based in Sedgwick’s San Francisco office, and one partner and one associate will work out of Sedgwick’s Los Angeles office.

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Continuing with its plan for strategic growth, Novak Druce Connolly Bove + Quigg LLP, the IP super boutique, announced that attorney Marcus T. Hall has joined the firm as a partner. He will practice out of the firm’s San Francisco and Los Angeles offices where he will focus on intellectual property litigation and complex commercial litigation.

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Arnold & Porter LLP client PMI Mortgage Insurance Co. (in receivership) recently entered into definitive agreements with Arch Capital Group Ltd. for its U.S.-based subsidiaries, Arch U.S. MI, to acquire CMG Mortgage Insurance Company from PMI and CMFG Life Insurance Company. The agreements also involve the acquisition of PMI’s mortgage insurance information technology operating platform and related assets from PMI. The value of the consideration for these transactions are estimated to be approximately $300 million. Arch U.S. MI will also enter into a services agreement with PMI to provide for necessary services to administer the run-off of PMI’s legacy business at the direction of PMI. An affiliate of Arch U.S. MI will reinsure the run-off of in-force insurance on current, non-delinquent loans included in the primary mortgage insurance originated by PMI for book years 2009-2011.

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Fox Rothschild LLP continues to grow its West Coast offices by welcoming veteran real estate and land use attorney Kenneth A. Kecskes as a partner in the firm’s San Francisco office.

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Cooley LLP announced today that Jamie Leigh has joined the firm’s Business department as a partner and member of the Mergers & Acquisitions group. Leigh, who will be based in Cooley’s San Francisco office, joins the firm from Latham & Watkins where she was a partner in the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions and Public Company Representation practices.

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Winston & Strawn LLP today announced Donald S. Davidson will join the firm’s San Francisco office as partner in the litigation practice. Mr. Davidson was formerly a partner at Bingham McCutchen LLP where he practiced securities litigation and handled a wide range of matters for broker-dealers, investment advisers, and investment companies. He is the fourth attorney to join Winston & Strawn’s West Coast offices in just the last month.

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Cooley LLP announced today that it represented Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. in its offering of $300 million aggregate principal amount of 4.625% Senior Notes due 2023. The notes are Brocade’s senior, unsecured obligations, and interest on the notes is payable semi-annually in cash at a rate of 4.625% per annum beginning July 15, 2013. The Company will use the proceeds of the financing, together with cash on hand, to redeem all of its outstanding 6.625% senior secured notes due 2018.

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Nossaman LLP adds Geoffrey Etnire as a partner in the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group. Mr. Etnire will split his time between the firm’s San Francisco and Washington, DC offices. His move to the firm comes on the heels of the recent additions of real estate partners Tony and Sylvia Arostegui in the Sacramento office and Daniel Katz in the Los Angeles office.

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