Darby snares MoFo tech expert to head DC

East Coast IP firm Darby & Darby has swooped on West Coast rival Morrison & Foerster (MoFo) to hire the firm's nanotechnology practice co-head Raj Davé.

Davé joins Darby as managing partner in Washington DC, moving from MoFo's office in Northern Virginia.

Davé is the firm's first partner in DC, where the firm launched an office last year.

Darby managing partner Andrew Baum said: "This is a new office for us and we're likely to be expanding it in the near future."

Davé's practice is wide-ranging, covering biotechnology, nanotechnology, fuel cells and even holographic recording technology.

Davé will bring clients such as hard disk manufacturer SeaGate and microchip manufacturer Intel to Darby .

Last year also saw the launch of Darby's first European office in Frankfurt.