K&L Gates loses IP partner to UK tech boutique Kemp Little

Halford-Harrison joins from the London office of the US firm, where she was a partner for five years. Her appointment is effective from 14 February.

Halford-Harrison praised the “expertise” of Kemp Little and its “cutting-edge” list of clients in an email statement sent to The Lawyer. The £8.9m firm’s clients are understood to include Accenture, eBay, Expedia, Financial Times, Google and Microsoft.

“This is a really exciting time for our team as companies in these tougher times become even more aware of the need to protect and exploit their IP more effectively,” said Paul Garland, head of IP and litigation at Kemp Little. “Rebecca’s arrival takes us to the next level in terms of the size and complexity of IP and technology related disputes we can handle for our clients.”

The technology boutique has enjoyed consistent revenue growth in the past three years, with turnover climbing from £6.8m in 2009/10 to £8.9m in the last financial year.

US firm K&L Gates has also spent the last few years in growth mode, merging with Australian firm Middletons in January (4 December 2012).