Goodwin Procter has continued its hiring spree this month with the addition of three corporate partners to its technology practice in Santa Monica.

Chris Shoff, David Ajalat and David Pendergast join from Latham & Watkins, bringing with them experience representing emerging-growth companies and venture capital firms. Their expertise spans company formation and structuring, general corporate counselling, governance and compliance, financing and M&A. 

Anthony McCusker, co-chair of Goodwin’s technology practice, said: “Los Angeles is the third largest venture capital market in the US following Northern California and New York. As technology continues to dominate the economy, adding the combined skillsets of Chris, David and David will be an immediate benefit to our clients.”

Shoff spent close to six years at Latham where he was a partner and co-chair of its LA corporate practice. Prior to that he was a founding partner of Cooley’s LA office, after earlier stints at DLA Piper and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. 

Ajalat also spent close to six years at Latham, following Shoff from Cooley where he spent just under two years. He previously worked at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman and legacy firm Sedgwick.

Pendergast, meantime, had been at Latham for just over three years, having previously worked in-house for companies including Virgin’s Hyperloop One and Highway1 where he was assistant GC and head of legal respectively. He was also co-founder of transportation startup Arrivo and VP for corporate development and legal affairs at PCH International.

The trio’s arrival follows the hiring earlier this month of two private equity partners in Washington DC and Santa Monica. Andrew Kimball joined the firm in DC from Kirkland & Ellis, while Andrew Cheng joined on the West Coast from Gibson Dunn. 

Other firms have been bolstering their West Coast coverage this month. UK Magic Circle firm Allen & Overy hired corporate partner Jesse Debban in Silicon Valley from Farella Braun + Martel, while Hogan Lovells named Jane Ross as the new head of its Silicon Valley office. Norton Rose Fulbright also boosted its US West Coast projects team with the arrival of renewable energy partner Elizabeth Sluder from Morrison & Foerster in LA.