Expansion strengthens private client practice on both coasts and Hawaii; bolsters real estate, litigation, and IP expertise in NYC

Nutter announced today a significant expansion in the Firm’s core practice areas, adding a total of 13 new attorneys, five of whom are partners, based in New York, Honolulu, and the San Francisco Bay Area. The increase cements Nutter’s position as one the country’s leading bi-coastal private wealth and estate planning practices and further strengthens Nutter’s real estate and land use, litigation, and intellectual property practices in the metropolitan New York area and nationally.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250804325540/en/

(Left-to-Right): Liam T. O'Connell and Michael E. Scott, co-managing partners of Nutter.

The partners joining Nutter are:

• David W. Baer, California
• John A. Hartog, California
• John K. Matsumoto, Hawaii
• Jon C. Popin, New York
• James S. Trainor, New York

Based in Orinda, Calif., the attorneys and staff of Hartog Baer, APC, have joined Nutter’s Private Client and Litigation Departments. Hartog Baer is a full-service trusts and estates law firm with a complementary fiduciary and probate litigation practice. The nine attorneys joining Nutter include partners Hartog and Baer, and associates and of counsel Kevin P. O’Brien, Christopher D. Jew, Anthony G. Matricciani, Mary T. Nguyen, Amanda E. Sherwood, David Yu, and Ana M. Allec, and their team. The attorneys will continue to operate out of their current Orinda office.

Honolulu-based Matsumoto joins Nutter as a partner in the Private Client Department, reinforcing Nutter’s national reach and ability to serve wealthy individuals and successful business and real estate owners in Hawaii. The combination of Hartog Baer’s California practice and Matsumoto’s Pacific presence strengthens Nutter’s nationally recognized Private Client Department, which this year was awarded a Band 1 ranking by Chambers and Partners.

Nutter is also expanding its New York office with the addition of two new partners and one associate, further strengthening several core practice areas. Popin and associate Jordana A. Garellek will bolster the firm’s expertise in land use and real estate development as it continues to advise clients with development projects in NYC and the surrounding metropolitan area. Trainor is an IP litigator focused on life science matters as well as commercial, antitrust, and First Amendment-related litigation. Popin and Garellek join from Duane Morris and Trainor from Fenwick.

Nutter co-managing partner Michael E. Scott said: “As we’ve pursued growth, Nutter continues to be committed to recruiting top-level talent and preserving our culture and commitment to client service. The expansion of these critical practices, in key geographies, aligns with this plan and further positions Nutter as a market leader.”

“As we look ahead, we are confident that our continued growth in strategic and core practice areas will allow us to meet the increasing demand for legal services we are experiencing from our client base, and the opportunity to further assist those clients in pursuing business initiatives,” commented co-managing partner Liam T. O’Connell. “We’re delighted to welcome these talented new colleagues to the firm.”

With this expansion:

• Nutter increases its Private Client Department to 40 attorneys nationwide, cementing its position as one of the largest bi-coastal practices in the country.
• All three of Nutter’s new Manhattan-based attorneys hail from AmLaw 100 firms, reflecting the continued appeal of Nutter’s entrepreneurial and collaborative model. Over the past three years, the firm has welcomed 25 new partners and attorneys - more than half of whom joined from AmLaw 100 firms.

“Joining Nutter was a clear and compelling choice,” said Hartog. “We’re united by a deep commitment to personalized service, outstanding legal counsel, and a culture grounded in respect - for both clients and colleagues.”

Baer added: “We value that Nutter is a firm with national reach and an unwavering focus on client service. We’re excited to join such a highly respected firm and contribute to its full-service Private Client Department.”

“I look forward to partnering with the team to deliver personalized, strategic wealth management solutions that help our clients plan confidently for the future,” said Matsumoto. “Nutter’s individualized approach and deep bench strength of expertise will assist clients in preserving their wealth and achieving their estate planning goals.”

“Nutter’s entrepreneurial spirit, national footprint, and strategic focus on continued growth in the New York real estate market perfectly complements my land use practice and long-established relationships with the city and developers,” said Popin. “I look forward to helping clients navigate land use regulations in New York City with the same vision and impact that Nutter brings to transforming the Boston skyline.”

Trainor stated: “I’m thrilled to be joining Nutter’s litigation team, known for the quality and legal acumen of its legal teams and its impeccable track record of obtaining favorable outcomes for clients. In today’s rapidly evolving marketplace, safeguarding intellectual property is essential, and I look forward to working with clients across the country and globally to protect their ideas and innovations in high stakes IP disputes.”

Nutter’s growth exceeds industry standards in the mid-sized law firm market. According to the Thomson Reuters Institute’s April 2025 report, Midsize law firms at the start of 2025, year-over-year headcount percentage change at midsize law firms averaged 2.7%, compared to 8% by Nutter in 2025 to date.

Clients turn to Nutter's Private Client Department to advise on, prepare for, and implement all aspects of estate planning, estate administration, and trust administration. Nutter’s cross-disciplinary team works closely with clients and advisors to develop personalized strategies to meet each client’s goals and objectives.

Nutter’s Real Estate Department is nationally and regionally recognized for its deep experience across all asset classes and project types. Backed by a Band 1 Chambers ranking, Nutter has a proven track record across the entire development lifecycle - from land acquisition and permitting to financing, construction, and leasing. In 2024 alone, Nutter attorneys advised on more than 330 acquisitions and dispositions, secured approvals for 200+ developments, negotiated 260+ leases, and closed 180+ real estate loans. Nutter’s real estate team provides trusted legal guidance to owners, developers, institutional investors, lenders, and public entities on complex transactions, financing, permitting, land use, and environmental matters. The team has broad experience covering real estate and financing transactions, as well as related entitlement, land use, and environmental matters.

Nutter’s Litigation Department has a proven track record of successfully resolving complex commercial litigation in the real estate, corporate, and banking verticals. Nutter’s Intellectual Property and Litigation Departments earned a Tier 1 ranking from Best Lawyers for both Litigation - Intellectual Property and Patent Law. Additionally, the Boston Business Journal recognized Nutter as one of the largest and most influential IP law firms in Massachusetts - underscoring Nutter’s leadership and unmatched expertise in the field. Nutter’s IP litigation capabilities include major disputes involving patents, trademarks, trade dress, copyrights, and trade secrets. The firm’s litigators bring trial experience, industry expertise, and a strong commitment to providing innovative solutions for clients.

About Nutter

Nutter is a Boston-based law firm that provides legal counsel to industry-leading companies, early stage entrepreneurs, institutions, foundations, families, and individuals across the country and around the world. The firm’s business and finance, intellectual property, litigation, real estate and land use, labor and employment, tax, and trusts and estates practices are national in scope. The firm was co-founded in 1879 by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, before his appointment to the Court. For more information, please visit www.nutter.com and follow the firm on LinkedIn.

7356687.1

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250804325540/en/