Palo Alto-based Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has added former federal judge Paul Watford to its downtown office.

The hiring is among the latest attorneys the firm has added to its expanding Los Angeles operation.

Watford, who joined this month, is now a partner in the firm’s rapidly growing litigation department.

Watford resigned from the influential Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in May.

“In joining Wilson Sonsini, I will be able to continue working with talented lawyers and professionals in a collaborative culture that places high value on diversity and teamwork,” Watford said in a statement. “I look forward to taking on challenging and engaging matters for the firm’s clients, which include many of the world’s most innovative and dynamic companies.”

Watford was confirmed to the appellate court in 2012, after being nominated by Barack Obama. Prior to that, he was a partner at downtown-based Munger Tolles & Olson.

As a judge, Watford was on the panel for many noteworthy cases, including the opinion he wrote in City of Los Angeles v. Patel declaring that a city ordinance allowing the search of hotel and motel registries without consent or a warrant was unconstitutional. A clerk for Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Watford was reportedly considered by Obama to replace Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court.

“The addition of someone with Judge Watford’s stature is another substantial step forward for our firm’s litigation department and our ongoing expansion in Los Angeles,” Doug Clark, managing partner of Wilson Sonsini, said. “Paul has garnered respect throughout the legal community over the course of his exceptional career, and we know our clients will benefit from his intellect and advice.”

Other recent additions to Wilson Sonsini’s L.A. litigation group include Melissa Mills and Chris Chiou in 2022; Luis Li, Matthew Macdonald, Fred Rowley, Eric Tuttle and Mark Yohalem in 2021; and Victor Jih in 2020.