After eight years, the downtown location of Atlanta-based law firm King & Spalding has a new managing partner.
Litigation partner Arwen Johnson now heads the local King & Spalding office. She succeeds Peter Strotz, who first launched the outpost in 2017 and had led it since.
Having started with 10 attorneys, the office has grown steadily throughout the years to 65. Among the more recent laterals is Paul Watford, a one-time appointment by former President Barack Obama to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Watford joined King & Spalding as a business litigator from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.
“I am excited about King & Spalding’s trajectory in Los Angeles and California,” Johnson said in a statement. “Our incredible growth over the past several years reflects our collaborative culture and dedication to our clients. It’s inspiring and humbling to lead our Los Angeles office, which is known for its first-rate trial attorneys across local, national and global industries.”
Holding steady
With a heavy focus on litigation matters, King & Spalding has been among the most patient holdouts of law offices in downtown, even amid the continuing flight to marquee Century City high-rises. The firm renewed its 36,544-square-foot office at 633 W. Fifth St. in 2023. Strotz at the time cited the location’s proximity to the courthouses as a factor.
Strotz, who led the office for eight years rather than the firm’s customary five, will continue with his product liability defense practice, where he recently secured a victory for stone countertop maker Caesarstone.
Johnson, who holds specialties in employment, entertainment and a variety of other industries in vogue right now, has been busy this year. She secured a defense victory for Buena Vista Home Entertainment in a copyright dispute involving Walt Disney Co.’s “Moana” in March, and the Daily Journal named her in April as a top California intellectual property attorney.
