Rutan & Tucker Woos Snell & Wilmer Staff

COSTA MESA —  Rutan & Tucker, a major Orange County law firm that specializes in advice to local governments, said Monday it has lured five local corporate-law experts away from a large regional firm.

Partners Gilbert N. Kruger, Gregg Amber and Larry Cerutti and associates Kent M. Clayton and Cristy G. Lomenzo left Snell & Wilmer’s Irvine office. They are experienced at representing small high-tech companies, a growing part of Orange County’s economy.

The five attorneys were Snell & Wilmer’s entire staff of corporate lawyers in Orange County. Kruger and Amber said they sent out about $2.5 million a year in legal bills. They will increase Rutan & Tucker’s corporate and technology group to 18 lawyers out of a total of about 100 lawyers.

Phoenix-based Snell & Wilmer, which has offices in Salt Lake City and Orange County as well as Arizona, has about 250 lawyers. Kruger and Amber said they believe they will benefit from being able to work closely with the support staff at Rutan & Tucker’s headquarters.