Two months after longtime Fish & Richardson litigator Katherine Vidal took off to lead Winston & Strawn’s Silicon Valley office, patent litigation partner Michael Rueckheim has followed her to the firm, taking with him two associates.

Rueckheim, who primarily represents technology and pharmaceutical companies, said he had worked closely with Vidal during the past six years. Before joining Winston & Strawn, Rueckheim was based in Fish & Richardson’s Houston office. He said he didn’t think he wanted to leave Texas until he started talking with Vidal about her ambitions for the office she had just taken over in Menlo Park, California.