Barnes & Thornburg LLP, Indianapolis’ largest law firm, has opened an office in Los Angeles, continuing its expansion into other major markets.

The office is staffed by five attorneys from the L.A. office of Washington, D.C.-based Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP and will be led by Akin Gump’s former managing partner of its West Coast location.

The move gives Barnes & Thornburg an established California practice with experience in litigation, labor and employment, as well as the entertainment, media and intellectual property practice areas, managing partner Alan Levin said.

“This highly talented and cohesive group of lawyers, who share our cultural values and have a proven track record in building a successful Los Angeles office, offered us a rare opportunity to expand into the Los Angeles market, which has become a strategic priority of the firm,” he said in a prepared statement.

The Los Angeles office, Barnes & Thornburg’s 12th nationwide, follows the firm’s expansion in recent years into Minneapolis, Atlanta and Columbus, Ohio.

Barnes & Thornburg has roughly 226 lawyers in Indianapolis and about 500 nationwide.