We’ve been writing so many “please welcome star writer” posts lately that we’re having to work hard to think of new versions of that headline. But that’s the only painful part of this one, as we’re very excited to announce that pro blogger Ryan Lawler will be joining the team on Monday.

You might know him for his work over last five years covering various media, telecom, online video, and — as he made his way from New York to San Francisco with GigaOM — startups.

The TechCrunch staff has gotten know him over the years as we’ve competed for stories while at various publications, and as we’ve all gotten free drinks together at various press events. We’re excited to have him working out of our SF headquarters, helping us to continue our overcoverage of startups, Silicon Valley, tech’s intersection with the media world, and whatever else it is that we feel like publishing.

[Image from I-don't-know-where via Matt Galligan.]

Article courtesy of TechCrunch