The IP STARS research team keeps a close watch on lateral hires, departures, and other developments in firms. Below is a roundup of some of the people moves and firm news in the Americas this year.
UNITED STATES
Jenner & Block hires 2 new IP litigation partners in Washington, DC
Mark Davis and Ronald Pabis joined Jenner & Block as partners in the firm’s Washington, DC office. Both joined from Goodwin Procter. Davis has more than 30 years of experience representing multinational, domestic, and startup companies regarding IP and related international trade, data privacy, unfair competition and antitrust matters. Pabis is a partner in the firm’s patent litigation and counseling practice and is co-chair of ITC practice group.
McKool Smith hires 2 new IP partners in Washington, DC
McKool Smith hired Alan Whitehurst and Nicholas Matich as partners in Washington, DC. Joining from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, Whitehurst is a trial attorney specializing in IP and unfair competition cases. Matich focus on disputes and IP counseling. Prior to joining the firm, he served as Acting General Counsel of the USPTO.
Orrick welcomes new IP partner in California
Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe hired patent attorney Gargi Talukder as a partner in its San Francisco office. Prior to joining the firm, she was a partner at Morgan Lewis & Bockius where she led the IP practice. Talukder is heading Orrick’s life sciences patent strategy and prosecution practice. This move comes after the recent hiring of former Dechert partner David Schulman.
Kilpatrick Townsend strengthens Washington, DC IP practice
Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton hired Aarti Shah as a partner in its Washington, DC office. Shah, who focuses her practice on patent litigation and Section 337 proceedings, joined from Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo.
Ropes & Gray welcomes former USPTO judge in Washington, DC
Philip Hoffmann joined Ropes & Gray as a senior attorney in its Washington, DC IP litigation practice. Hoffmann was previously an Administrative Patent Judge at the USPTO.
Dechert expands its IP team in Massachusetts and California
The firm hired former Lathrop GPM partner Andrew Wilkins in Boston, and former Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner partner Jennifer Swan in Silicon Valley, respectively. Wilkins focuses his practice on patent law relating to biotechnology. Swan focuses her practice on developing, enforcing and defending patent rights.
Akin Gump boosts IP offering in Southern California
Akin Gump recently announced the addition of Paul Tripodi as a partner in the firm’s Irvine office. Tripodi focuses on patent litigation, IP licensing, and trade secret disputes. He brings experience in jury trials and ITC investigations. Tripodi previously practiced at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.
Willkie Farr strengthens tech patent litigation practice
Willkie Farr & Gallagher strengthened its tech patent litigation practice with the addition of Indranil Mukerji and Stephen Marshall, both from Fish & Richardson in Washington, DC. Murkerji is the firm’s new head of tech patent litigation and is a partner in both the litigation and IP groups. Marshall focuses on complex patent litigation and counseling with an emphasis on embedded systems, software, mobile devices and standards.
IP litigation specialist joins Quinn Emanuel in Texas
Commercial and IP litigator Scott Cole left McKool Smith to join as partner in Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan’s newly opened Austin office. He has tried over 25 cases to verdict and has won four nine-figure verdicts and judgments.
K&L Gates boosts its bench with IP hires in Oregon and Tennessee
K&L Gates grew in Portland with the addition of Brenna Legaard and in Nashville with the addition of Gregory Parker, respectively. Legaard joined from Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt where she was the leader of the technology industry group, and Parker joined from Bass Berry & Sims. Both focus their practices on IP litigation and procurement and portfolio management.
Sidley Austin IP litigation partner moves to Baker Botts in California
Theodore Chandler, president of the Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association, recently left Sidley Austin for the Los Angeles office of Baker Botts. He has 20 years of experience in IP litigation, including patent, copyright and trade secret litigation.
Polsinelli partner joins BakerHostetler in both Colorado and California
Patent attorney Timothy Worrall recently joined BakerHostetler as a partner in both the Denver and San Francisco offices. He made the move from Polsinelli, and has experience working with clients on their domestic and international patent portfolios.
Caldwell Cassady gains ex-Baker Botts partner in Texas
Brian Johnston recently joined regional firm Caldwell Cassady as a partner in the Dallas office. Johnston previously practiced at Baker Botts. He focuses on IP litigation and complex commercial litigation.
Greenberg Traurig boosts IP prosecution group in Georgia with hire from Lewis Brisbois
Experienced IP prosecutor Nigamnarayan Acharya joined Greenberg Traurig recently as a partner in the firm’s Atlanta office. Hailing from Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, Acharya focus his IP law practice on patent and trademark matters, with an emphasis on life sciences and pharmaceuticals.
Cadwell Clonts hires patent litigator
Boutique firm Cadwell Clonts & Reeder has recruited Lisa Thomas as a partner in its Houston office. Thomas focuses on IP disputes with an emphasis on complex patent litigation. She was previously at Reed Smith.
Amin Talati picks up patent partner in Illinois
Peter Paredes recently joined Amin Talati Wasserman as a partner in the Chicago office. He made the move from Rosenbaum IP where he was chair of the global patent practice, and is focused on clients in the medical device, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, food and biotechnology industries.
IP attorney joins FisherBroyles in Georgia from Carlton Fields
Steve Sidman recently moved to FisherBroyles’s Atlanta office from Carlton Fields. He is a transactional attorney whose practice focuses on the entertainment, food and beverage and hospitality industries.
Parlatore Law Group welcomes new IP partner in Texas
Parlatore Law Group hired IP attorney Parvathi Kota as a partner in its Dallas office. Prior to joining the firm, she was a solo practitioner. With a background in science, Kota focuses on IP and patent law.
Peele Law Group opens in Indiana
Former Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath partner Amie Peele recently founded a new firm in Indiana. Practice areas include branding and advertising law, IP transactions and dispute resolution.
Haynsworth Sinkler hires new partner from Barnwell Whaley
Haynsworth Sinkler has hired Todd Hess as a partner in the firm’s Charleston office. Hess is an IP attorney with more than a decade of business and industrial IP experience. Prior to joining Haynsworth Sinkler, he was at Barnwell Whaley.
CANADA
Oslers elevates partner in IP group
Ottawa-based attorney Faylene Lunn was recently elevated to the partnership at Osler Hoskin & Harcourt. With an advanced background in biochemistry and molecular biology, Lunn focuses her practice on life sciences patent litigation.
Smart & Biggar grows team in Montreal
IP firm Smart & Biggar added two practitioners in its Montreal location, bringing on Julia Schur as an associate, and Francesca Roy as an articling student. Schur has expertise in trademark, copyright and data privacy law. Roy was previously a member of a copyright organization.
Dentons elevates media attorney to partnership in Toronto
Dentons recently promoted Toronto-based attorney Jayme Alter to partner status. Her practice focuses on advising clients in the film, television and music sectors on negotiations, financing, copyright and other areas.
LATIN AMERICA
Dentons acquires law firms in Bolivia and Ecuador
Global law firm Dentons recently expanded its footprint in South America with the acquisition of Guevara & Gutierrez in Bolivia, and Paz Horowitz Abogados in Ecuador. The Guevara & Gutierrez combination adds capabilities in La Paz in Santa Cruz, supported by a total of 25 new lawyers. Paz Horowitz Abogados adds 30 total lawyers to the firm’s roster, operating out of Quito.
More firm news and people moves
Read our previous roundups: Americas here, EMEA here, and Asia here.
