ASIA-PACIFIC

MaxVal opens new office in India
Silicon Valley-based IP services provider MaxVal has opened a new office in Noida, India, and appointed former CPA Global Vice President Paula Stone as Vice President of its IP renewals business. Earlier this year, the company teamed up with Baker McKenzie to provide IP technology solutions to clients.


IP Star joins King & Wood Mallesons
King & Wood Mallesons Australia welcomed Kate Hay as a partner in its IP practice. Hay specialises in IP litigation. She was previously with Corrs Chambers Westgarth.

 

Two Chinese law firms merge

Beijing Docvit Law Firm and Beijing Dachi Law Firm merged in February 2022. Beijing Dachi Law Firm has an IP practice, and Liu Yue and Zhang Jingjing are partners in the firm who deal with IP work.

 

Han Kun expands its Shanghai office

Han Kun Law Offices added Shanghai-based boutique law firm Young-Ben to its business. The merger, which expands the firm's Shanghai office, was announced earlier this year.



EUROPE

Haseltine Lake Kempner appoints new CEO
Haseltine Lake Kempner has appointed Lambert as its new CEO, effective from March 1. Prior to his promotion, Lambert was the firm’s COO and has been with the firm for 11 years.


HGF strengthens patent team in Ireland
HGF recruited Rosi Armstrong and Marie Walsh as Patent Directors to strengthen its operations in Ireland. The firm also brought in Cassie Smith from the Manchester office to support the team.
 

Brækhus announces new IP lawyer
Norwegian law firm Brækhus announced that trade mark lawyer Ida Marie Daae will join the firm on April 1. Daee will be joining from Protector IP.
 

Lewis Silkin expands in Northern Ireland
Lewin Silkin has expanded its business in Northern Ireland by acquiring IP/TMT boutique Forde Campbell. Founding directors Matthew Forde and Rory Campbell joined as partners. Forde specialises in soft IP disputes while Campbell advises on IP/IT transactions.

Veteran IP litigator returns to private practice
CMS has further strengthened its UK IP practice with the appointment of IP litigator Mark Shillito as a partner. Shillito spent more than 30 years at Herbert Smith Freehills, where he led the firm’s global IP group for over nine years and the UK/US disputes practice for six years. He left the firm in April 2021 and set up his own consultancy (markshillito.com).


A new IP boutique in Paris
IP lawyer Marie-Gabrielle Plasseraud has launched an IP boutique called Marie-Gabrielle Plasseraud Avocats. Plasseraud has worked for firms such as De Gaulle Fleurance & Associés and EGYP (now Plasseraud IP).
 
 
IP developments in Ukraine
Ganna Prokhorova and Oleksandr Mamunya of Mamunya IP published a newsletter explaining how the war in Ukraine has affected activities at the Ukrainian Patent and Trademark Office (UAPTO), Customs service and the courts. Read the summary here.
 



AMERICAS

Allen & Overy invests in US IP practice
Allen & Overy has hired five life sciences IP lawyers from Goodwin Procter: Elizabeth Holland, Bill James, John Bennett, Nicholas Mitrokostas and Daniel Margolis. Holland will lead the firm’s US life sciences practice. The firm also welcomed technology patent litigator Lisa Nguyen as a partner in its Silicon Valley office. Nguyen was previously with Latham & Watkins.
 
Last year, the firm hired a team of IP/technology lawyers from White & Case; the team comprises Shamita Etienne-Cummings, Bijal Vakil, David Tennant, Noah Brumfield, Eric Lancaster, Adam Chernichaw, Daren Orzechowski, and Alex Touma. These appointments show Allen & Overy sees IP as a key part of its business in the US.


Yitai Hu joins Norton Rose Fulbright
IP and technology litigator Yitai Hu has joined Norton Rose Fulbright’s San Francisco office as partner. Hu joined from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.


Perkins Coie gets new partner
James Go has joined Perkins Coie’s Seattle office as partner. Go deals with patent protection work in the fields of electrical and computer engineering. He was previously with Christensen O’Connor Johnson Kindness.

Willkie Farr & Gallagher hires new IP partner
IP litigator Barrington Dyer has joined Willkie Farr & Gallagher as a partner in its San Francisco office. Barrington was previously a principal at Polsinelli.
 
 

More firm news and people moves

Read our previous coverage here.