JD Journal » Georgetown University Law Center

Winston & Strawn Announces a New Partner at its IP Practice

marvins — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 21:56:20 +0000

Winston & Strawn, an international law firm with over 900 lawyers, lured away Michael Murray, a former intellectual property litigator at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy. Murray joined Winston & Strawn’s intellectual property litigation practice, which currently has about 26 lawyers at its New York office and over 140 firmwide. Murray, a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, has been an IP litigator for more than 25 years representing clients on various strategies for developing intellectual property assets, licensing and patentability of technology, patent infringement and enforcement issues.

Michael Elkin, managing partner of Winston’s New York office, said that Murray’s solid experience in the IP practice will bolster the firm’s highly-ranked IP group. “Mike brings enormous talent and high energy to our IP litigation practice. His vast experience understanding complex IP issues, along with his track record of success in the courtroom, will be an immediate asset.”

Jim Hurst, head of Winston’s intellectual property group, affirmed that Murray’s addition will have a big impact on the expansion of the IP practice of the firm. “As our IP practice expands, it will look for the kind of experience and know-how that Mike brings to the table. His abilities are a great fit for the practice and firm, and will allow us to expand our services in a strategic way around the globe.”

Greenberg Traurig Defends Quick Firing of Alleged Thief

joshua — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:00:59 +0000

Greenberg Traurig’s firing of attorney Mark McCombs last week, which came just one day after he was arrested for allegedly stealing $1 million from a client, has raised some questions as to whether the firm may have reacted too quickly to the charges. Well, the answer to that appears to depend on who you ask.

The Chicago Tribune tackled the question in its Tuesday edition. A Georgetown University Law Center ethics professor said in the piece that firms generally offer up one of two reactions: “They either circle the wagons or kick him out,” Michael Frisch told the paper.

The report goes on to cite several examples of how firms have reacted in the past to allegations against a member of its staff.

McComb’s attorney, Michael Gillespie, said Greenberg Traurig seems to have “jumped to conclusions” and that more time would have been prudent. A spokesperson for the firm countered that following its own investigation on Friday afternoon, the firing was “the right course of action.”

McCombs was arrested and charged last week with stealing $1 million from Calumet Park, a suburb of Chicago, by billing for work he never did. He has since been released from custody after posting bail.

McCombs could face a prison sentence of between six and 30 years.

Arnold & Porter Adds 4 Lawyers

Erik Even — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 05:11:21 +0000

Arnold & Porter, the best DC law firm for which to work, has added four lawyers to its stable.

Duane J. Mauney rejoins as a partner in the firm’s product liability practice in Washington DC. He represents consumer products clients in state and federal courts across the country in a wide array of actions, including mass product liability and consumer fraud litigation. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Law.

Lisa Hill Fenning joins the bankruptcy practice as a partner in Los Angeles. Fenning is a fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy, and has been a partner at a major national law firm since 2001. Prior to that, she served as a US bankruptcy judge for the Central District of California. She is a graduate of Yale Law School.

Cynthia D. Mann joins the tax practice in New York. She concentrates her practice on tax planning, specifically the international, federal, state, and local tax aspects of tax-free and taxable acquisitions, sales, and combinations of incorporated and unincorporated entities and their assets; equity and debt restructurings in bankruptcies and insolvencies; hedge and private equity funds and the use of S corporations, trusts, partnership, and limited liability companies. She is a graduate of Harvard Law.

Patricio Grané joins the firm’s international arbitration and international trade groups as counsel, in Washington DC. He focuses his practice in the area of international dispute resolution, with emphasis on international arbitration under investment treaties and the World Trade Organization. He has a JD from the Universidad de Costa Rica, and an LL.M from Georgetown University Law Center, where he is an Adjunct Professor of Law.

Founded in 1946, Arnold & Porter LLP is an international law firm based in Washington DC, which is well known for its trial, corporate, and antitrust work; and for its pro bono commitments and support for progressive causes.

Ropes & Gray Loses 1 Partner to Treasury, Gains Another

Erik Even — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:41:39 +0000

Tax partner Stephen E. Shay is leaving Ropes & Gray to join the US Treasury as deputy assistant secretary for international tax affairs.

Before joining Ropes & Gray in 1987, Shay was international tax counsel for the Treasury.

Meanwhile, Mark Popofsky joins Ropes & Gray in Washington DC as co-head of the antitrust practice group. He was previously chair of the Technology and Competition practice group at Kaye Scholer. Before that, Popofsky was senior counsel to the assistant attorney general in charge of the US Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, where he played a key role in United States v. Microsoft.

Popofsky is an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, and earned his JD at Harvard Law School, where he was executive editor of the Law Review.

Ropes & Gray LLP is a national law firm with offices located in Boston, New York City, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Washington, Chicago, Hong Kong and Tokyo; and a conference center in London. The firm has over 1,000 lawyers worldwide.

Law Firm Hirings & Firings

Erik Even — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 03:00:16 +0000

Recent laterals and layoffs in the legal sector:

Greg L. Berk joins Orange County, California’s Carlton DiSante & Freudenberger as a partner, to chair the new Immigration Practice Group. He joins from Atkinson Andelson in Irvine. Berk is a past Chair of the Orange County Bar Association Immigration Section, and currently serves on their Lawyer Referral Advisory Committee.

Roger D. Winston has been named chair of the real property, trust and estate law section of the American Bar Association. Winston is co-leader of the Planned Communities and Condominiums Group at Ballard Spahr’s Bethesda, Maryland office. His JD is from the University of Maryland School of Law, and his LL.M is from the Georgetown University Law Center.

Mark Costley joins Drinker Biddle as a partner in Washington DC. He was previously a partner with Alston & Bird, where he represented broker-dealers and investment advisers. His JD is from George Mason University.

Obama Picks Union Lawyers for Merit Systems Board

Erik Even — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:16:35 +0000

The Obama administration has tapped two union lawyers for the Merit Systems Protection Board.

Susan Grundmann is nominated for chairperson. She is general counsel to the National Federation of Federal Employees, which represents 100,000 federal workers. She was previously general counsel to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. Her JD is from the Georgetown University Law Center.

Anne Wagner is nominated for vice chairperson. She is general counsel to the Personnel Appeals Board of the Government Accountability Office. She was previously a lawyer for the American Federation of Government Employees. Her JD is from the George Washington University School of Law.

The positions require Senate confirmation.

The Merit Systems Protection Board is an independent quasi-judicial agency established to protect Federal merit systems against partisan political and other prohibited personnel practices and to ensure adequate protection for federal employees against abuses by agency management.

Law Firm Hirings & Firings

Erik Even — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:22:17 +0000

Recent laterals and layoffs in the legal sector:

Stephen Lamb joins Paul Weiss at the firm’s new office in Wilmington, Delaware as a partner in both the corporate and litigation departments. He was a judge with the Delaware Court of Chancery for 12 years. Lamb earned his JD in 1975 from the Georgetown University Law Center.

Patricia Shiu joins the US Department of Labor as director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. She previously spent 25 years with San Francisco’s Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center, where she was vice president for programs. She was also an associate at Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro. Her JD is from the University of San Francisco School of Law.

R. Hewitt Pate joins Chevron as general counsel, from Hunton & Williams where he was head of the global competition group. He was formerly head of the US Department of Justice’s antitrust division. His JD is from the University of Virginia School of Law. Pate clerked for US Supreme Court Justices Lewis F. Powell Jr. and Anthony M. Kennedy.

PCT Law Launches Virginia Office

Erik Even — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:08:07 +0000

PCT Law Group has opened a new office in Alexandria, Virginia, staffed by two new hires.

Angela H. France joins as managing member from Albo & Oblon. She handles litigation and corporate transactions on a wide range of legal disciplines including business contracts, corporate formation, mergers and acquisitions, employment matters, bankruptcy, and creditor’s rights. Her JD is from the George Mason University School of Law.

Kimberly B. Whitehead joins from Dickstein Shapiro as senior counsel. She focuses her practice on intellectual property litigation, licensing, and the acquisition of rights through trademark and patent prosecution. Her JD is from the Georgetown University Law Center.

The Washington, DC-based PCT Law Group PLLC provides legal counsel and representation in the practice areas of corporate, intellectual property, employment and litigation.

Shutts & Bowen Adds Lawyers

Erik Even — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:08:11 +0000

Shutts & Bowen has brought on three new senior lawyers for its West Palm Beach, Florida office.

Hank Jackson joins from Holland & Knight as a partner in the business litigation practice. He received his JD from the University of Arkansas Leflar Law Center.

Raymond Royce also joins from Holland & Knight, as a partner in the real estate and land use practice groups. He will concentrate on land use, development, and real property matters. He received his JD from the University of Florida College of Law.

Lawrence Lataif joins as a senior immigration counsel, representing clients in all aspects of federal immigration law. Before joining Shutts, he was president of Lataif & Associates in Fort Lauderdale. He received his JD and Master of Laws from Georgetown University.

Law Firm Hirings & Firings

Erik Even — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:24:12 +0000

Recent laterals and layoffs in the legal sector:

Stephanie Heilborn joins Fulbright & Jaworski in New York as a partner in its trusts and estates practice. Most recently she was a solo practitioner as Heilborn LLC; and she was an associate at Milbank. Heilborn received her AB cum laude from Harvard University, her M.Sc from The London School of Economics, and her JD from Georgetown University Law Center.

Former Florida assistant attorney general William Haselden joins KamberEdelson as a partner in Tallahassee, to found the firm’s new office there. As an assistant AG he was Section Chief of the CyberFraud Section, which he helped found.

Robert Morad joins Miller Canfield as senior counsel in the Troy, Michigan office. He was previously assistant prosecuting attorney for Oakland County, Michigan, and assistant state attorney for Palm Beach County, Florida. At Miller Canfield he will specialize in criminal and civil defense and litigation. Morad received his JD from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.

Law Firm Hirings & Firings

Erik Even — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:39:51 +0000

Recent laterals and layoffs in the legal sector:

US District Court Judge Bruce Kauffman is stepping down next week, and will join Philadelphia’s Elliott Greenleaf law firm. Kauffman will co-chair the firm’s executive committee. He is a former Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice.

Paul Battaglia joins Williams Kastner in Seattle as of counsel. He handles real estate, leasing, and collections matters. Battaglia earned his JD from the University of Washington School of Law in 1991.

Anthony F. Newton joins Seyfarth Shaw in Houston, from Franklin Cardwell & Jones. He joins as of counsel to Seyfath’s Corporate & Finance Practice Group. He earned his JD cum laude from the University of Houston Law Center, and his LL.M in Taxation from the Georgetown University Law Center.

Law Firm Hirings & Firings

Erik Even — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:03:05 +0000

Recent laterals and layoffs in the legal sector:

Marshall Stoddard joins Dewey & LeBoeuf from Mayer Brown, where he was chair of the global finance practice. He will be the US head of bank & institutional finance, working out of Los Angeles and New York.

Aram Ordubegian joins Arent Fox as a partner in Los Angeles from Richard & Patel, as part of the bankruptcy and financial restructuring group. He got his JD from Loyola Law School in 1996.

Kenneth Johnson joins Chadbourne & Parke as counsel; he was previously chief patent counsel for Credit Suisse Securities. He will focus on procurement, management, and licensing of intellectual property assets at the New York office. His JD is from Georgetown University Law Center.

Chambliss Bahner Brings on Attorneys

Erik Even — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:57:55 +0000

Tennessee’s Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel has brought on two new attorney hires.

Robert M. “Mark” Addison joins as partner from Regions Morgan Keegan Trust. He will focus his practice on estate planning, estate administration and elder law. His JD is from the Wake Forest University School of Law in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Bryson M. Kirksey joins the firm as an associate in the tax & estate planning practice. He has an LL.M from the Georgetown University Law Center, and a JD from the Samford University Cumberland School of Law in Homewood, Alabama.

Chattanooga, Tennessee’s Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel PC practices in areas including labor and employment, intellectual property, health care, business, real estate, taxation, estate preservation and all aspects of litigation. It employs 71 attorneys.

Obama Taps Biglaw Attorneys for Ambassadorships

Erik Even — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:20:09 +0000

The Obama administration has recently tapped three Biglaw bigwigs for ambassadorships.

Howard Gutman, a partner at Williams & Connolly, was nominated to be ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium. He helped raise at least $500,000 for Obama’s campaign. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School.

Last month, Williams & Connolly partner Laurie S. Fulton was chosen to be ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark. She raised $200,000 for Obama. Fulton holds a JD magna cum laude from Georgetown University.

Washington, DC-based Mayer Brown partner Mark Gitenstein was nominated to be ambassador to Romania. He was the early favorite to head the Office of Legal Policy at the Justice Department, until controversy over his past as a lobbyist for the US Chamber of Commerce put him out of the running. Gitenstein was also once a Senate staffer for Vice President Joe Biden. Gitenstein holds a JD from Georgetown University.

Georgetown Law Offers Fellowships, Health Care to Deferred Graduates

Erik Even — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:17:27 +0000

Georgetown University Law Center is offering its deferred 2009 JD grads, and those without offers, the chance of a public interest fellowship. The school is also offering on-campus jobs and health care benefits.

The law school will offer stipends to fund a number of short term, unpaid internships with government agencies or public interest organizations for Fall 2009. Participants will get $3,250 for three months. Priority will go to those who have not secured an offer of post-graduate employment.

Applicants are responsible for securing their own internships.

The school will also offer a number of short-term positions, up to three months, at Georgetown Law itself, starting in the Fall. The positions would include research assistants to faculty, the law library, and Law Center institutes and centers, or working for a Law Center office. Participants will be paid the standard research assistant rate.

Students currently enrolled in the university’s Premier health plan will be covered under the current policy until August. The plan can then be extended for six months to February 2010.

Georgetown University Law Center is Georgetown University’s law school, located in Washington, DC. According to the 2009 rankings by US News & World Report, Georgetown Law is the #14 ranked law school in the nation overall, and is #1 in clinical programs, #4 in environmental law, #4 in trial advocacy, #6 in health care law, #4 in international law, and #2 in tax law.

Clifford Chance Launches Fellowship for 1Ls

Erik Even — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 18:04:22 +0000

Clifford Chance announced today a joint effort with the Georgetown University Law Center to establish the Clifford Chance International Public Interest Summer Fellowship Program.

The Clifford Chance Fellowships will provide 15 first-year Georgetown Law students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds with the opportunity to intern with international non-governmental and governmental organizations in the District of Columbia.

The fellows will be selected from a highly competitive applicant pool by an advisory committee, comprised of two representatives from Clifford Chance, as well as Georgetown University faculty and Georgetown Law Center administrators.

Clifford Chance’s previous projects include the AnBryce Program at the New York University School of Law, and an annual faculty research and lecture series at Columbia University Law School on the topic of diversity within the legal community.

Dewey & LeBoeuf Partner Named RNC Chair

Erik Even — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:47:00 +0000

On Friday, the Republican National Committee elected its first black chairman, former Maryland lieutenant governor and Dewey & LeBoeuf partner Michael Steele.

It’s great how just out of nowhere, and for no particular political purpose, the Republicans chose an African-American. Good work, GOP!

Steele joined LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae in April 2007, prior to the firm’s merger with Dewey Ballantine. He practices out of the Dewey & LeBoeuf’s Washington, DC office, focusing on corporate securities, government relations, and international affairs work with an emphasis on Africa.

He received his Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1991.

New York’s Dewey & LeBoeuf is a white shoe law firm with 24 offices in 14 countries, and over 1,400 lawyers.

Ballard Spahr Trademark Group Decamps to Steptoe

Erik Even — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:49:23 +0000

A seven-attorney trademark group from the Washington office of Philadelphia’s Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll has defected to Steptoe & Johnson, joining the latter’s intellectual property practice.

The group, led by Brian Winterfeldt, will be joined by four paralegals and additional support staff. In addition to Winterfeldt, the group includes of counsel Stacey J. Johnson; special counsel Geoffrey M. McNutt; and associates Bryce D. Coughlin, Ahsen M. Khan, James J. Mercurio and Megan K. Whitney.

Winterfeldt’s practice includes trademark prosecution, counseling and product clearance matters, as well as matters involving Internet domain name and trademark enforcement.He is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center.

Johnson is a graduate of DePaul University College of Law. She concentrates her practice in domestic and international trademark clearance, counseling, prosecution and enforcement.

McNutt, a graduate of George Mason University School of Law, focuses his practice on trademark law and trade dress, copyright and unfair competition, with an emphasis on trademark enforcement, litigation, clearance, prosecution, licensing, transactions and related counseling.

Steptoe & Johnson LLP is a Washington-based law firm with over 450 attorneys working out of eight offices around the world. It was founded in 1913 in West Virginia.

Clifford Chance Partners with Georgetown for Fellowships

Erik Even — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:54:11 +0000

Clifford Chance has partnered with the Georgetown University Law Center to establish the Clifford Chance International Public Interest Summer Fellowship Program.

The Clifford Chance Fellowships are committed to providing outstanding JD students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds with the ability to serve others in the international community.

The first class of Fellows will be chosen this spring.

The fellowships will be offered to 15 first-year Georgetown Law students, selected through a competitive application process, who will undertake unpaid summer internships with international non-governmental and governmental organizations. The program will be overseen by an Advisory Committee, which will be comprised of Law Center administrators and Georgetown faculty, as well as two representatives of Clifford Chance.

In 2006, Clifford Chance became the first law firm to partner with New York University School of Law on its ground-breaking An-Bryce Program, which provides full scholarships to disadvantaged JD students who are the first in their immediate family to pursue a graduate degree. In addition, the firm is supporting an annual faculty research and lecture series at Columbia University Law School on the study of diversity and its implications within the legal community.