JD Journal » intellectual property firm

Kilpatrick Stockton to Merge with IP Firm Townsend and Townsend

joshua — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:02:05 +0000

Kilpatrick Stockton and intellectual property firm Townsend and Townsend and Crew have agreed to merge, effective Jan. 1. The combined firm, to be known as Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, will encompass 650 attorneys in 17 offices.

Bill Dorris of Kilpatrick Stockton will serve as chair of the combined firm’s. Diane Prucino of Kilpatrick Stockton and Maureen Sheehy of Townsend will serve as the firm’s co-managing partners.

“The leadership at Kilpatrick Townsend is excited about bringing these two premier firms together to create one of the world’s leading, multi-practice law firms,” Sheehy said. “Townsend is a renowned marketplace leader in its core strength of intellectual property and will enhance Kilpatrick Stockton’s already exceptional scope of client services.”

Kilpatrick Townsend will have 17 offices extending into the four corners of the continental United States; Asia; and Europe, including: Atlanta, GA; Augusta, GA; Charlotte, NC; Denver, CO; New York, NY; Oakland, CA; Palo Alto, CA; Raleigh, NC; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA; Walnut Creek, CA; Washington, DC; Winston-Salem, NC; Dubai; Stockholm; and Tokyo.

“Because both firms have known each other for years and share a dedication to offering excellent service, clients will see a seamless transition as our two notable firms become one,” Prucino said. “Both firms highly value client service and are committed to making a difference in the 17 communities they serve – from pro bono to volunteerism. That makes me particularly proud.”

The merger with Townsend comes one month after Kilpatrick Stockton announced its merger with Oakland-based construction firm Bell, Rosenberg & Hughes.

New Chief For Brooks Kushman Trademark Group

eric — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 18:52:47 +0000

PRNewswire: Brooks Kushman, a firm that specializes in IP practice and commercial law, has selected Mark Sparschu as head of its Trademark Practice group. The firm currently has a 25 member trademark practice which represents clients in a broad spectrum of matters from registration to enforcement, and specializes specifically on cyberspace infringement. Before coming to Brooks in 2009 as a shareholder, Sparschu served as no. 1 trademark lawyer for Ford.

Founded in 1983, Brooks Kushman is an Intellectual Property and commercial law firm based in Southfield, Michigan. In addition to its Michigan office, Brooks has an office in Los Angeles, California. The firm’s 70 lawyers and patent agents provide cutting-edge, timely and cost-effective IP counseling.

Tipster: Fish & Richardson Lays Off Corporate Lawyers [Update]

Erik Even — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:56:30 +0000

According to a JDJournal tipster, intellectual property firm Fish & Richardson, which in January laid off 30 staff members across its eight US offices, “laid off its entire corporate section on Wednesday.”

That’s all we got. If you know anything about stealth layoffs at Fish & Richardson, please — send us a confidential tip!

Founded in 1878, Fish is one of the largest law firms in the world practicing intellectual property, litigation, and corporate law, and has as a legal staff of more than 450 attorneys and 1,200 employees in 12 offices across the globe, including an office in Munich, Germany.

UPDATE

Another tipster says:

This statement is not true. While it is correct that several corporate attorneys have been asked to leave the firm, the firm plans to keep corporate attorneys in the Northeast.

Okay, but who was laid off? How many? Why? Help us out, people!

Tipster: Stealth Layoffs at Sughrue Mion

Erik Even — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:05:06 +0000

A JDJournal tipster says he or she is the latest victim of stealth layoffs at intellectual property firm Sughrue Mion:

I am, perhaps, the latest casualty of Sughrue. It is my belief and understanding [that]:

1.) almost weekly, several people are fired, attorneys and/or staff, which I believe [is] more related to internal issues than economic [ones];

2.) there is a hiring freeze in place;

3.) staff overtime has been slashed, and partners have agreed they will not receive an increase this year due to economic issues.

And I have observed frequent erratic emotional explosions [from] an unnamed senior partner, and that many people are walking on eggshells wondering who, or whether they, will be next to be given their walking papers.

Sughrue Mion PPLC concentrates on the practice of intellectual property law, with offices in Washington DC; Menlo Park, CA; and Tokyo, Japan.

Fish & Richardson Will NOT Cut Associate Pay

Erik Even — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:03:17 +0000

Contrary to early online reports, global intellectual property firm Fish & Richardson has not announced pay cuts.

In fact, at a firmwide video conference earlier today, president Peter Devlin said the firm is not considering cutting their associate salary scale this year. Devlin’s original comments, which may or may not have been misconstrued by associates and blawggers, referred to an effort to move away from lock-step compensation towards a merit-based system.

In May, Fish & Richardson rescinded job offers to one-third of its 2009 incoming associate class, and laid off 35 lawyers and 85 staff.

Founded in 1878, Fish & Richardson is one of the largest in the world practicing intellectual property, litigation, and corporate law, and has as a legal staff of more than 450 attorneys and 1,200 employees in 12 offices across the globe, including an office in Munich, Germany. It opened its 11th US office in Houston in October.

Ladas & Parry Brings on Partners from Schweitzer Cornman

Erik Even — Thu, 28 May 2009 23:46:55 +0000

Ladas & Parry has hired Michael Cornman, Jay Bondell, and Meyer Gross, all former partners at New York intellectual property firm Schweitzer Cornman Gross & Bondell.

Ladas & Parry brought on the IP team as of counsel for its New York office. They bring along associate Elliot Lipins.

Established in New York in 1912, Ladas & Parry LLP is an international intellectual property firm with over 50 attorneys at offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, London and Munich.

Irell & Manella Partners to Found New Firm

Erik Even — Mon, 04 May 2009 20:59:48 +0000

A tipster informs us that three top partners are leaving Southern California’s Irell & Manella, an intellectual property litigation and general business litigation firm, to hang out their own shingle.

The new firm, Kendall Brill & Klieger, consists of Richard B. Kendall, Laura W. Brill, and Robert N. Klieger.

The partners intend to maintain a “strong relationship” with their former firm.

Richard Kendall has been honored by the Century City Bar Association as its “Litigator of the Year.”

Laura Brill, a former law clerk to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, is a recipient of People for the American Way Foundation’s Defenders of Democracy award.

Robert Klieger has been named by Los Angeles Magazine to its Southern California “Super Lawyers” list for five consecutive years.

Townsend and Townsend Lays Off 16 Lawyers, 45 Staff

Erik Even — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:11:22 +0000

San Francisco-based intellectual property firm Townsend and Townsend and Crew has laid off 16 attorneys, 45 staff.

From the memo:

…Townsend today has joined so many other AmLaw 200 firms and implemented a reduction in force. This is the most painful decision any of us has ever had to make at this firm…

As a result, today we have informed sixteen attorneys and forty-five members of our staff that their positions are being eliminated. Individuals in all seven of our U.S. offices are included. All have been offered severance benefits and outplacement services…

Townsend and Townsend and Crew has offices in San Francisco, Walnut Creek, Palo Alto, and San Diego, California; Denver, Seattle, Washington DC and Tokyo.

Day Casebeer Cuts 20% of Lawyers

Erik Even — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:05:46 +0000

The Recorder takes a look at Cupertino, California intellectual property boutique Day Casebeer Madrid & Batchelder, which last fall cut seven associates, nearly 20% of the firm’s lawyers, and two staff. Today, the firm has 27 lawyers.

According to [partner Rusty] Day, those laid off were given two months’ severance and their end-of-the-year bonus, which amounts to about a month’s worth of salary.

Some of the associates were able to quickly land jobs at big firms, being much-desired IP litigators and also getting cut before the tsunami of layoffs in the last two months. (None of the first-years, who had just started, were laid off.)

People still wonder about the effect of the Qualcomm discovery debacle on the firm’s business. Five Day Casebeer lawyers — as well as one from Heller Ehrman — were sanctioned in January 2008, after client Qualcomm failed to turn over crucial documents in a patent fight with Broadcom. Although the sanctions were lifted last year to give the attorneys a chance to tell their side of the story to the court, the final outcome isn’t certain.

Via The Recorder.

Haynes & Boone Absorbs MacPherson Kwok

Erik Even — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:02:54 +0000

Dallas, Texas-based Am Law 200 firm Haynes and Boone is absorbing San Jose, California intellectual property boutique MacPherson, Kwok, Chen & Heid.

MacPherson Kwok , a 21-lawyer firm founded in 2002, is merging into Haynes and Boone, a corporate firm with more than 500 lawyers. The deal gives Haynes its first offices in California, in San Jose and Orange County.

All the MacPherson lawyers, patent agents, technical writers and staff are making the move together. The seven partners are joining Haynes as partners.

The MacPherson Kwok additions would bring Haynes’ IP practice to 70 lawyers.

MacPherson Kwok’s focus was IP and general business litigation, and writing patents and pursuing trademarks for clients such as Cisco, eBay and Samsung.

Haynes’ ultimate goal is to open in San Francisco.

Fish Lays Off 30 Staff in US

Erik Even — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 18:54:15 +0000

Global intellectual property firm Fish & Richardson has laid off 30 staff members across eight US offices.

The workers will be eligible for severance.

Founded in 1878, Fish is one of the largest in the world practicing intellectual property, litigation, and corporate law, and has as a legal staff of more than 450 attorneys and 1,200 employees in 12 offices across the globe, including an office in Munich, Germany. It opened its 11th US office in Houston in October.

The firm has represented some of the greatest inventors of all time – Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, and the Wright brothers. The firm prosecuted many of the fundamental patents of industrial America including the telephone, the air-brake system, the steam turbine, the automobile, and the radio.