JD Journal » Silicon Valley

Cooley LLP Announces Opening of Office in Shanghai, China

rebneely — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:58:38 +0000

Global law firm Cooley LLP announced in recent days that it has opened an office in Shanghai, China.

The opening of the Shanghai office broadens the firm’s market leadership in advising innovative companies and investors in sectors spanning software, hardware and mobile technology, digital and social media, life sciences and clean energy into one of the world’s most dynamic and essential markets.

Joe Conroy, Cooley’s chief executive officer was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “The opportunity to expand Cooley’s footprint into China is extremely exciting given how well our core practices are aligned with the country’s growth areas and how many of our clients are established in China and plan to grow aggressively there. We will bring to bear the full breadth of the firm’s resources and experience in support of our Shanghai office and clients based in China or doing business there.”

Based in Silicon Valley, Cooley attorneys offer specialized insight and experience to companies and investors in high-growth sectors. The firm’s resources and services in China will span venture capital fund formation and investment, capital markets and corporate transactional advice, as well as market-leading experience advising clients in commercial, IP and securities litigation.

Highly experienced Cooley corporate partners Brad Peck and Patrick Loofbourrow, who have relocated from California, will lead the new Shanghai office. Peck, who will head the Shanghai office, specializes in corporate and securities law and focuses his practice on the representation of technology and life science companies ranging from start-ups to publicly held corporations. Loofbourrow concentrates his practice in representing emerging technology and life sciences companies, and venture capital and other firms that invest in such businesses.

Peck was quoted as saying: “We are dedicated to establishing a long-term presence in China and continuing to build the Shanghai office through the addition of talented local attorneys. Given Cooley’s market leadership in advising innovative companies across the United States, we believe we are well positioned to partner with and support our clients in the burgeoning global technology sector.”

For over two decades, Cooley has been advising on China-related matters. In 1989, the firm advised on the formation of the first institutional venture capital fund investing in China. To date, the firm has formed 43 Chinese venture capital and private equity funds for almost 20 fund managers. In addition, Cooley represents various U.S. fund managers with respect to their investing activity in China, including fund managers with sponsored groups and representative offices in China.

Craig Dauchy, head of Cooley’s leading Venture Capital practice was quoted as saying: “Given our robust levels of fund formation activity in China, we anticipate Cooley fund formation attorneys will spend a significant amount of time on the ground there in support of these clients and continuing to expand our presence in that market.”

Cooley has over 650 attorneys in full service offices across the United States and in Shanghai, China. The firm represents clients in a wide range of dynamic industry sectors, including technology, life sciences, venture capital, clean energy, real estate and retail.

Leading Patent Litigator Joins Sheppard Mullin as Co-Chair of IP Practice Group

rebneely — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 01:01:13 +0000

Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP recently announced that Nagendra “Nick” Setty joined the firm as co-chair of the firm’s 70 attorney IP practice group. He will work out of the firm’s Palo Alto and San Francisco offices.

Setty joins from Fish & Richardson. There, he founded and was managing principal of its Atlanta office and resided part-time in its Silicon Valley office. He follows Stephen S. Korniczky, co-chair of Sheppard Mullin’s IP practice, who joined

last year from Paul Hastings, where he was global chair of its IP practice group.

Setty has an international practice representing leading global businesses such as Bank of America, Cipla, Cisco, EchoStar, Landis + Gyr, LG, McKesson, Samsung, Siemens and Verint. He focuses his practice on litigating jury, bench and arbitration trials in patent, trademark, trade secrets, and copyright cases. During the past twenty years, he has served as lead counsel in more than 120 intellectual property cases, which have spanned a broad range of technologies. Setty is a frequent lecturer and author on IP related topics, and is recognized for his IP litigation expertise in Chambers USA.

Guy N. Halgren, chairman of Sheppard Mullin was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “Nick is an extremely experienced, high profile patent litigator. He brings a sophisticated patent litigation practice to our Palo Alto and San Francisco Offices and strengthens our global IP capabilities. Nick is yet another excellent addition to our firm as we continue to build our nationally recognized IP team.”

Setty was quoted as saying: “I am extremely excited about joining Sheppard Mullin’s global platform. It’s clear to me that the firm is on the rise. I am incredibly impressed with its strategic plan and collegial and entrepreneurial culture. I look forward to helping Sheppard Mullin strengthen and build its growing reputation as a top tier IP practice.”

Stephen S. Korniczky was quoted as saying: “Nick is an incredible addition to our IP team and we are thrilled to have him on board. He is a leader with a history of building top notch IP practices, and has 20 years of experience successfully litigating “big ticket” patent disputes. Equally important, he is genuinely a really nice guy.”

Korniczky is a trial lawyer who concentrates his practice on patent litigation and strategic counseling on patent, trademark, trade secret and copyright matters. He has litigated over 100 patent and other IP lawsuits, including some of the largest multi-patent infringement actions in the United States. He has invalidated numerous patents asserted against his clients and possesses significant experience in handling nationwide patent and trademark enforcement campaigns against multiple infringers. He represents internationally based, publicly traded and emerging companies in many areas, including in the life sciences, medical device, computer, mobile communications, internet/e-commerce and consumer electronics industries.

Founded in 1927 in Los Angeles, California in 1927, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP is an AmLaw 100 law firm with more than 550 attorneys in 10 offices in the United States and one in Shanghai.

Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman Open Office in Silicon Valley

jim — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 02:27:53 +0000

As companies continue to downsize because of the tough economy, law firms are also susceptible, there are some companies that continue to thrive. There are law firms that have gone out of business due to the economy, or have merged with larger firms to remain in business, but some firms have decided to expand. The law firms that have decided to expand are typically opening brand new locations in parts of the country where they did not practice in the past. One of those firms is the law firm of Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman.

Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman opened an office in the Silicon Valley, which was announced earlier this month, in an effort to increase the firm’s practice in the intellectual property industry. The intellectual property segment of the firm is chaired by Douglas Lumish, who is based out of Silicon Valley. Lumish will be the office managing partner for the firm’s location in the Silicon Valley. When the firm first opened its Silicon Valley doors, there were eight lawyers on the payroll that focus on intellectual property litigation.

Lumish joined Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman in January of this year from the law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges. Lumish brought with him a group of lawyers that now make-up the eight lawyers working out of the Redwood Shores office that recently opened. The group in Redwood Shores also includes a first-year associate just recently hired by the law firm. Lumish revealed plans that Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman plan on expanded the Redwood Shores office to a total of 15-20 lawyers before the year 2012 is complete. At least three new lawyers will be added to the office in Redwood Shores within the next couple of months.

Lumish was trial counsel on high-profile patent litigation cases when at Weil, Gotshal & Manges. He served on cases for companies such as Oracle and Microsoft. Lumish said that Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman are currently handling pending patent litigation cases for Oracle, Skype, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, Apple, Trimble, Yahoo and TransPerfect.

Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman enjoyed a year of improvements and expansion in 2011, and the year is capped off with the grand opening of the office in the Silicon Valley. The firm employs 375 lawyers and has offices in New York, Houston, Atlanta, San Francisco, Miami, Silicon Valley, and Newark. The firm’s intellectual property group has 30 lawyers. The lawyers hired from Weil, Gotshal & Manges was followed up in the month of May by the hiring of eight intellectual property lawyers from Sutherland Asbill & Brennan. This hire included the partner N.E.B. ‘Jack’ Minnear from New York. The hire also included partner John North from Atlanta, Georgia. Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan represented Gemstar-TV Guide International, Raytheon Company, and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries previously.

Former Chief of Staff of DOJ’s National Security Division Joins Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

rebneely — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 08:00:14 +0000

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati announced in recent days that Donald L. Vieira, the former chief of staff of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division (NSD), has joined the firm as a partner in the Washington, D.C. office.

He will focus on regulatory and enforcement issues that relate to foreign investments, export controls, privacy, and data security. In addition, he will work on matters regarding white collar crime and other government investigations.

CEO Steve Bochner was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “Don has broad and deep expertise in a number of areas of prime importance to many of our clients, such as cyber security, export controls, sanctions, foreign investments, and other national security matters related to private enterprises. He is a proven leader in his field and, as the global marketplace continues to expand, Don will be a valuable asset to our highly regarded regulatory practice. It is my pleasure to welcome him to the firm.”

Vieira has served in senior national security positions in the executive and legislative branches of the federal government. In his role as , as NSD chief of staff and counselor to the Assistant Attorney General for National Security the Justice Department, he was responsible for the daily management of the division. In this role, he provided counsel on issues relating to cyber security, export controls and sanctions, counterterrorism, counterintelligence investigations, electronic surveillance, and various other intelligence matters. He also supervised the NSD’s Foreign Investment Review Staff; it is responsible for representing the Justice Department on the Committee for Foreign Investment in the United States. He also managed the NSD’s legislative portfolio and served as the division’s primary liaison to Congress, where he worked closely with that legislative body on issues relating to poilicy.

Before joining the Justice Department as the NSD’s chief of staff, Vieira served as deputy chief counsel to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) and staff director of the HPSCI’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. In addition, he served as a federal prosecutor in the Justice Department’s Counterespionage Section. In this role, he took part in the successful prosecution of multiple espionage and export enforcement matters. He has been the recipient of many awards and honors for his prosecutorial and national security work. Among those he’s received have been from the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Director of National Intelligence, the Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of State, and Congress.

Vieira started his legal career as an associate at Williams & Connolly. There he focused on litigation, white collar criminal defense, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigations.

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati is the premier provider of legal services to technology, life sciences, and growth enterprises worldwide. The firm has long established roots in Silicon Valley. The firm has offices in Austin; Brussels; Georgetown, DE; Hong Kong; New York; Palo Alto; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Shanghai; and Washington, D.C.

Three Partners at O’Melveny & Myers Move Into Leadership Roles

rebneely — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:06:40 +0000

The law firm of O’Melveny & Myers announced in recent days that partner M. Randall Oppenheimer was named the new chair of the Firm’s Litigation Department, partner Warren T. Lazarow was named the new chair of the Transactions Department, and partner Mark A. Samuels will become vice-chair of the Firm.

Oppenheimer is a member of O’Melveny’s Business Trial and Litigation Practice. He has over thirty years of trial experience. Often recognized as one of the nation’s leading trial lawyers, he has successfully represented clients in cases involving many different areas of law, including complex business disputes and energy, intellectual property, environmental, antitrust, and regulatory matters.

Oppenheimer was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “Our litigators are simply the best at what they do, and I’m honored to lead this extraordinary group. We’re achieving major triumphs for our clients in numerous jurisdictions, including the Supreme Court, and in all stages of litigation from discovery through trial and to appeal, so it’s an exciting time.”

Chair-elect Brad Butwin was quoted as saying: “In his 34 years at O’Melveny, Randy has always been one of the Firm’s most respected, thoughtful, and eloquent voices and among the Firm’s most successful trial lawyers. He and I are committed to establishing a set of priorities designed to lead our award-winning and very busy Litigation Department to even higher levels of achievement for clients.”

Lazarow was formerly the managing partner of O’Melveny’s Silicon Valley office, as well as a member of the Firm’s Policy Committee, which acts as its board of directors. Lazarow is a leading advisor to technology-focused companies and investors in M&A, public offerings, and private financing transactions, including private equity and venture capital, as a member of the M&A and Capital Markets Practices. He has been the recipient of numerous accolades during his distinguished career, including appearing four times on Forbes Magazine’s “Midas List” of the technology industry’s Top 100 Dealmakers Worldwide, and being recognized by publications such as Chambers and Partners (USA and Global), Legal 500, Global Counsel, IFLR, and Practical Law Company.

Lazarow was quoted as saying: “We have excellent transactions lawyers in every region helping clients shape and execute their most ambitious business strategies. I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues across our many offices and practice areas to leverage our strengths and expand our services.”

Among the Firm’s most experienced and distinguished trial lawyers, Samuels possesses a wide range of experience in complex patent, trade secret, antitrust, and other technology-based litigation. He has served in multiple leadership roles during his long career at the firm, including serving on the Policy Committee. He also served for seven years as chair of the Intellectual Property and Technology Practice. As vice chair, Samuels will focus on day-to-day management and coordination of client service, and integration of the practice of law on a firm wide basis.

Samuels, who resides in the firm’s Los Angeles office, was quoted as saying: “O’Melveny has excellent people and top clients for whom we do outstanding work every day, and I relish this opportunity to work alongside Brad to chart a course for our very bright future.”

O’Melveny & Myers LLP has approximately 850 lawyers in 14 offices worldwide.

Kasowitz Adds Team of Six Attorneys from Sutherland to IP Practice

rebneely — Wed, 11 May 2011 13:16:08 +0000

A team of six litigators has joined Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman LLP in the firm’s intellectual property group. All join from Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP.

John L. North and Jeffrey J. Toney join as partners, Laura Fahey Fritts and Jonathan K. Waldrop join as special counsel and Darcy L. Jones joins as associate; all in the firm’s Atlanta office. Jack Minnear joins as partner in the firm’s New York office.

Marc E. Kasowitz, Kasowitz’s managing partner was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “We are pleased that John and his highly respected team of litigators have joined our firm. Their impressive track record — particularly in winning complex patent cases — makes them ideal additions to our expanding IP litigation team.”

Kasowitz recently expanded its IP group in San Francisco. As well, the firm announced plans to open an office in Silicon Valley.

North, who served as the former chair of Sutherland’s intellectual property practice group, focuses on patent litigation and trade secret disputes, with many cases involving unfair competition claims and patent misuse throughout the pharmaceutical and other industries. He is also called upon to serve as arbitrator, special master and patent misuse expert in high profile cases. His prominent representations include serving as lead counsel to Teva, Minerals Technology and Gemstar T.V. Guide.

Toney tries patent infringement, trade secret an unfair competition cases before federal and state courts, and also handles transnational arbitration matters, including proceedings before the International Chamber of Commerce. A former chemist, his practice focuses on the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, including commercial disputes involving technology issues related to the design and manufacture of a range of products. Prominent representations include University of Georgia Research Foundation, Emory University, Metso and Raytheon.

Minnear’s practice focuses on patent infringement, trade secret and antitrust matters, including multi-district litigation and Section 337 actions at the United States International Trade Commission. He has litigated patent cases across a broad range of technologies, including substantial experience representing generic pharmaceutical companies in patent infringement cases.

With over 350 lawyers, Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman LLP is a national law firm specializing in complex, highly sophisticated litigation.

K&L Gates Adds Partners to Los Angeles and Palo Alto Offices

rebneely — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 14:03:23 +0000

K&L Gates LLP has added partners to both its Los Angeles and Palo Alto offices.

Seth A. Gold will join the firm’s Los Angeles office as a member of the firm’s intellectual property litigation group, and Jerrold F. Petruzzelli will join the Palo Alto office as part of the firm’s corporate practice.

The pair joins K&L Gates from Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, and focus their practices on the representation of emerging technology and new media enterprises.

Paul W. Sweeney, Jr., Administrative Partner of K&L Gates’ Los Angeles office was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “We are delighted to expand the IP litigation capabilities in the Los Angeles office, and add depth to our entertainment and media practice.”

Gold has signigicant knowledge about the business models and software applications used for online advertising. He provides legal counsel to both public and private companies on issues involving trademark and copyright infringement, including the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, as well as issues involving internet continuity programs, keyword advertising, the Communications Decency Act, and Federal Trade Commission inquiries.

Petruzzelli is well known for his corporate representation of technology-based emerging and public companies, as well as venture capital and private equity firms. He has practiced in the Silicon Valley for nearly thirty years.

Jon Michaelson, Administrative Partner of K&L Gates’ Palo Alto office was quoted as saying: “Jerry’s first-rate lawyering skills, extensive experience, and sterling reputation in Silicon Valley add strength to our growing corporate practice in Northern California.”

K&L Gates LLP employs nearly 2,000 lawyers in 37 offices on three continents. The firm represents leading global corporations, growth and middle-market companies, capital markets participants and entrepreneurs in every major industry group as well as public sector entities, educational institutions, philanthropic organizations and individuals.

Latham & Watkins Adds Six Partners to IP Practice

rebneely — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 13:14:48 +0000

In recent days, Latham & Watkins LLP announced six leading intellectual property litigation partners have joined the firm in its Silicon Valley and San Francisco offices.

The group of partners all join from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. There, they built well regarded practices which focused on prominent information technology, pharmaceutical and semiconductor companies, as well as winning complex cases at trial.

The partners are Roger J. Chin, Richard G. Frenkel, Julie M. Holloway, Terry Kearney, Michael A. Ladra, and Ron E. Shulman. Frenkel, Kearney, Ladra and Shulman will join in the firm’s Silicon Valley office. Chin and Holloway will join in the San Francisco office.

Bob Steinberg, Global Co-Chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation practice was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “With our recent lateral additions augmenting our existing resources, we have built a powerhouse intellectual property litigation practice from coast to coast, across all significant industry sectors. The market for IP litigation continues to be strong, and this group of partners will add substantially to our reputation by helping us serve leading companies with their most challenging cases.”

Ron Shulman was quoted as saying: “We were particularly attracted by the global platform and deep IP litigation resources available at Latham & Watkins to support and grow our practices. We have successfully worked together as a group for many years, and we all are confident that joining Latham will advance our practices and capabilities.”

Latham & Watkins is a global law firm with approximately 2,000 attorneys in 31 offices.

King & Spalding Announces a New Partner as it Expands Government Investigations Practice in California

marvins — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 15:51:23 +0000

King & Spalding LLP, a leading international firm for over 125 years, announced the addition of Ross W. Nadel, a prominent Bay Area federal prosecutor, to join their firm beginning in January 2011. Nadel will be based in the firm’s offices in San Francisco and Silicon Valley and will handle the firm’s government and corporate internal investigations in the areas of securities fraud, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, off-label promotion and healthcare fraud, and criminal antitrust and cartel matters. The firm said that Nadel’s expertise will make a big impact in the expansion of its government investigations practice in the state of California.

Christopher A. Wray, chair of King & Spalding’s special matters and government investigations practice, expressed his excitement over Nadel’s decision to join the firm. “We are excited Ross is joining our team. The knowledge, experience and skill he brings with him will anchor and significantly expand our government investigations and white-collar criminal defense footprint onto the West Coast. With more than 25 years’ experience of distinguished service at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern and Eastern Districts of California, plus additional work in private and corporate practice, Ross has a reputation as one of the most respected government investigation practitioners in the Bay Area.”

Nadel, who worked in the San Francisco US Attorney’s Office, said that he chose King & Spalding because of its reputation in the industry. “I am very pleased to join the talented lawyers in King & Spalding’s special matters practice, whose national reputation and spirit of cross-office teamwork are especially appealing to me. Having made the decision at this point in my career to return to a law firm to pursue a full-range government investigations and white-collar criminal defense practice, I cannot think of a better place to be than at King & Spalding.”

Skadden to Shutter its Office in San Francisco

marvins — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 16:04:52 +0000

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, a prominent law firm based in New York City, announced that it will close its San Francisco office. The office will be merged with Skadden’s Palo Alto office. The firm first entered the Silicon Valley and San Francisco during the dot.com bubble days. Lawyers who have been watching Skadden’s progress through the years are saying that the consolidation of Skadden’s Palo Alto and San Francisco offices is not that surprising anymore since talks about it have been circulating the industry for years.

San Francisco legal recruiter, Gary Davis, said that he was not surprised by Skadden’s announcement because this decision was strategic and beneficial to the overall welfare of the firm, given that the San Francisco office is relatively small and the Palo Alto office has a promising market. He also interpreted the move to mean that Skadden has a new strategy wherein the firm will just concentrate in the growth of one office. “It would be much more surprising to hear that an indigenous firm like Morrison & Foerster announced it was closing here or in Silicon Valley. Out-of-state firms usually need a compelling reason to keep two offices open in a small geographic location, like a client or partner request.”

The new office will be led by Kenton King, the Palo Alto corporate partner. It s website also named six other partners, three counsel and 17 associates, all of whom are litigators.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 13:43:51 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Friday, November 19th. Here’s a quick recap of yesterday’s headlines.

Greenberg Traurig announced that former Motion Pictures Associations of America IP Counsel Joseph Geisman joined its Intellectual Property and Technology Practice…

Prominent life sciences patent attorney Dr. Lauren L. Stevens joined Foley & Lardner…

Nixon Peabody expanded its presence in China through a new affiliation with Hong Kong firm Cheng Wong Lam & Partners…

Prominent Life Sciences Patent Attorney Joins Foley & Lardner

joshua — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:25:29 +0000

Dr. Lauren L. Stevens has joined Foley & Lardner LLP as Of Counsel in the Silicon Valley office, working with the Intellectual Property Department in the Chemical, Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical Practice.

Stevens focuses her practice on strategic client counseling and patent counseling in the pharmaceutical industry. She has extensive experience with the preparation of validity, infringement, and freedom to operate opinions regarding chemical and pharmaceutical patents. In addition, she brings vast experience and knowledge of biopharma patent litigation, serving as Vice Chair of the American Intellectual Property Law Association’s (AIPLA) Hatch-Waxman Subcommittee in 2009. In addition, Stevens has substantial in-house legal experience, as she served as vice president of legal and financial affairs at Affymax Research Institute and in other legal and corporate posts.

In the press release at the firm’s site, Paul A. Stewart, managing partner of Foley’s Silicon Valley office was quoted as saying: “Lauren’s addition, combined with the recent arrivals of Jerry Swiss, Lorna Tanner and their team last month, and our already strong team of intellectual property attorneys in the Silicon Valley office, creates one of the strongest pharmaceutical patent practices in Northern California. Her experience with IP due diligence and IP licensing in both biotechnology start-up and large pharmaceutical environments will also be valuable to our corporate practices both regionally and nationally. Her addition continues the rapid growth in 2010 of Foley’s Palo Alto office.”

Stevens advises national and international clients on patent and related issues spanning a variety of technologies in the pharmaceuticals industry. She also speaks frequently on pharmaceutical patent law topics, including foreign filing strategies and FDA Orange Book listings.

Prior to joining Foley, Stevens was a partner at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP.

With nearly 1,000 attorneys in 21 offices and more than 60 practices, Foley is recognized for providing high-caliber business and legal insight. Comprised of more than 200 attorneys, Foley’s Intellectual Property practice is a recognized leader in IP legal services.

Goodwin Procter Named ‘Beacon of Justice Award’ Winner

joshua — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:21:25 +0000

Goodwin Procter was named the winner of the 2010 Beacon of Justice Award by the National Legal Aid & Defender Association. The award honors law firms that have made significant contributions to pro bono representation in the area of immigration law.

Goodwin Procter was nominated for the award by Medical-Legal Partnership-Boston for its naturalization project, which provides legal assistance to families with permanent resident or “Green Card” status to become U.S. citizens. According to the firm, 25 Goodwin Procter attorneys have contributed more than 500 pro bono hours to the program, which was launched in 2009 in conjunction with MLP|Boston.

The program works like this: MLP | Boston screens individuals for eligibility for naturalization, selects cases with high potential for success and connects these individuals and families with Goodwin Procter lawyers. The firm’s volunteer attorneys then interview the clients, assist them in completing and filing the necessary immigration documents, and accompany them to interviews with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

NLADA was founded in 1911 and is one of the country’s oldest and largest nonprofit associations focused on delivering legal services to the poor. Goodwin Procter has offices in Boston, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Washington D.C.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 13:47:58 +0000

Good morning everybody! Today is Wednesday, October 20th. Here’s a quick look back at yesterday’s stories.

According to the 2010 Law Department Survey from Hildebrandt Baker Robins, law departments reduced their total legal spending for the first time in 10 years in 2009…

Littler Mendelson, the nation’s largest employment and labor law firm representing management, will open an office in Caracas, Venezuela…

Brady Mickelsen, former vice president and general counsel of Oracle Corp., has joined White & Case as a partner…

International firm Baker Botts promoted 13 lawyers to its partnership…

Crowell & Moring announced the launch of its new top-level domain and domain name practice…

White & Case Adds Former Oracle V.P. and General Counsel

joshua — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 19:35:54 +0000

Brady Mickelsen, former vice president and general counsel of Oracle Corp., has joined White & Case as a partner in its Silicon Valley M&A practice.

Mickelsen most recently headed Oracle’s corporate, securities and acquisitions legal group, where over the past five years he managed more than 60 acquisitions and strategic investments, including Oracle’s acquisitions of Sun Microsystems and BEA Systems.

“There are not many lawyers in Silicon Valley who have done as many deals as Brady has,” said Bijal Vakil, executive partner of White & Case’s Silicon Valley office. “His direct, hands-on M&A experience will be invaluable to our clients.”

Oliver Brahmst, head of White & Case’s Mergers and Acquisitions Practice in the Americas, said Mickelsen’s addition “will provide our technology clients with a unique perspective on deal-making.”

Mickelsen served Oracle for more than five years. The Sun Microsystems and BEA Systems deals alone had an aggregate value of more than $40 billion.

White & Case is a global law firm with 36 offices in 25 countries.

Former Congressman Named Nixon Peabody Government Relations Chief

joshua — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:04:05 +0000

Nixon Peabody senior strategic policy advisor Thomas Reynolds, a former U.S. Congressman from New York, has been appointed head of the firm’s government relations and public policy practice, the Rochester Business Journal reports.

Reynolds joined Nixon Peabody in 2009 after serving five terms in the state Assembly and an additional five terms in Congress. He replaces Richard Goldstein as the firm’s government relations practice head.

Reynolds told the Business Journal “we are in the midst of an evolving legislative and regulatory landscape. New policies are constantly being considered and adopted by our federal and state governments, creating both opportunities and challenges for our clients.”

According to Reynolds’ bio on the Nixon Peabody Web site, he advises clients on a wide range of legislative and regulatory policies that include international trade, health care, energy and tax.

Nixon Peabody has approximately 700 attorneys in 17 cities, including Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Rochester, San Francisco, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, and Washington, DC.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 12:57:01 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Wednesday, August 25th. Here’s a quick recap of yesterday’s stories.

Reed Smith added leading IP strategist Marc Kaufman to its Washington D.C. office…

For four years running, Greenberg Traurig had more attorneys listed in the annual The Best Lawyers in America Guide than any other firm…

Barnes & Thornburg hired Peter Zura as a partner in its IP division…

DLA Piper gained a 5 person IP team from Hogan Lovells…

TEX-ABOTA Inc. named Richard A. Sayles, acclaimed courtroom lawyer, “Trial Lawyer of the Year”…

Reed Smith Nabs Former Nixon Peabody Practice Head

joshua — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:06:30 +0000

Reed Smith bolstered its firmwide intellectual property group with the addition of leading IP strategist Marc Kaufman to its Washington D.C. office.

Kaufman joins the firm from Nixon Peabody, where he served as co-chair of its patent practice. He specializes in developing structured procedures for defining and executing IP strategies, which are aligned with clients’ overall business strategies. His work spans a range of technical fields including reconfigurable processors, content aggregation and targeting, digital rights management and database technology.

“Reed Smith is a growing and very successful firm that offers the right practice expertise,” Kaufman said in a press release.. “Its Silicon Valley presence, and firmwide strength in IP litigation, venture and corporate, and media and advertising practices are a perfect fit for my clients needs.”

Reed Smith’s Intellectual Property Group today includes more than 100 lawyers in the firm’s offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France.

Overall, Reed Smith has nearly 1,600 lawyers in 22 offices around the world.

Chinese Firm Opens Second U.S. Office in Palo Alto

joshua — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 19:20:24 +0000

A pair of former managing partners at Perkins Coie and an of counsel at Jones Day form the new Silicon Valley office for Beijing-based firm Jun He Law Offices, the AM Law Daily reports. The office in Palo Alto, Calif. will be the second in the U.S. – joining New York City – for the firm.

IP partners James Zhu and Zhaohui “Zoe” Wang, who served as managing partners at the Perkins Coie’s offices in Beijing and Shanghai, respectively, join the firm; along with Steven Cui, a former IP of counsel in Beijing for Jones Day.

According to the report, most of Jun He’s clients are U.S.-based companies looking to expand into China. Zhu was contacted by the AM Law Daily and offered these comments.

“[The move] will help us represent U.S. clients doing business in China, as even today, U.S. firms are limited in their ability to do business in China because of local restrictions against foreign attorneys,” Zhu told The Am Law Daily. “So joining a Chinese firm will help us remove those restrictions.”

According to its Web site, Jun He has more than 300 attorneys and seven offices in Asia and the U.S. The firm considers itself “a pioneer in the re-establishment and development of the legal profession in contemporary China.”

Morning Roundup

sara — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:06:02 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Tuesday, March 2, and here’s a quick look back at yesterday’s news…

Revenue and profits are down, while PPP is up at Dickstein Shapiro…

Steptoe & Johnson open a new office in Beijing…

According to Am Law Daily’s “Diversity Scorecard” diversity at major law firms declined in 2009…

The NALP settles on a heavily scaled back recruitment plan…

Kaye Scholer opens a new office in Silicon Valley…

Hogan & Hartson’s Warsaw office moves to K&L Gates…

Morning Roundup

joshua — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:20:42 +0000

Good morning everyone! It’s Thursday December 3 and this is your morning review.

The New York Senate has rejected a bill that would have permitted same sex marriages…

Two firms have announced bonus schedules that are a little different… but not much…

Sidley Austin is opening in Silicon Valley with the help of some laterals…

and while Dubai World melts down, a few British firms are scoring big…

Sidley Austin Opens in Silicon Valley

joshua — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:07:15 +0000

Sidley Austin is opening an office in Silicon Valley and picking up four laterals in the process. Thomas DeFilipps is joining the firm from Wilson Sonsini and will be the managing partner. Three attorneys are moving from Howard Rice. They will be joined by eight more from Sidley Austin’s San Francisco office. The firm is expecting the office to grow to 15 soon, with three more laterals expected, but the details are being kept quiet for the moment.

Sidley Austin is one of the countries oldest law firms and includes Mary Todd Lincoln among its list of early clients. Formed in 1866 in Chicago, its practice groups cover a broad range of areas and it has a long history with transactional matters and litigation.

Chadbourne and Parke heads west

joshua — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:20:15 +0000

The New York firm of Chadbourne and Parke is heading west and establishing a presence in Silicon Valley. Duane Valz, previously the in-house IP lawyer for yahoo, will be joining C&P next month.

Although not traditionally a large part of Chadbourne’s business, the firm has recently taken on other IP lawyers, like former Goldman and Sachs in house chief IP counsel John Squires.

Quinn Emanuel Defers Incoming Associates at Last Minute

Erik Even — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:24:46 +0000

At its San Francisco and Silicon Valley locations, law firm Quinn Emanuel is deferring half its incoming first year class to until January 2010. No deferral stipend or any other consideration has been announced.

Some, but not all, of the deferrals are voluntary. Less than ten incoming associates have been affected.

The firm waited to make the announcement until just six days before July’s California Bar Exam.

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges LLP was founded in 1986 by John B. Quinn. It is headquartered in Los Angeles, with major offices in San Francisco, the Silicon Valley, and New York.

Dewey & LeBoeuf Snags Cooley Lawyers

Erik Even — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:44:02 +0000

Dewey & LeBoeuf has lured away from Cooley Godward Kronish a team of top lawyers, including the head of Cooley’s technology transactions group.

Former Cooley management committee member and M&A practice honcho Richard Climan is moving to Dewey’s Palo Alto, California office. He will serve on Dewey’s executive committee, and work to expand its global M&A practice.

He is joined by Keith Flaum, who has represented eBay and Adobe, and Eric Reifschneider, Cooley’s tech transactions chief.

It is unclear if the team will bring along any associates.

Dewey & LeBoeuf is a white shoe law firm formed in 2007 by the merger of Dewey Ballantine and LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae. The firm has 24 offices in 14 countries.

Howrey + Day Casebeer Merger Is Final

Erik Even — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:25:02 +0000

Howrey, which we reported a little over a week ago was in talks to acquire scandal-plagued intellectual property firm Day Casebeer, has announced that the merger is official.

Twenty-five of the 26 attorneys at Day Casebeer joined Howrey’s Palo Alto, California office, effective this week.

The partners include James Batchelder, Linda Sasaki-Baxley, Renee Dubord Brown, Lloyd Day Jr., Robert Galvin, Paul Grewal, Jonathan Loeb, Jackie Nakamura and William Nelson (no, not that Willie Nelson). They bring along 16 associates.

The acquisition of Day Casebeer will give Howrey 115 lawyers in San Francisco and Palo Alto.

Howrey LLP was founded as Howrey, Simon, Baker, & Murchison in 1956, and was the first national anti-trust law firm. It has more than 725 attorneys in 17 locations worldwide.

Howrey to Aquire Day Casebeer

Erik Even — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 17:55:14 +0000

Howrey is in advanced talks to acquire troubled intellectual property firm Day Casebeer.

Founded in 1998, Cupertino, California’s Day Casebeer Madrid & Batchelder is an intellectual property boutique with 27 lawyers.

The firm has been rocked by a discovery scandal in a patent case between client Qualcomm, and Broadcom. Five Day Casebeer lawyers were sanctioned in 2008 after Qualcomm failed to turn over crucial documents in discovery.

The acquisition of Day Casebeer will give Howrey 115 lawyers in San Francisco and Palo Alto.

Howrey LLP was founded as Howrey, Simon, Baker, & Murchison in 1956, and was the first national anti-trust law firm. It has more than 700 attorneys in 17 locations worldwide.

Lewis & Roca Brings on Team from White & Case

Erik Even — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:51:07 +0000

Phoenix, Arizona-based Lewis & Roca has launched a new Mountain View, California law office, staffed with an intellectual property team from the Palo Alto office of White & Case.

The three attorneys and two paralegals will be joined by further hires as business picks up, and may move to Palo Alto.

Lewis and Roca LLP is based in Phoenix. In 2007, The National Law Journal ranked the firm the 198th largest in the United States, and second-largest in the state of Arizona. It has six offices.

Baker Botts Adds Wornow As Partner

Erik Even — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 22:23:47 +0000

Scott M. Wornow joined Baker Botts L.L.P. today as a partner in the firm’s Corporate department. The firm cited Wornow’s “extensive corporate legal practice representing clients on technology, capital markets, securities and merger and acquisition matters” in their announcement of their new partner.

Wornow will be based in Palo Alto, California, extending Baker Botts’ global corporate practice to Silicon Valley and the West Coast.

“Scott’s knowledge of the high-tech industry and the complex issues that confront companies every day in our digital age, and his deep experience dealing with these issues throughout his career, enable him to provide thoughtful and comprehensive counsel to our clients,” said David Kirkland, the firm’s Corporate Department chair.

Prior to joining Baker Botts, Wornow was a partner at Goodwin Procter in the Silicon Valley and at Paul, Hastings in New York. He also served as executive vice president for legal and business affairs for interactive TV company OpenTV Corp., and as General Counsel and Chief Restructuring Officer at pioneering wireless company OmniSky Corp. He also helped found several technology companies.

Dewey & LeBoeuf Shutting San Francisco Office

Erik Even — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:44:24 +0000

New York’s Dewey & LeBoeuf is consolidating its Northern California offices, moving its San Francisco staff to its East Palo Alto location.

Dewey & LeBoeuf has decided to centralize its Bay Area presence by relocating the lawyers and staff in its San Francisco office to its Silicon Valley office. Combining two locations that are in relatively close geographic proximity will help the firm build critical mass in one central location in the Bay Area and gain greater access to growing business opportunities in Silicon Valley. All attorneys and staff members in San Francisco have been asked to relocate to Silicon Valley.

The San Francisco office will remain open for the foreseeable future to support clients and attorneys currently conducting business in San Francisco. Once the office move is completed, Dewey & LeBoeuf will continue providing service to clients in the San Francisco metropolitan area from the Silicon Valley office.

Dewey & LeBoeuf is a white shoe law firm formed in 2007 by the merger of Dewey Ballantine and LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae. The firm has 24 offices in 14 countries.