The law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore has added former director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, David Kappos. Kappos is just the fourth partner hired by Cravath from outside the firm in 50 years, according to a spokeswoman.
“When we heard that Dave was leaving the PTO, we knew he would be a perfect fit for us,” said Allen Parker, Cravath’s presiding partner, in an interview with The Am Law Daily. “We were certain Dave was the person we’d been waiting for to enhance our IP practice and meet a growing client need for IP support.”
Kappos has a relationship with Cravath from his time spent at IBM, where he worked for 25 years. Prior to leaving the company, Kappos held the position of vice president and assistant general counsel for intellectual property.
“I have always felt a deep appreciation and affinity for the Cravath culture and history,” Kappos said in an interview with CorpCounsel.com. “I knew it was the perfect spot and a natural fit for me.”
“IP has been part of our practice for a long time, and we have a substantial client need that’s been growing over time,” Parker said. “We knew we were willing to supplement our IP practice if we could find the right person, and the moment we realized Dave was available, we knew this was the opportunity we’d been waiting for.”