Marybeth Peters, 5 others leave Oblon to Join Muncy, Geissler

A group of six trademark and copyright lawyers, Jeffrey Kaufman, Roberta (Robin) Bren, Kathleen Cooney-Porter, Beth Chapman, Kyoko Imai and Marybeth Peters, have moved their practices to Muncy, Geissler, Olds & Lowe, P.C. (MG-IP). All were previously with Oblon.

Kaufman, Bren and Cooney-Porter join as principals, and Chapman and Imai join as of counsel. They reunite with their former Oblon partner, Jay Hines, now a principal of MG-IP; all began their careers at the USPTO. Prior to joining Oblon, Peters was Register of Copyright of the U.S. Copyright Office, and is now associated with MG-IP as an intellectual property advisor. The expanded practice involves trademark, copyright, IP protection and enforcement.

Cooney-Porter, who most recently led Oblon’s trademark practice, notes that the MG-IP firm is a good fit for each of them and their clients.

“Whenever you hear about someone making a move, the explanation is that clients will benefit from the move–it’s true in our case also,” explains Kaufman, who formerly led the trademark practice at Oblon. “We look forward to continuing to build our practice at MG-IP.”

Bren adds, “We’ve worked with many of our clients for decades, and their interests are our primary concern.”

With the changes in technology and client demands, small boutique firms are able to successfully compete with larger firms, according to Martin Geissler, a founding Principal. “While many of the larger boutique firms are getting smaller, our firm is engaged in smart growth. This trademark group is a terrific addition to our practice. We’re looking forward to a long and successful relationship, and expanding our services for our clients.”

Beth Chapman, who was an Administrative Trademark Judge at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board until she became of counsel at Oblon in 2006, and Kyoko Imai, a trademark and copyright attorney and former senior associate at Oblon, are also excited about the move and new opportunities.