Posts Tagged: "patent law firms"

Earlier today Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP announced that David J. Kappos, former Under Secretary of Commerce and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), joined the Firm as a partner. The Wall Street Journal Law Blog points out that this is only the fourth lateral hire by Cravath in the last 50 years. Indeed, Cravath is not a firm know to play the revolving door lateral hiring game, but obviously couldn’t pass up the opportunity to add a talent of the likes of David Kappos. He is listed on the Cravath website as being a member of Cravath’s corporate law group.

Prior to joining Stradling, Mr. Kong was Senior Corporate Counsel for Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC. While at Sony PlayStation, he was the lead attorney for the US R&D and Strategic Business Development Groups for the Sony entity responsible for Sony PlayStation matters in North and Latin America.

McCann, who is now a partner in the firm’s Intellectual Property group, joins Thompson Hine in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office, coming over to the firm from Venable LLP. The addition of McCann comes on the heels of other recent additions of what the firm refers to as “top tier laterals.” McCann is a patent attorney with more than 30 years of experience, focuses his practice on the development and defense of patent rights in the chemical, biological, mechanical and software/business method arts.

McDonald Hopkins LLC, a law firm with offices in Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Miami, and West Palm Beach, just announced the election of three new intellectual property attorneys to the firm’s membership. The intellectual property attorneys being elevated to Member at McDonald Hopkins are: Todd A. Benni, Joseph J. Crimaldi and Scott M. Slaby.

Earlier this year Intellectual Property Today announced its annual Top Patent Law Firms for 2011. Just recently they also announced the Top Trademark Firms for 2011. I thought it might also be interesting to see which firms were mentioned on both lists. In fact, there were 11 law firms that appeared on both the Top Patent Law Firms List and on the Top Trademark Law Firms List.

Earlier today Darby & Darby, one of the oldest intellectual property boutique firms in the United States, announced that they are dissolving. The announcement, which seems to have come without much warning, confirms rumors that started swirling last night that an abrupt end was near for the firm that has been in business since 1895. Darby & Darby has offices in New York, Seattle, Washington DC, Palm Beach Gardens and Frankfort. Details remain murky, and no one seems to know exactly when the doors will be shuttered.

Intellectual Property Today has once again come out with its much anticipated list of the top patent law firms. At the top of the list was Oblon Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, LLP, with 4043 utility patents, 72 design patents, which represents an increase of 6.5% in 2009 over 2008.

On May 7, 2009, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP lost a patent malpractice suit in the United States Federal District Court for the Western District of Texas, when the jury concluded deliberations and presented the court with its a Verdict Form, which awarded the plaintiff’s $72,611,397.83.  In a report in Law Blog of the Wall Street Journal on…

I have been critical of Jon Dudas and the way that the USPTO was run during his Administration.  I think much could have been done better, including working together with the patent bar to attempt sensible fixes to the US patent system.  Now that Jon Dudas has entered private it is time to move forward and attempt to continue efforts…