Law Firms Making Changes To IP Staff

A number of law firms and a key trademark industry group have made changes in recent weeks aimed at boosting their intellectual property practices.

The International Trademark Association (INTA) named a new leader of its Washington, DC office to develop and implement the association’s government relations strategies in the United States.

David Warr comes to INTA as the former director of international government affairs and policy for Bristol-Myers Squibb. “With the new Congress in place and with the Administration’s focus on protecting businesses’ innovation and brands, lawmakers will want to address trademark owners’ concerns and establish stronger policies that support intellectual property rights,” he said in a release. In his previous position, Warr was involved in the development of global policies on anticounterfeiting, IP rights, and free trade agreements.

Meanwhile, Marty Schwimmer has joined Leason Ellis LLP as partner in the firm’s Trademark, Copyright and Domain Name Practice Group, according to a press release [pdf]. He is the publisher of the Trademark Blog and previously was a partner at Moses & Singer.

Schwimmer has also co-authored an article in the Trademark Reporter of the International Trademark Association, titled “Notice and Takedown for Trademarks,” calling for a new statutory procedure for online infringement.

International law firm Greenberg Traurig LPP announced two new additions to its intellectual property practice in Washington, DC. Charanjit Brahma comes from Kirkland & Ellis LPP and for the past two years has led the representation of a global pharmaceutical company in its enforcement of patent rights relating to women’s health products, according to the press release. Heidi Salow comes from DLA Piper LLP and before that was Sprint Nextel Corporation’s special counsel for privacy and intellectual property, and then senior counsel and director.

Hogan Lovell is adding five partners to its IP Litigation practice, according to a press release. The law firm has announced that K. T. “Sunny” Cherian and Scott Wales would lead a team of five IP litigation partners. John Hamann, Constance Ramos and Sarah Minchener Jalali will also join the team. The partners all are joining from Howrey LLP.

According to the release, the five partners have particular experience in electrical, mechanical, chemical and biotechnology patents, and a strong academic background in applied sciences. Three of the partners have engineering degrees and Ramos holds a PhD in Biophysics.

Dykema has announced that David Henry is joining its intellectual property department as a member of the firm’s Dallas office. Henry was previously a partner with Patton Boggs LLP, according to a release. Henry focuses on managing and protecting domestic and foreign IP assets, and patent and trademark infringement in the US. He has served as a patent law professor at Baylor Law School since 1994 and is now teaching entrepreneurship in the business school.

After serving as Deputy Undersecretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, which is also the Deputy Director of the US Patent and Trademark Office, Sharon Barner has returned to Foley & Lardner, the firm announced in a press release. According to the release, Barner drove the creation of the 2010-2015 USPTO Strategic Plan during her tenure at the USPTO. Prior to her USPTO position, Barner was in Foley’s Chicago office and held a number of positions, including chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Department. At Foley, Barner will focus her practice on IP litigation, strategic counseling and enhancing IP value, said the release.

McCarter & English LLP announced the addition of seven attorneys. Richard Green, Mitchell Fishberg, Richard Vitarelli, Elizabeth Smith, Karen Culton, and Catherine Moreton Gray are joining the Hartford, Connecticut office, and Evan Rosing joined the New York office. They bring expertise in key practice areas, including IT and IP, employment, securities litigation, commercial litigation and class actions. The seven lawyers came from Robinson & Cole LLP.