Mark Whitaker Of Morrison & Foerster Named AIPLA President

Mark L. Whitaker, a veteran intellectual property trial lawyer and partner in Morrison & Foerster’s Intellectual Property Litigation Practice Group in Washington, DC, has been named president of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA).

AIPLA is the Washington, DC-based law association of patent, trademark, copyright and trade secrets practitioners. Whitaker took office at the recent conclusion of the AIPLA annual meeting. The group works on policy advocacy in the US and abroad. The post is for one year.

AIPLA said Whitaker will work to promote constructive changes for IP, and added, “The association’s success with promoting gender diversity is a model Mr. Whitaker aspires to replicate in the recruitment and advancement of attorneys of color.”

According to the press release: “At Morrison & Foerster, Mr. Whitaker is a patent trial lawyer whose practice is devoted to patent, trademark and trade secrets litigation and counseling. He also represents clients in fast-track IP litigation before the International Trade Commission (ITC) under Section 337. He has successfully represented clients in the medical device, electronics, telecommunications, chemical, and software industries in patent, trade secrets disputes and licensing initiatives.”

The release says: “Mr. Whitaker’s recent cases include winning a trade secrets case at the ITC on behalf of a U.S. manufacturer of large cranes; prevailing at trial and invalidating all four asserted patents for client Acushnet, makers of Titleist Pro V1 golf balls; obtaining dismissals (with prejudice) for a home security company in a multi-patent infringement litigation involving modem industry standards; and serving as counsel on behalf of Research In Motion in its long-running patent infringement dispute with NTP, a patent holding company. He is also a veteran of the U.S. Navy, where he served as a member of the JAG Corps and prosecuted and defended more than 30 trials.”