Weil Gotshal & Manges has added three patent litigation partners in Washington DC. Mark Davis, Ronald Pabis and Brian Ferguson join the firm from McDermott Will & Emery and will focus on patent and trade secret cases, the International Trade Commission (ITC) and appeals.

Davis is recognized for his litigation expertise in IP and international trade, and at McDermott headed the firm's ITC practice, participating in more than 40 investigations for both Fortune 500 companies and start-ups. He has acted for clients in industries such as semiconductors, data storage and consumer electronics.

Pabis litigates patent and trade secret cases, as well as licensing and other technology-related disputes. His particular expertise is in areas such as medical devices, integrated circuitry, semiconductor processing and other computer-related technologies, as well as ITC investigations.

Ferguson was formerly deputy head of McDermott's IP, media and technology department. He specializes in arguing high-tech patent disputes and patent appellate matters. He was lead appellate counsel for the prevailing party in the landmark Seagate case before the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which established a new standard for determining wilful infringement.