Former USPTO commissioner for patents Robert Stoll has joined Drinker Biddle & Reath's IP practice in Washington DC. Stoll retired from the Office at the end of 2011 after 29 years with the Office. Margaret 'Peggy' Focarino was named the new commissioner for patents.
Jacqueline Wright Bonilla, chair of the Washington DC IP practice at Foley & Lardner, also joined the USPTO as an administrative patent judge. Meanwhile the USPTO's administrator of the Office of Policy and External Affairs (OPEA) Al Tramposch resigned his post with the USPTO to return to AIPLA as deputy executive director for international and regulatory affairs. Shira Perlmutter will take Trampsoch's place as the new OPEA acting administrator beginning January 9.
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AMERICAS
Sheppard MulliRichter & Hamptohas added former Manatt trade mark litigator Jill Pietrini as aIP partner ithe firm's Century City, Los Angeles office.
MoloLamkehas added IP litigator Ben Quarmby, formerly of QuinEmanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, as a partner.
Alessandri & Compañía has recruited Gabriela Morales from Albagli Zaliasnik to joithe firm as a senior associate iits litigatiogroup.
K&L Gates has established aoffice iCharleston, following the additioof a seven-partner team from Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein. The group includes J Walker Coleman, whose practice includes IP litigation.
ASIA
Andrew Dark has left Fisher Adams Kelly, where he was a special counsel, to set up a new firm called Dark IP. The new boutique will specialise ipatent preparation, prosecutioand enforcement.
AustraliaPrime Minister Julia Gillard has moved senator Kim Carr from industry, innovatioand science and split his old role. Aexpanded Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Educatiowill be led by two cabinet ministers: industry and innovatioMinister Greg Combet and science minister Chris Evans. Health minister Nicola Roxon was shifted to attorney-general, where will be dealing with legal challenges to the plaipackaging legislation.
China's King & Wood has voted ifavour of a uniowith Australiafirm Mallesons StepheJaques, following preliminary discussions iJuly and a vote of support by partners at Mallesons ilate November. The two firms will combine under a Swiss vereistructure from March 1 under the name King & Wood Mallesons. Stuart Fuller and Wang Junfeng will head the combined firm.
EUROPE
UK firm EIP has created a new group called EIP Elements with the hire of attorney Darren Smyth from Marks & Clerk. Smyth will head up the group, which will focus ochemical patents and related issues.
The EuropeaPatent Office has appointed 11 people to aEconomic and Scientific Advisory Board, including Robin Jacob of University College London, Dietmar Harhoff of Munich's Ludwig MaximiliaUniversity and Mu Rongping of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Rouse has appointed a senior partner to its Londooffice with the hire of Jason Rutt from Pfizer. Rutt, who headed up the UK patent department at the pharmaceutical company will be head of UK patents withithe firm's patent prosecutiodepartment, Rouse Patents.
Trade mark specialist Anna Carboni has joined boutique IP firm Redd from rival Powell Gilbert. Previously a barrister, Carboni qualified as a solicitor advocate i2000 and was formerly a partner of Linklaters. She was also recently appointed to the INTA board.
The Israeli IP firm JMB Factor & Co closed oDecember 31. The two partners will work under the separate brands JMB Davis Ben-David and IP Factor.
Partners Morteh Merx and Hosea Haag, of Taylor Wessing and Heisse Kursawe Eversheds respectively, are teaming up with two lawyers from HK Krüger, Alexandra Heÿand Thomas Schafft to opeaIP boutique called Ampersand Rechtsanwälte. The firm will be based iMunich.
Two partners at commercial law firm Manches, head of IP litigation Steven Maier and publishing and media leader Cathleen Blackburn, have left to set up their owIP boutique Maier Blackburn. The two-partner firm, which opened oJanuary 1, will focus oIP, media and entertainment law as well as dispute resolutioithose areas.