The latest lawyer moves

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 4 Bouverie Street, London, EC4Y 8AX

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

The latest lawyer moves

Recent hires in the IP world include Violetta Kokolus joining Ropes & Gray as a partner and three new IP practitioners joining Greenberg Traurig in Minneapolis

Ropes & Gray has hired Violetta Kokolus as a partner in its New York office. She has extensive experience in the IP aspects of M&A transactions and advises clients belonging to a range of industries including banking, life sciences, education and healthcare. Kokolus joins from Dechert.

Sheppard Mullin has hired two new IP partners in its Washington, DC office: Robert Masters and Jonathan DeFosse. Both practitioners join from Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson. DeFosse and Masters are adept at handling IP litigation, dealing with disputes in courts across the US and before the International Trade Commission and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.

Jing Liu and Paul Chang have joined Sheppard Mullin’s San Diego office from Knobbe Martens. Liu is a partner and Chang an associate. Liu assists domestic and foreign clients with patent procurement matters. She has expertise in patent validity and non-infringement opinions, IP due diligence and licensing. Chang advises on protection in the genomics, bioinformatics and personalised medicine arenas. He also has expertise in data mining, analytics and blockchain.

Charles Monterio has joined Venable’s litigation practice in Washington, DC as a partner from Blank Rome. He handles complex patent litigation as well as post-grant proceedings before the USPTO. He is also skilled at advising on patent strategy issues.

James Sammataro and Hans Hertell have joined the media and entertainment group at Pryor Cashman. They are both partners at the firm and come from Stroock & Stroock & Lavan. Sammataro, who will be based in both LA and Miami, co-heads the firm’s media and entertainment group, while Hertell will work from the Miami office. Sammataro assists music publishers, record labels, celebrities and brands with trademark and copyright issues. Hertell also has experience in the copyright and trademark spheres. He advises a broad range of clients, including content creators, distributors and brand makers.

Hazel Ford and Posy Drywood, IP practitioners at Mathys & Squire, have both been promoted to partner in the firm’s London office. Ford’s expertise spans patent strategy, patent prosecution and EPO oppositions. She is experienced in dealing with matters connected to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Drywood advises clients on drafting and prosecuting patent applications. She has organised the filing and prosecution of supplementary protection certificates. Like Ford, she handles EPO oppositions and appeals.

Stephen Baskin and Dara Kurlancheek have joined King & Spalding’s Washington, DC office as partners. Baskin joins from Mayer Brown and is a first-chair trial lawyer. His experience covers electrical, mechanical and business-method patent disputes. Kurlancheek, who also comes from Mayer Brown, focuses on complex patent litigation and has expertise in an array of areas including electronic banking, video analytics and computer software.  

Squire Patton Boggs has hired David Manspeizer and Greg Chopskie as partners in its New York and San Francisco offices respectively. They join from Morrison & Foerster. Manspeizer is adept at handling patent matters. He advises clients on patent infringement matters, disputes and patent portfolios. Chopskie assists clients with IP disputes and has particular expertise in Hatch-Waxman litigation.  

The Washington, DC office of BakerHostetler has recruited Toni-Junell Herbert as a partner in its IP group. She joins from Dinsmore & Shohl. Her expertise spans IP auditing and due diligence. Her clients include investment banks and venture capital groups.


Stephen Baird, Tiffany Blofield and Craig Krummen have joined the Minneapolis office of Greenberg Traurig as IP and technology shareholders. They all come from Winthrop & Weinstine. Baird specialises in IP strategy, assisting companies with their brands and other IP assets. Blofield focuses on trademark enforcement, and also has expertise in copyright, trade secrets and patents. Krummen handles copyright, trade secret, trademark and patent litigation.

more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

Lateral hires at Thompson Hine and Pierson Ferdinand said they were inspired by fresh business opportunities and innovative strategies at their new firms
The launch of a new IP insurance product and INTA hiring a former USPTO commissioner were also among the top talking points this week
The firm explains how it secured a $170.6 million verdict against the government in a patent dispute surrounding airport technology, and why the case led to interest from other inventors
Developments of note included the court partially allowing a claim concerning confidentiality clubs and a decision involving technology used in football matches
The firm said adding capability in the French capital completes its coverage of all major patent litigation jurisdictions as it strives for UPC excellence
Marc Fenster explains how keeping the jury focused on the most relevant facts helped secure a $279m win for his client against Samsung
Clients are divided on what externally funded IP firms bring to the table, so those firms must prove why the benefits outweigh the downsides
Rahul Bhartiya, AI coordinator at the EUIPO, discusses the office’s strategy, collaboration with other IP offices, and getting rid of routine tasks
A boom in transactional work and a heightened awareness of IP have helped boost revenue for the rebranded commercial services team
Clemens Heusch, head of global litigation and dispute resolution at Nokia, tells us why open conversations – and respectful challenges – lead to the best results
Gift this article