IP leaders at Winston Taylor say the firm’s recent hiring campaign signals a deliberate effort to strengthen its IP practice following the departure of a string of lawyers.
The firm announced this week that it had brought on board three new partners, with a view to strengthening its capabilities at the US ITC as well as in Silicon Valley and Texas.
Despite plenty of IP departures from the firm of late, Kathi Vidal, partner at Winston Taylor, previously told Managing IP that Taylor Wessing’s and Winston & Strawn’s combination is an “IP-forward” merger.
Brett Johnson, co-chair of Winston Taylor’s litigation practice, backs that view.
Following the triple partner hire, he tells Managing IP that, despite recent departures, the firm is capitalising on the opportunity to build its IP litigation practice.
In the face of losing 15 litigators to King & Spalding earlier this year, the firm has been on a hiring streak of its own with new additions from DLA Piper, Baker Botts, and Sidley Austin over the past few months.
On Monday, July 7, Winston Taylor announced the arrival of patent litigators Clayton Thompson, Carrie Williamson, and Jake Zolotorev.
All formerly at DLA Piper, Thompson joins the firm’s Washington, DC office and Williamson and Zolotorev join in Silicon Valley.
The new arrivals follow the addition of Daniel Valencia, the firm’s new ITC practice chair in Washington, DC. Valencia, also from DLA Piper, joined Winston Taylor late last month.
Earlier in the year, IP litigator Aimee Fagan joined the firm’s Dallas office from Sidley Austin. She was followed by patent litigator Morgan Mayne, who also joined the Dallas office from Baker Botts.
“We’re being very intentional about growth that even further strengthens Winston Taylor’s investment in building a premier transatlantic patent litigation and ITC platform,” Johnson tells Managing IP.
The firm’s patent disputes practice has worked with high-profile technology clients, including Cisco, Microsoft, Comcast, and PayPal.
The new attorneys’ experience working with tech clients aligns with Winston Taylor’s practice. Thompson has worked with Adobe and Toshiba, Williamson with Samsung and Searchmetrics, while Zolotorev also has experience acting for consumer electronics companies.
Their experience with large, tech clients positions them to guide companies through patent disputes involving increasingly complex technology, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics, the firm said.
Johnson adds: “Our growth reflects significant momentum as we continue to assemble top-tier talent and further solidify IP capabilities across the spectrum for trade disputes, including those that cross state lines and international borders.”
According to Winston Taylor, it is targeting additions in high-growth IP markets, including Washington, DC and Silicon Valley, as well as in Texas.
Silicon Valley has historically served as the epicentre for large technology company headquarters, and Washington, DC is home to the US ITC.
Texas, meanwhile, remains a hotspot for patent litigation due to its experienced judges and speedy courts. Firms, including Winston Taylor, are looking to place experienced counsel in the Texas market, where the firm says many clients are driving innovation.
“As companies (including a growing number where I am in Texas) drive innovation in AI, advance manufacturing, bioengineering and finance, they need a litigation team that matches the pace of their growth,” notes Johnson.
The expansion also positions the firm to compete more directly with established ITC and patent dispute leaders, including those occupying the lucrative top tier. Tier 1 US firms for ITC litigation and patent disputes include Kirkland & Ellis, Quinn Emanuel, and Finnegan.
While Winston Taylor does not rank for ITC work, it is ranked in tier 2 for patent disputes nationally and comes as ‘highly recommended’ for patent disputes in Texas.
Winston Taylor believes its strength lies in its integrated, cross-border IP litigation offerings.
“It’s true our firm is making a dramatic leap forward, and we are future-focussed. Winston Taylor’s combination offers unmatched legal services in Texas and across the world.”
Johnson adds: “By combining our domestic trial prowess with Taylor Wessing’s outstanding UK and European presence, we’ve built a transatlantic legal network uniquely suited to modern global enterprise.”
