The latest lawyer moves

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.

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