Akerman opens Chicago Office with eight lawyers

The office is the firm's 20^th location in the United States. It will handle financial litigation and intellectual property law, particularly in relation to life sciences, entertainment, fashion, sports, consumer electronics, microprocessors and semiconductors.

The new Chicago team includes Scott Meyers and Michael Switzer. Meyers will be Akerman's Chicago office managing partner. He concentrates his commercial litigation practice in the financial services and securities sectors.

Switzer will serve as co-chair of Akerman's intellectual property practice group, along with Akerman partner Mark Passler, who is based in the firm’s West Palm Beach office. Switzer focuses on medical devices and consumer electronics. He is a former patent examiner at the USPTO and also served as the first in-house US patent counsel for Hitachi in Tokyo.

Also joining Akerman's Chicago office from Ulmer & Berne as partners are IP partners Mark Anderson, Stacy Baim and Brian Bianco and IP litigation associates Peter Hawkins and Alissa Misun Pohlman.

Akerman real estate partner Karen Kondell will be a co-resident in the firm's Chicago and Miami offices.