Law Firm News

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Law Firm News

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Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP

HAS Partner, Stephen J. Carlotti Appointed Chairman of the JNC
Governor Carcieri has appointed a member of his transition team and political finance committee -- lawyer Stephen J. Carlotti -- to be chairman of the Judicial Nominating Commission, replacing Girard R. Visconti, whose term has expired.
"Stephen is an esteemed lawyer who brings four decades in the practice of law to the JNC," Carcieri said. "His credentials as a lawyer are unmatched and he is well-respected throughout the legal and business communities. He will provide strong and steady guidance to the JNC."
Carlotti is a partner at Hinckley, Allen & Snyder and handles mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings and general business and legal management issues.

02-27-2007

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Heller Ehrman, LLP

Heller Ehrman Expands IP Litigation Practice In Washington, D.C.
Heller Ehrman LLP announced that Maureen F. Browne and Johnny Cheng-Teh Chiu have joined the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group as shareholders in the Washington, D.C. office. Both lawyers come from Washington, D.C.-based firms where they practiced intellectual property law – Browne from Adduci, Mastriani & Schaumberg, where she was a partner, and Chiu from Powell Goldstein, where he was a partner. Browne and Chiu have years of experience litigating IP disputes, including Section 337 proceedings before the U.S. International Trade Commission.

After building a successful IP litigation practice in the U.S. that includes more than 75 attorneys, Heller Ehrman has taken recent steps to position itself as a global player in patent litigation by adding lawyers with experience litigating Section 337 actions before the ITC. In September 2006, Sturgis (Sturge) M. Sobin joined as a shareholder in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. Like Chiu and Browne, Sobin represents clients in patent litigation before the ITC. Two experienced associates, Alexander Chinoy and Joseph Whitlock, both of whom had previously practiced with Sobin, have since joined the firm in D.C., further strengthening the firm’s 337 practice.

Under Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, the ITC investigates claims of unfair trade practices occurring in import trade. An increasing number of IP lawsuits are tried before the ITC because ITC cases proceed faster than cases litigated in federal district courts, where most IP litigation takes place. The ITC also offers powerful border remedies to companies engaged in patent disputes.

Increasingly, the ITC has become a global forum for patent cases brought by both U.S. and foreign companies intent on protecting valuable U.S.-based IP rights. For example, since 2004, approximately 40 percent of the cases filed at the ITC have involved parties in either China or Taiwan, or both. One reason is that foreign owners of U.S. patents often prefer the ITC’s bench trials, which are heard by judges with extensive IP experience, over trials decided in district courts by juries. Another reason for the trend is that Chinese and other Asia-based technology and manufacturing companies are becoming increasingly sophisticated and emerging as global competitors. At the same time, other traditional trade remedies, such as anti-dumping laws, are increasingly difficult to use to slow down competition from China and Taiwan, resulting in greater interest by incumbent companies in the more focused Section 337 trade remedies. Meanwhile, there remains a consistent stream of high-stakes U.S. district court IP litigation involving Taiwanese and Chinese companies.

“As they mature, Taiwanese and Chinese companies will require more sophisticated, multi-national IP enforcement and defense legal services,” said M. Patricia Thayer, co-chair of the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice Group. “Market factors are converging in such a way that it will not only be important to have a formidable patent and ITC litigation practice, it will also be important to have the resources to represent companies headquartered in Asia.”

Chiu, who was raised in Taiwan, has taken advantage of his fluency in Taiwanese and Mandarin Chinese, as well as legal training in both Taiwan and the U.S., to build a vibrant practice representing a number of Taiwanese and Chinese technology companies, many of which are in the electronics industry. In addition to representing clients before the ITC, Chiu has handled IP litigation in U.S. district courts across the country. He also has represented clients in trade litigation and cross-border, corporate transaction matters, giving him the broader perspective needed to counsel clients on a strategic business level.

In 1984, Chiu received a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Fu-Jen Catholic University College of Law Taipei, Taiwan. He then came to the U.S., where he earned a Master of Laws in International Legal Studies from the American University. Chiu went on to earn a J.D. in 1992 from Tulane University.

Prior to joining Powell Goldstein's Washington D.C. office as a partner in 2004, Chiu was an associate and of counsel with Ablondi Foster and Miller & Chevalier, respectively. Chiu previously worked with Sobin at Ablondi Foster, which, under Sobin’s leadership, became recognized as a top international trade firm. Chiu and Sobin also worked together at Miller & Chevalier, where Sobin led that firm’s International Department as it grew into one of the largest international trade practices in the U.S.

Browne’s practice is entirely focused on ITC matters. She has become well known and respected among ITC practitioners. Browne played a major role in some of the largest and most high-profile Section 337 cases in recent years, including the Set Top Box investigation (Gemstar v. Echostar, et al.), the Injectable Implants investigation (Inamed v. Medicis), the Alkaline Batteries investigation (Eveready v. 26 battery manufacturers) and the Recombinant Human Erythropoietin investigation (Amgen v. Roche). A number of the clients she has represented before the ITC are Korean and Taiwanese manufacturers.

In addition to her work with clients, Browne has given Section 337 presentations for several bar associations. She chairs the Patent Committee of the IP Section of the D.C. Bar Association. She has also been active in the Intellectual Property Owners Association and the ITC Trial Lawyers Association.

Prior to joining Adduci, Mastriani & Schaumberg, where she has practiced for seven years, Browne began her legal career with Cadeax & Taglieri and Connerton & Ray, both of which are Washington, D.C. boutiques.

Browne received a J.D. in 1992 from George Washington University, where she was the editor-in-chief of Commercial Reporting Protection Service. She received a B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross in 1989.

“Both Maureen and Johnny have a high degree of familiarity with the ITC’s unique procedural and logistical guidelines, and they have proven experience helping major companies resolve disputes involving innovative, complex technologies,” said Michael K. Plimack, co-chair of the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice Group. “Their addition, combined with our existing IP litigation capabilities in Asia and the U.S., positions us well as we seek to protect the valuable IP rights of our Chinese, Taiwanese, and U.S. clients in those key markets.”

Heller Ehrman’s Intellectual Property Practice Group represents clients across a range of industries, particularly in the fields of semiconductors, non-volatile memory, software, cryptography, computers, secure digital payment, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical devices. Among the firm’s clients are industry leaders such as Yahoo!, Computer Associates International, Philip Morris USA, Texas Instruments, Symantec, QUALCOMM, Merck KGaA, Mylan Laboratories and Genentech. In January 2006, The American Lawyer recognized Heller Ehrman's IP Litigation Practice Group as one of the top five IP departments in the U.S.

The firm’s Intellectual Property group also represents U.S. and Asian technology clients in IP-related transactions and IP filings – as well as in enforcing IP rights and resolving IP disputes – in the U.S. and in China and throughout Asia. Our attorneys have organized successful administrative raid actions against IP-infringing organizations in China; directed IP litigation before Chinese courts on behalf of multi-national companies; represented Chinese companies in high-stakes IP litigation in the U.S.; and acted for both Chinese and U.S. companies on IP- and technology-based business transactions. For example, the firm recently represented Huawei Technologies, a Chinese company, in an IP lawsuit against Cisco Systems before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The high-profile lawsuit concerned router technology and included claims of copyright infringement, trade secret misappropriation, infringement of five patents, violations of the Lanham Act and Texas state law, and counterclaims alleging unfair competition. (Cisco Systems, Inc., et al. v. Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., et al.)

“Having Maureen and Johnny join us in D.C. represents our continuing effort to expand both our ITC and international trade practices, and the momentum we are building upon as we pursue the firm’s overall expansion strategy on the East Coast,” said Geoffrey F. Aronow, office managing shareholder of Heller Ehrman’s Washington, D.C. office. “Our D.C. office has seen steady growth over the past year and we believe that is due, in part, to our capacity to represent clients in developing markets, like Asia. The policy-making and regulatory environment in D.C. is certainly well-suited to establishing a successful ITC practice.”

Heller Ehrman’s Washington, D.C. office has grown to more than 60 attorneys since opening in 1994. Attorneys in the D.C. office represent clients in many areas of law, including antitrust, energy, food and drug, health care, intellectual property, international, litigation, securities and commodities enforcement and telecommunications. In 2006, the insurance recovery practice from Swidler Berlin joined the D.C. office. In addition to the ITC, Heller Ehrman represents clients before the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, the Food and Drug Administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

02-27-2007

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Heller Ehrman, LLP

Heller Ehrman Adds Prout and Leonard-Morgan In London
Heller Ehrman announces today that Christopher Prout, a tax and benefits specialist, and Scott Leonard-Morgan, a corporate lawyer, will join the firm’s London office as partners. Both Prout and Leonard-Morgan were previously at the London office of WilmerHale as partner and senior associate, respectively. Also joining the firm from WilmerHale’s corporate practice in London are senior associate Sarah Hanlon, and associates Esther Stringham and Leah Doyle.

The news about Prout and Leonard-Morgan comes just over one month after Heller Ehrman said that it is opening a London office and extending three of its core practices – corporate, real estate, and competition – into Europe. The firm has since made good on its plan to grow the same practice areas. On 12 February, the firm announced the addition of Richard Eaton, Christopher Grew and Struan Penwarden, lawyers from WilmerHale’s London office who are recognised as being among the top emerging company and technology corporate lawyers in Europe. On 16 February, Heller Ehrman announced that Douglas Lahnborg, a competition lawyer from Slaughter and May in London, is also joining the firm.

By reuniting Prout and Leonard-Morgan with Eaton, Grew and Penwarden, Heller Ehrman underscores its commitment to establish its Corporate/Venture Law Group (VLG) practice in the UK and Europe, and solidify its status as a leading legal services provider to emerging technology companies. Heller Ehrman represents more than 400 emerging private and public technology companies. The firm is consistently ranked among the top law firms in venture financings by Dow Jones VentureSource. In Thompson Financial's 2006 year-end survey of global and US equity capital markets, Heller Ehrman ranked as the No. 6 issuer legal advisor for global IPOs by US issuers, and the No. 7 issuer legal advisor for US IPOs. The firm was also recently ranked by Thomson Financial among the top 25 US law firms for M&A activity in 2006 based on number of deals.

Prout advises public and private European and US-based corporations and venture capital firms on the appropriate type of share incentives to be used in connection with employees based in the UK and other European jurisdictions. He has established UK tax-approved company share option plans and enterprise management incentive option arrangements for US- and UK-based corporations. Prout also advises on the effect corporate transactions have on share plans, for example, in the context of IPOs, mergers and acquisitions, and adjustments to a corporation’s share capital, including returns of capital to shareholders.

“Equity-based compensation plays a key role in the venture world, so having Chris join our growing corporate/VLG practice in London underscores our commitment to creating a world-class platform for advising emerging and technology companies in the UK and Europe,” said Heller Ehrman’s Chairman, Matthew Larrabee. “In addition to providing companies day-to-day counseling and assisting them with cross-border matters, Chris will continue to help US corporations translate equity-compensation models into European form, which will play an increasingly important role in our UK and European practice.”

Prout also has significant experience in dealing with pension issues. For example, he has advised US and UK corporations on their obligations to provide certain pension arrangements for UK employees and the pension implications for corporations in the context of mergers and acquisitions.

Prout is a member of the UK-based Share Scheme Lawyers Group, the Association of Pension Lawyers, and the Law Society of England and Wales. He received a bachelor and master of law degrees from Bristol University.

Leonard-Morgan focuses his practice on corporate law. His experience includes representing both public and private companies in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance transactions, venture capital investments, and in general corporate matters. He handles both English and cross-border transactions.

Among the deals that Leonard-Morgan has handled are the IPOs and listings on the Official List of the London Stock Exchange of Wolfson Microelectronics plc and Optos plc, the sale of Domantis Limited to GlaxoSmithKline plc and the acquisition by Autonomy Corporation plc of etalk Corporation.

“Scott’s experience in the capital markets and M&A areas adds depth to our transactions team in London,” added Larrabee. “We look forward to seeing the synergies that will develop as our corporate/VLG practice draws from the talent it has to represent clients in the UK and Europe.”

Leonard-Morgan received an LL.B. from the University of London (Queen Mary) and completed the bar course at the Inns of Court School of Law. He is a member of the Law Society of England and Wales.

Heller Ehrman has arranged to lease office space at 30 St. Mary Axe, which is also known as the Gherkin building, in the City of London. Including London, the firm has four offices outside of the US. In Asia, Heller Ehrman has offices in Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Timeline

* 16 January 2007: Heller Ehrman announced its plans to open an office in London, extending three of its core practices – corporate, real estate, and competition – and solidifying Heller Ehrman’s status as a leading legal services provider to emerging, technology industry companies.
* 22 January 2007: Heller Ehrman announced that Lawrence (Larry) W. Keeshan, the former Global General Counsel of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, had joined the firm and would oversee the development and implementation of Heller Ehrman’s business strategies in Europe and Asia and lead the firm’s Securities Litigation and Regulatory Practice.
* 12 February 2007: Heller Ehrman announced that the firm is adding the leading European emerging company and technology practice to the London office with the addition of Richard Eaton, Christopher Grew and Struan Penwarden, who were formerly partners in WilmerHale’s London office.
* 16 February 2007: Heller Ehrman announced that competition specialist Douglas Lahnborg is joining the firm from Slaughter and May in London.
* 27 February 2007: Heller Ehrman announced that Christopher Prout, a tax and benefits specialist, and Scott Leonard-Morgan, a corporate and securities lawyer, are joining the firm’s London office as partners. Both were previously in practice at the London office of WilmerHale.

02-27-2007

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King & Spalding

Examiner to Probe Events Tied to Granite Broadcasting's Ch 11
Dow Jones Newswire reports that King & Spalding partner Andrew Hruska has been appointed to investigate Granite Broadcasting Corp.'s chapter 11 filings.

02-27-2007

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Jackson Walker L.L.P.

Jackson Walker co-hosts aviation reception and dinner
Jackson Walker L.L.P. co-hosted a dinner reception for attendees of the SMU Air Law Symposium, which was held earlier in the day. This gathering of more than 60 aviation industry notables, including speakers from the symposium, was held at the Gleneagles Country Club in Dallas.

The event was a natural fit for Jackson Walker, a firm that has maintained a substantial practice in aviation law for more than 50 years. Representing major airlines, airports, aircraft manufacturers, aviation insurers and more, Jackson Walker handles legal matters from product liability to contract litigation to regulatory issues.

The event was also co-hosted by Kenney & Markowitz L.L.P. and Lane Powell PC.

02-27-2007

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Foster Pepper PLLC

U.S. Supreme Court Grants Certiorari In Top-Two Primary Case
the U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari on the petition filed by Foster Pepper PLLC on behalf of the Washington State Grange, which appeals the Ninth Circuit’s striking down Washington’s Top-Two Primary as unconstitutional. The Court also granted the subsequent petition filed by the State on that decision.

The Top-Two Primary was overwhelmingly enacted by voters when they adopted Initiative 872 in November 2004. But the Initiative never took effect because the major political parties challenged the Initiative and a federal court declared it unconstitutional. As a result, Washington voters have been forced to use the pick-a-party primary system instead.

The Washington State Grange sponsored the Top-Two Primary Initiative after the Ninth Circuit ruled that Washington’s former Blanket Primary — approved by voters in 1935 under a previous Initiative sponsored by the Grange — was unconstitutional. The Grange specifically drafted the 2004 Initiative to comply with an earlier U.S. Supreme Court decision addressing California’s Blanket Primary, but the Ninth Circuit struck down Washington’s Top-Two primary nonetheless.

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to hear this case in October 2007, with a decision by June 2008 (in time for the fall 2008 election cycle).

The Supreme Court order granting certiorari (No. 06-713) is at:
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/orders/courtorders/022607pzor.pdf

The Grange’s Petition For Certiorari is at:
http://www.secstate.wa.gov/documentvault/GrangesPetitionforWritofCertiorari-1688.pdf

Other pleadings in the case are at:
http://www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/toptwo.aspx

Ninth Circuit Decision: Washington State Republican Party v. Washington State, 460 F.3d 1108 (9th Cir. 2006), cert. granted 549 U.S. -- (2007).

02-27-2007

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Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle, LLP

Curtis Paris partner Raymond Gianno will be an expert participant for Doing Business in 2008, scheduled for publication in September 2007
Curtis Paris partner Raymond Gianno will be an expert participant for Doing Business in 2008, scheduled for publication in September 2007. The Doing Business database provides objective measures of business regulations and their enforcement. The Doing Business indicators are comparable across 175 countries. They indicate the regulatory costs of business and can be used to analyze specific regulations that enhance or constrain investment, productivity, and growth. Doing Business has stimulated reforms in over 50 countries.

02-27-2007

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