Pepper Hamilton Adds 12 IP Attorneys, Opens Rochester Office

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on the steady growth of its Intellectual Property and Health Sciences Departments, Pepper Hamilton LLP announced today that 24 highly skilled health sciences, technology and IP attorneys, patent agents, technical specialists and paralegals from LeClairRyan, predominantly from the Rochester, NY office, have joined the firm. Pepper has opened an office in Rochester to house the new team of IP litigators and counselors.

The addition of the group will significantly deepen and expand Pepper's strategic patent counseling, post-issuance practice, and patent litigation capabilities for clients in the health sciences and electronics/computer sciences industries. In particular, the addition brings substantial growth opportunity in sophisticated practice areas, including life sciences, biologics, pharmaceuticals, plants/agriculture, medical devices and computer science technologies.

"This group offers Pepper a unique opportunity to elevate our current practice and expand our offerings through the addition of a highly skilled, highly regarded group of attorneys, paraprofessionals and staff," said Thomas J. Cole Jr., managing partner at Pepper Hamilton. "As demand for sophisticated health sciences, technology and IP services continues to grow, this outstanding group of patent counselors and litigators will deepen our bench and enable us to expand the depth and breadth of services we offer to our clients."

Thomas M. Gallagher, chair of the Executive Committee at Pepper Hamilton, said the track record and history of the LeClairRyan team was very attractive to Pepper.

"Many of the attorneys joining the Rochester office have been practicing together for more than a decade and have created synergies that mirror many of our own. We are confident this group will make a meaningful impact at the intersection of life sciences and IP, bringing extraordinary value to our existing and future clients."

"The stellar reputation of Pepper's Health Sciences and IP practices was very compelling to our group," said Michael Goldman, formerly of LeClairRyan. "The firm offers us a platform on which to grow our practice along with the ability to collaborate with some of the nation's best attorneys."

The Rochester office marks Pepper Hamilton's second location in the state of New York and its 14th location in the United States.

Attorneys, patent agents and technical specialists joining Pepper's new Rochester office include:

• Michael Goldman, partner and registered patent attorney, focusing his practice on patent work in the chemical, biotechnology, medical device and pharmaceutical arts areas. His practice involves patent preparation and prosecution, post-issuance practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, patent litigation in the federal courts, and client counseling and opinions.

• Gunnar Leinberg, partner and registered patent attorney, focusing his practice on assisting clients, from independent inventors and startups to Fortune 100 companies, with the strategic procurement and development of their IP assets, IP risk management strategies and post-grant proceedings, particularly in computer science, electrical, optical and mechanical technologies.

• Andrew Zappia, partner, experienced in disputes and licensing, joint development, and commercial transactions, including trials and arbitrations relating to pharmaceuticals, biologics, medical devices, mechanical inventions and software.

• Edwin Merkel, of counsel and registered patent attorney, focusing his practice on biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and drug delivery, as well as the medical device and chemical arts areas. His practice involves patent preparation and prosecution, strategic counseling and opinions, as well as extensive post-issuance and interference experience.

• Tate Tischner, of counsel and registered patent attorney, focusing on intellectual property matters, including strategic patent counseling, plant protection, interferences, reexaminations, reissues, foreign oppositions, inter partes review, licensing, non-infringement and validity opinions and patent litigation, particularly in the fields of biotechnology, plants and medicinal chemistry.

• Carissa Childs, Ph.D., associate and registered patent attorney with experience in strategic patent counseling, post-issuance practice, and preparation and prosecution of patent applications, primarily in the life sciences and biotechnology fields.

• Nicholas Gallo, associate and registered patent attorney, focusing his practice on strategic counseling and preparation and prosecution of patent applications in a wide range of electronic and computer software technologies.

• Shelley Jones, senior attorney and registered patent attorney with extensive patent prosecution experience, particularly in the fields of biotechnology and the chemical arts.

• Amanda Keys, associate and registered patent attorney, focusing her practice on all aspects of intellectual property in biotechnology and the chemical arts.

• Megan Thisse O'Gara, associate and registered patent attorney with experience in strategic patent counseling, post-issuance practice, and preparation and prosecution of patent  applications, primarily in the life sciences and biotechnology fields.

• Christina Shifton, associate, focusing her practice on intellectual property and commercial litigation.

• Bryan Smith, associate and registered patent attorney, focusing his practice on strategic counseling and preparation and prosecution of patent applications in a wide range of optical, electrical and mechanical technologies.

• Olivia Block, Ph.D., patent agent with broad knowledge in the areas of microbiology, immunology, molecular biology and virology, focusing her practice on preparation and prosecution of patent applications.

• Chitrajit (CJ) Chandrashekar, patent agent, focusing on preparation and prosecution of patent applications in the electrical and computer science fields.

• Lynn Gottfried, Ph.D., patent agent with broad knowledge in the areas of microbiology, immunology, molecular biology, neuroscience and cell biology, focusing her practice on preparation and prosecution of patent applications.

• Anna Gromova, Ph.D., technical specialist, focusing on preparation and prosecution of patent applications related to pharmaceutical compounds and formulations.

• Katie Hyma, Ph.D., patent agent with research experience in bioinformatics, population genetics, evolutionary biology, ecology, microbiology and molecular genetics, focusing her practice on preparation and prosecution of patent applications.

• Sarah Madden, Ph.D., technical specialist with research experience in systematic studies of organic catalytic cycles, development of novel synthetic pathways, and analysis of uncharacterized intermediates, focusing her practice on preparation and prosecution of patent applications.

About Pepper Hamilton

Pepper Hamilton LLP counsels each client as if it were our only client. With more than 425 lawyers in 14 offices across the United States, we use the unique skills and talents of our people, the breadth of our practices, and the depth of our experience to deliver powerful solutions to clients' legal and business issues. The firm was founded in 1890.

Media Contact: 
Megan Keohane
610-228-0404
[email protected]

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