Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Expands Medical Device Practice

PALO ALTO, Calif., May 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the premier provider of legal services to technology, life sciences, and growth enterprises worldwide, is pleased to announce that James M. Heslin has become a partner at the firm. The former founder and leader of the medical device technology patent group at Townsend and Townsend and Crew (now Kilpatrick Townsend), Heslin will be based in the firm's Palo Alto office.

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"The medical device industry has been a key area of focus for the firm for many years, and we've been fortunate enough to have built a practice that assists many of the companies that are transforming healthcare today," said CEO Steve Bochner. "Hiring someone with Jim's particular expertise is a natural extension of our services, and we are extremely pleased to welcome him to the firm."

"Simply put, Jim is the best medical device patent attorney in the country, and we have long admired his work," said partner Casey McGlynn, one of the leaders of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati's life sciences practice. "His extensive experience with both medical technology companies and the venture capital firms that invest in them make him a terrific asset for our clients as they seek to accelerate their businesses."

For more than 20 years, Heslin has advised medical device clients on the most effective and efficient ways to obtain and protect their intellectual property rights, both in the U.S. and abroad. His clients span a broad array of medical and surgical device technologies, including angioplasty, atherectomy, stent delivery, arthroscopy, suturing devices, ultrasound imaging and therapy, gynecology devices, minimally invasive surgical equipment, hearing aids, drug delivery systems, orthodontics, orthopedics, and diagnostics. Heslin also has extensive experience in due diligence and portfolio evaluation, licensing, and preparation of patent validity and infringement opinions. In addition to his tenure at Townsend, he served as general counsel for Align Technology at the time of their public offerings. Heslin received his J.D. from the UC Berkeley School of Law in 1978 and a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1973.

About Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2011, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati offers a broad range of services and legal disciplines focused on serving the principal challenges faced by the management and boards of directors of business enterprises. The firm is nationally recognized as a leader in the fields of corporate governance and finance, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, securities litigation, employment law, intellectual property, and antitrust, among many other areas of law. With long-standing roots in Silicon Valley, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has offices in Austin, Hong Kong, New York, Palo Alto, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Shanghai, and Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.wsgr.com.

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