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Sobin Joins Heller Ehrman's IP Litigation Practice in Washington, D.C.WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Heller Ehrman LLP announced that Sturgis (Sturge) M. Sobin has joined the firm's Intellectual Property Practice Group as a shareholder in the firm's Washington, D.C. office. He joins Heller Ehrman from Miller & Chevalier, where he was chair of that firm's International Department. He has broad experience in international trade, focusing his practice in recent years on the representation of clients in high-stakes patent litigation before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) under Section 337. Sobin began his legal career with Ablondi & Foster, P.C., where he represented clients in international trade litigation matters before all of the key U.S. trade agencies, including the ITC, U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). He appeared in matters involving Section 337, Title VII (antidumping and CVD), Sections 201 and 301, GSP, GATT/WTO, trade policy and customs. He also represented clients in commercial litigation in state and federal courts. Under Sobin's leadership, Ablondi Foster grew to 24 attorneys and became recognized as a top international trade firm. After moving the group to Miller & Chevalier, he led the International Department there as it grew into one of the largest and most diversified international trade practices in the country. "Sturge has proven ITC trial experience and he was litigating before the Commission long before the recent upswing in the number of patent litigation cases being argued in that venue," said Robert D. Fram, co-chair of the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice Group. "The ITC will continue to play a significant role in patent disputes, so we are confident that Sturge's addition to Heller Ehrman will benefit our clients and help us continue to expand our IP litigation 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 intellectual property 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 a unique and powerful set of remedies to companies engaged in patent disputes. Increasingly the ITC has become a global forum for high-stakes patent cases brought by both U.S. and foreign companies intent on protecting extremely valuable U.S.-based IP rights. "The successful navigation of the procedural and logistical aspects of the ITC forum demands intense planning and requires the devotion of significant resources," said M. Patricia Thayer, co-chair of the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice Group. "It is absolutely essential to have counsel with prior ITC litigation experience, and without question, Sturge has a tremendous ITC background." "I decided to join Heller Ehrman because the firm not only has a top-tier reputation for patent litigation and an established, deep IP practice, but also a significant presence in Asia, where many of the companies involved in Section 337 cases are located," said Sobin. "In addition, there has been a distinct trend in recent years toward IP litigation being conducted on a global scale, where a Section 337 case is just one front in a larger war than spans national borders. Clients need the capabilities of a firm with Heller Ehrman's global reach to protect their IP interests worldwide. I look forward to working with the firm's clients and playing a central role as the firm continues to expand its global IP and international trade practices as well as its practice in D.C." Heller Ehrman's Intellectual Property Practice Group includes more than 70 attorneys involved in IP litigation who represent 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. Heller Ehrman's Washington, D.C. office has grown to more than 50 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. Earlier this year, 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. "The firm's D.C. office is central to the firm's Section 337 practice and we plan to continue expanding aggressively in the trade area and in other practices as part of the firm's overall East Coast expansion strategy," said Geoffrey F. Aronow, office managing shareholder of Heller Ehrman's Washington, D.C. office. "We've been able to attract experienced, senior-level lawyers like Sturge in Washington because of our growing capacity to represent clients in developing markets, like Asia, and our commitment to broadening our capabilities in areas of law, like ITC actions, which are heavily anchored to the policy-making and regulatory environment in D.C." About Heller Ehrman LLP Heller Ehrman LLP has more than 700 attorneys and professionals in 12 offices worldwide -- Anchorage; Beijing; Hong Kong; Los Angeles; Madison, WI; New York; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Silicon Valley; Singapore; and Washington, D.C. As a full-service law firm, we represent a wide range of industry leaders, from entrepreneurial, technology-driven enterprises to established, multinational conglomerates. At Heller Ehrman, we take a multidisciplinary approach to the practice of law, drawing upon our legal, scientific and industry knowledge from across the firm to build the best legal teams for our clients. Through commitment to our core values of Excellence, People, Teamwork, Innovation, Community and One Firm, we offer clients unparalleled legal service. Heller Ehrman LLP CONTACT: Geoffrey F. Aronow, Managing Shareholder, Washington, D.C.office, +1-202-912-2110, or [email protected], orSturgis M. Sobin, Shareholder, Intellectual Property Practice Group,+1-202-912-2080, or [email protected], or Patrick Bustamante,Director of Communications, +1-415-772.6715, [email protected], or Alexi Estrella, CommunicationsCoordinator, +1-415-772-6384, or [email protected], all ofHeller Ehrman LLP Web site: http://www.hellerehrman.com/ |