Bedi moves to Neal Gerber Eisenberg
Chicago-based law firm Neal Gerber & Eisenberg has welcomed Olivia Luk Bedi as partner in its IP department. Bedi is a highly-rated IP litigator with a background in chemistry. She was previously with Niro Law, and before that a patent examiner at the USPTO. Bedi was one of Managing Intellectual Property’s Top 250 Women in IP in 2014.
New IP partner in Munich for Simmons & Simmons
Simmons & Simmons has appointed IP lawyer Michael Knospe as partner in its Munich office. He is known for handling patent and soft IP disputes. Knospe was previously a partner at King & Wood Mallesons in Munich. He brought along two colleagues: Caroline von Nussbaum (of Counsel) and Massimo Bellitto-Grillo (associate).
Carrington Coleman continues hiring IP lawyers
Patent attorney Stephen Levine joined Texas-based law firm Carrington Coleman as partner in its IP practice. He becomes the fourth IP practitioner to join the firm this year. Levine was previously with Anderson & Levine, a firm he co-founded. His primary practice area is drafting and prosecution, with experience in technical fields such as semiconductor circuits and electronics. Levine is admitted to practice law in the State of Texas.
Dentons hires patent attorney from Olswang
Dentons has announced the appointment of Patent Star Justin Hill as partner and Head of Patent Prosecution and Opposition Practices (Europe). He joins from law firm Olswang, where he was Co-Chair of its Patent Prosecution Group. Hill is renowned in patent prosecution work but also advises on enforcement and commercialisation. It is unclear whether Hill's move has anything to do with the Olswang's merger with CMS and Nabarro. This follows the hire of patent litigator Campbell Forsyth from King & Wood Mallesons last last April.
Galway City welcomes Keltie
Keltie has opened an office in the Irish city of Galway - its first office outside the UK. The office will be headed up by Patent Star Sean Cummings. The reason behind this move is anyone’s guess but we understand some in the UK IP community see Ireland as a second jurisdiction for practice post-Brexit. The firm said it is looking “forward to representing clients and associates directly before the Irish Patents Office in addition to continuing our representation before the EUIPO, the EPO and the UKIPO”.
AGIP now in Nigeria
Middle East IP powerhouse Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP) has added to its network of offices in Africa with the a new office in Abuja, Nigeria. The firm says it will use this office to provide IP protection services across West Africa. Not only is Nigeria is a major economy in Africa, the country will soon be home to one of WIPO’s external offices on the continent.