In a bit of shameless self-promotion, we simply must announce that the Patent Baristas were ranked (again!) in the 2006 Edition of Chambers USA, a publication that ranks attorneys and their practices based upon peer and client review.
Chambers USA touts the Intellectual Property Department as known for their “exceptional” attention to detail and impeccable biomedical knowledge. Frost Brown Todd LLC is said to boast one of the top Intellectual Property practices in the region. Clients use adjectives such as “impeccable”, “genius”, “simply superb”, and “quite excellent” in describing Stephen Albainy-Jenei, Karlyn Schnapp, Steven Goldstein, David Schmit, and Joseph Dreitler.
From Chambers:
This team “understands academic culture and speaks the language of the scientist-inventor.” The firm is hoping to build on its strengths in patent litigation and the biomedical sector with a concerted push in trademark and copyright matters; this was boosted by the arrival of IP lawyers from Jones Day. The team has a healthy line in advising startups and managing cutting-edge issues for institutional clients like Ethicon. It eclipses the competition in the area of medical devices and recently handled several matters relating to spinal implants. Attorneys are active for hospitals and universities. Clients declare: “They do an excellent job of protecting and managing our creative assets .” They also “prompt us and let nothing fall through the cracks .” In a recent highlight, the team has been representing iPix in a patent infringement lawsuit concerning imaging technology on real estate Web sites.
The arrival of Joseph Dreitler from Jones Day is a triumph for the team. His trademark and copyright expertise will undoubtedly rejuvenate the firm’s IP roots. He recently successfully defended Joel Hyatt and former Vice President Al Gore against a trademark lawsuit attempting to scupper the launch of a new cable channel, CurrentTV. Chair of IP Steven Goldstein has over 30 years’ experience of patent prosecution under his belt and the useful experience of being former in-house counsel at Procter & Gamble. His background in biochemistry is invaluable to his pharmaceuticals-focused practice. The centerpiece of his year was succeeding in an EPO opposition proceeding involving a patent on the H. pylori assay. David Schmit concentrates on IP litigation and recently completed a case involving trade dress, trademark and unfair competition issues for toy companies making magnetic games. With his biotechnology background, Stephen Albainy-Jenei “speaks the language of scientists and communicates extremely well with them,” say clients. He has been busy developing a substantial patent portfolio for a pharmaceutical company’s treatment for inflammatory ailments. Karlyn Schnapp “always does an excellent job ,” in part thanks to her PhD in organic chemistry. She does opinion work for pharmaceutical companies and her clientele ranges from corporate and university researchers to entrepreneurial startups. Nicole Vickroy Hickey is now in-house counsel for Abbott Laboratories.
The qualities on which rankings are based include technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial awareness/astuteness, diligence, commitment, and other qualities valued by the client. Editorial comment is also derived from the research, with quotations used when they sum up the prevailing opinion of the market. The rankings and editorial comment about attorneys are independent and objective. Inclusion in the guide is based solely on the research team’s findings. For the current Global directory, over 6,500 of these interviews were conducted covering 170 countries. They were carried out by a team of 30 full-time researchers over a period of 12 months.
Now, if only we could win a Bloggy Award…
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