King & Spalding Adds New Talent to IP Team

09/29/06

King & Spalding adds new talent to IP team

International law firm King & Spalding has added three new partners to its Atlanta office-Tony Askew, Steve Schaetzel and Jim Johnson- to join the firm's intellectual property group. This major move follows close on the heels of the firm's decision to consolidate its IP practices. The three new partners come from Kilpatrick Stockton LLP. King & Spalding intends to bank on the expertise of the three new additions to enhance its capabilities in patent litigation, particularly in the areas of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. Askew, Schaetzel and Johnson are well-known patent lawyers and bring with them more than 60 years of combined experience in the sector.



Since 2004, King & Spalding's IP and life sciences practices has registered significant growth to its present strength of more than 100 attorneys and patent agents. The firm is on the lookout for more additions to its talent. With more than 800 lawyers currently practicing in its offices across the U.S. and the U.K, the firm intends to recruit more personnel with the aim to solidify its stronghold in this sector among peer groups.

Mayer Brown gives financial practices a revamp
Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw is in midst of revamping its finance and private equity practices. The move comes in the wake of the firm's decision to muscle-up its New York office with new leaders, after four of its partners deserted to MoFo. Apart from the new additions, senior partners in the firm have also been promoted in an attempt to restructure its present capacity.

Brian Trust, former joint-partner, has been elevated to take charge of the firm's financial restructuring and bankruptcy practice in New York. He will continue to handle complex bankruptcy reorganizations, restructuring and financing. Trust will have Hector Gonzalez and John Ferrell joining him as partners in New York. Mayer Brown is building strategies to integrate practice areas throughout its global market. With this aim, it hired Gary Jungels and Olga Loy, experts in buyout, venture and other private equity funds, as partners to lead the expansion of the firm's Chicago private equity fund formation practice.

Mayer Brown, which has offices in 13 major cities worldwide, enjoys an impressive clientele list with major blue-chip companies, financial institutions to multinational businesses. The firm's New York office started working in 1978 and more than 200 attorneys are currently engaged in offering clients advise on wide range of practices including private and project financing, securitization, bank regulation, capital markets, corporate, venture capital, M&A, leveraged leasing and restructurings, real estate, tax advice, etc.