Loeb & Loeb expands IP & entertainment practice with new addition

03/30/07

Loeb & Loeb expands IP & entertainment practice with new addition
Multiservice national law firm Loeb & Loeb LLP hired prominent IP & Entertainment lawyer Thomas A. Guida to its practice groups as a partner. Guida, who joins Loeb from Baker & Hostetler LLP, will continue to practice in the new firm's New York office.

Guida is the fourth lateral hire the firm has made in its IP area in the past two months. Earlier, in February, three partners from Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal joined Loeb's patent litigation team. The firm plans to add two more to the IP group as partners soon.

With vast experience in structuring commercial and corporate transactions, Guida concentrates his practice on development, licensing, financing, and protection of intellectual property assets. He specializes in digital and interactive media, branded entertainment, entertainment technology, and complex licensing transactions. He also maintains an active online IP enforcement practice, and has litigated complex trademark, copyright, and domain name disputes for domestic and European clients. Guida also actively provides pro bono counsel to charitable groups.

Size doesn't matter, mid-sized law firms show in results
Mid-sized law firms in areas like Buffalo are digging in their heels to stick it out in the home turf, and also to make it big. And all this is happening, despite predictions by law firm, veterans that these handfuls of fries would soon be swallowed hook line and sinker by bigger catches. These attorneys are zeroing in on their strong points in the respective practice areas as well as "touting a high quality of life for prospective hires," reports bizjournals.com.

However, the trend augurs well as the recent Business First's Annual Law Firms list found few midsized law firms' names on the top rungs. The reasons aren't too far too seek, opine others. Many attorneys in top-notch firms are now relinquishing their fascination for the big names to catch up with their personal lives. Small leisure pleasures are swaying these lawyers to rethink on the grind attached to big firm. Therefore, managing partners of such midsize firms are finding the recruitment drives smoother than before. Kenneth Krajewski Managing partner at Brown & Kelly lamented that retention of young turks at such law firms often proves most crucial, as better baits from the bigger firms lure them away. Therefore, he stated, this can be combated by allowing such young attorneys to "appear in court and conduct depositions" instead of handling routine work at the law firm offices.

Raymond Fink, Harter Secrest & Emery LLP 's Buffalo office partner says less billable hours also favors these firms. Associates here put in nearly 600-700 hours less a year than their New York peers who bill 2500 hours. Another firm Harris Beach PLLC , whose Buffalo office grew by four attorneys, climbed up three slots and was placed at No. 9. Harris Beach expanded its public finance group and trusts and estates practice. Prominent litigator Richard Sullivan, who joined the firm last year, is trying to divert public funds into community projects in Niagara County.

Placed at the third position, Damon & Morey LLP  hopes to raise its attorney headcount with the addition of five new names. It will then have 90 attorneys. The firm retained its former position with the addition of eight new lawyers to its various practice areas. The firm also annexed seven partners from other firms to fortify its immigration practice group. After identification of potentially viable target markets in fields like healthcare, cross-border practice, and litigation, the firm embarked on a strategic expansion bid by luring in partners and experts from other firms to join theirs, said Peter Marlette, Managing Partner.

However, M&A deals with big law firms can never be erased, opines Raymond Stapell, Harris Beach Managing Partner. This is truer especially in view of Western New York's "chronic economic woes." This, he thinks, is more the case as mid-sized firms do not have all the resources to go it alone while trying to serve its clientele in all their needs.

BIZARRE NEWS

Pervert ordered to wear high-visibility clothing at nights
A different kind of punishment for voyeurism. Stephen Cooper, 24, received an order to wear a florescent jacket while going out at night. This is expected to alert the potential victims. Cooper was caught on 11^th January, creeping into a woman's garden to get a sneak-peak through a crack. He was expecting 'a view' that would help him gain sexual satisfaction. Cooper had already made his debut in the Sex Offenders Register and this marks his second entry for violating the conditions imposed on him. Judge Peter Dedman made the bizarre ban at Southend Crown Court in Essex after adjourning sentencing, reports dailymail.co.uk. Lesley Bates, an attorney specializing in sex offence cases, opined "It is tantamount to asking him to walk around wearing a sign saying, 'I'm a sex offender'." Now Cooper's only hope of getting away is to sneak around a construction site…