Restructuring the IP practice

More law firm reductions kicked off the week, with Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP laying off 99, Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP letting go of 25 and Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP cutting 10 percent of its work force. Fried Frank confirmed Monday that it had reduced its head count by 41 associates and 58 administrative staff members, citing the negative impact of the financial crisis on clients.

Bryan Cave LLP has added another intellectual property litigator to the firm's list of partners, luring Kara E. F. Cenar from the newly merged K&L Gates LLP.
Cenar, who joins the firm's Chicago offices, has spent her career litigating intellectual property law, advising clients on their IP rights, and developing enforcement programs to avoid infringement.

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In the midst of all the layoffs, there are jobs

So in the last few months, all I have been writing about are layoffs which have occupied the media and of course our lives. Today, I post a few NY IP legal jobs that are out there waiting to be discovered. Enjoy.

Mid to Senior Level IP/Patent Law Scientific Advisor-Patent Agent/Associate @ Frommer Lawrence & Haug LLP

Patent Agent, Legal, Intellectual Property @ Forest Laboratories, Inc.

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New Developments in the Legal Field

On Monday, the same day the Morgan & Finnegan LLP boutique folded, five IP litigators at Keker & Van Nest LLP broke off from the San Francisco-based firm and started a fledgling boutique of their own. The new firm, Durie Tangri Lemley Roberts & Kent LLP, began operations Monday, partner Daralyn Durie said.
Intellectual property boutique Morgan & Finnegan LLP is shutting its doors and folding into Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP, which just scored more than 30 new lawyers for its offices in New York and Washington, in addition to a lawyer who will staff a new San Francisco office for the firm. Thirteen of the lateral lawyers join Locke Lord as partners, including John F. Sweeney, who had practiced at Morgan & Finnegan since 1973.

January saw about 20 top firms lay off lawyers and other employees, and February has gotten off to an equally grim start with Tuesday's announcement that McDermott Will & Emery is cutting 60 attorneys and 89 staff members. In a firmwide memo, Chairman Harvey W. Freishtat said a slowdown in the business of clients had caused a reduction in the firm's work, especially in transactions.

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Today's IP Jobs

Docket Clerk at Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP in New York, NY.

IP(Organic Chemistry) Associate or Patent Agent at Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC in Philadelphia, PA.

Patent Prosecution Associate - Electrical at Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack, LLP in Washington, DC.

Patent Attorney - at Baker & Daniels LLP in Fort Wayne, IN.

Intellectual Property Attorney at Baker & Daniels LLP in Indianapolis, IN.

Intellectual Property Associate at K&L Gates LLP in Pittsburgh, PA.

Patent Agent at Olympus in Center Valley, PA.

Managing Director at PCT Capital, LLC in Washington, DC.

Executive Assistant at Wyeth in Madison, NJ.

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Today's Jobs

IP Attorney/Patent Agent – Pharmaceutical/Chemical at Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C., Albany, NY

Intellectual Property Researcher/Analyst at Alcatel-Lucent, Murray Hill, NJ

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Today's Jobs

IP Legal Secretary at DLA Piper, New York, New York.

Intellectual Property Associate at K L Gates, Pittsburgh, PA

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Today's Jobs

Patent Litigator at Wyeth, Madison, New Jersey

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Jobs Today

Executive Assistant at Wyeth in Madison, NJ.

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Yet Another Impractical Reality from Motherland ;-)

We have all gotten accustomed to using emoticons, right? We use the famous smiley faces in text messages and e-mail. And if you are like me, you take every opportunity to use the emoticon, as it is fun and conveys your emotions (see my emoticon statement here).

Well in Russia (my Motherland), as was reported earlier by NTV (Russian Television Network) and the Associated Press, the use of the smiley face may soon bring Trademark infringement suits to court. A Russian businessman, Oleg Teterin, has successfully trademarked the famous smiley face in the Russian Federation ;-). He has noted that he will not pursue enforcement over personal use but will seek compensation for commercial use, specifically citing use by corporations and private companies "looking to make a profit without the permission of the trademark holder".

I have to say that nothing surprises me about Motherland. A country where you can buy anything as long as you have money and connections. Well, if you have money, you have connections. :) I keep asking myself though, how did this ever pass through the Russian Patent & Trademark Office (RPOT)? The funny part? Russia media said Teterin wasn't the first to try to trademark the symbol in Russia.

When I tried to search the RPTO, not surprisingly their website was down. However, I was able to find information on how to file for a TM in RPOT:
1) No evidence of use is required upon filing of a trademark application.
2) The rights to the mark will belong to the person who files the application first.
...even if a mark was used for a long time in Russia by another company.
A search on USPTO TARR results in 128 matches for "emoticons".

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Today's Hot IP Jobs

Sr. Counsel (Biotechnology) at Schering Plough located in Kenilworth, NJ.

Chief International Patent Counsel Job at Wyeth located in Madison, NJ.

Senior Patent Counsel at Eastman Kodak located in Rochester, NY.

Patent Attorney/Patent Agent at Burr and Brown located in Syracuse, NY.

Patent Associate at Arent Fox located in NY, NY.

IP Attorney/Patent Agent - Computer Science at Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C. located in Albany, NY.

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