(March 28, 2011, SAN FRANCISCO)-Reed Smith LLP has announced the addition of experienced litigator Robert N. Phillips as a partner in the firm's Intellectual Property Group in its San Francisco office.
"Rob has a strong intellectual property practice, with a client list that is complementary to ours, with overlapping relationships in place," said San Francisco Office Managing Partner David Thompson. "Rob is a known player in West Coast IP and across the country; we are delighted to have him on our team."
Formerly a partner in the San Francisco office of Howrey LLP, Phillips specializes in trademark, trade dress, design patent, copyright, unfair competition and right of publicity matters for well-known Fortune 100 companies involved in high-stakes litigation, as well as emerging businesses in need of IP protection. Throughout his 25-year career, Phillips has handled hundreds of intellectual property matters for some of the world's most famous brands, and he is currently lead counsel on several federal court cases throughout the country.
Phillips was one of nine attorneys named Leading Lawyers in the United States by Legal 500 for trademark litigation in 2008, with clients noting that he is "very responsive, stays on top of things, and you can always trust his work." Phillips was also selected as a Top Lawyer in the Bay Area for Intellectual Property by Bay Area Lawyer Magazine.
"Reed Smith is a great fit for my intellectual property practice. The firm's tagline, ‘the business of relationships,' is the real deal, and is why it has such a strong reputation and is a leader in client satisfaction ratings. It also has a talented group of IP attorneys with fantastic clients and an amazing full-service practice with offices all over the world," said Mr. Phillips. "I look forward to continuing to serve my clients from this exciting new platform."
Reed Smith has more than 110 IP attorneys based throughout the US, EU, and Asia, admitted to practice across a full spectrum of jurisdictions.
"Rob adds further strength and geographic breadth to our global trademark, copyright, design patent and associated litigation practices," said firmwide IP leader Jim Hultquist. "IP Litigation is a practice area that we are actively expanding, and Rob is a great addition. His experience as lead counsel across a range of intellectual property disputes is second to none."
Phillips graduated magna cum laude from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 1985, and he also holds a Bachelors Degree in Political Science, with High Honors, from the University of California, Berkeley.
Also joining Reed Smith from Howrey is litigation associate Seth Herring, who has worked closely with Phillips for many years. In addition to intellectual property matters, Herring's experience also includes a variety of labor and commercial disputes, and he has served as lead pro bono counsel in an asylum trial in Immigration Court.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm with more than 1,600 lawyers in 22 offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Founded in 1877, the firm represents leading international businesses, from Fortune 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises. Its lawyers provide litigation and other dispute resolution services in multi-jurisdictional and other high-stakes matters; deliver regulatory counsel; and execute the full range of strategic domestic and cross-border transactions. Reed Smith is a preeminent advisor to industries including financial services, life sciences, health care, advertising, technology and media, shipping, energy trade and commodities, real estate, manufacturing, and education. For more information, visit reedsmith.com.
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