Barnes & Thornburg today announced the additions of John A. Cullis, Lawrence E. “Lee” James, and Robert E. Browne to its Intellectual Property Department in Chicago. Cullis and James join as partners, while Browne is of counsel. The trio joins from Reed Smith.
The three attorneys have strong IP litigation practices and together their experience spans across all facets of intellectual property protection on behalf of their clients. They represent clients of all sizes from a range of industries, including animal nutrition, automotive, communications, electrical connectors and controls, farm machinery, food service, pharmaceuticals, software, mechanical, electromechanical, Internet and e-commerce technologies.
“This group has a long track record of success when it comes to IP litigation, involving everything from trademarks and patents to copyrights, trade secrets, unfair competition, and more,” said Julia Gard, chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Department. “Their skills as litigators, combined with the strategic counsel they provide clients on any number of IP issues, make them key additions to the firm.”
Cullis and James make up the fifth and sixth partner additions to the Chicago office’s Intellectual Property Department this year.
“The Chicago office has seen tremendous growth in our IP practice this year and we are thrilled to welcome John, Lee and Robert to our team,” said Michael Carrillo, Chicago office managing partner. “They have years of experience and well-established relationships in the local market that will only continue to further our growth in the region.”
John Cullis’ practice is centered on intellectual property litigation, counseling and procurement. Cullis is an accomplished trial lawyer who has first-chaired trademark, trade dress, trade secret, copyright and unfair competition matters before judges and juries in numerous U.S. federal courts. He has also tried several matters to verdict before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. He is often called upon to take over highly contentious cases that are destined for trial. In addition to his trial work, Cullis is well-versed in intellectual property rights for registration, clearance, licensing and enforcement, and regularly counsels his clients on such matters. He is also a member of the International Trademark Association’s Parallel Imports Committee.
Cullis received his J.D. from the University of Windsor Faculty School of Law/University of Detroit-Mercy School of Law and his B.A. from Huron College at the University of Western Ontario.
Lawrence “Lee” James handles litigation in federal courts and before the United States Patent and Trademark Offices. He litigates matters involving trademarks, trade dress, trade secrets, patents, copyrights, and unfair competition. In addition, James assists clients in obtaining trademarks, copyrights and patents. As a former product engineer and manufacturing engineer, James provides valuable counsel for his clients regarding their technology and brands.
James earned his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law and his B.S. from the University of Michigan.
Robert Browne assists clients in protecting and enforcing their IP and defending their rights. Browne drafts and prosecutes patent and trademark applications and regularly negotiates and drafts IP and merchandise licenses and distribution agreements. He has wide experience in advocating for clients before the Patent and Trademark Office and numerous Federal District courts and Courts of Appeal throughout the United States, including the Federal Circuit, in litigation involving complex patent, trademark, trade dress, copyright and unfair completion matters. Working within a variety of technologies and industries, Browne assists clients in computer software licenses and development agreements, publishing agreements, and technology transfer and development agreements.
Browne received his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School and his B.S. from the University of Notre Dame.
With more than 700 attorneys and other legal professionals, Barnes & Thornburg is one of the largest law firms in the country. The firm serves clients worldwide from offices in Atlanta, California, Chicago, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minneapolis, New York, Ohio, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, Texas and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit us online at www.btlaw.com or on Twitter @BTLawNews
