Global law firm K&L Gates LLP has strengthened its data privacy, intellectual property/technology transactions, and cybersecurity practices through the addition of a team of lawyers in its Chicago office. Partners Daniel L. Farris and Christopher L. Hines and associates Joe McClendon and Nicole Poulos join K&L Gates from Fox Rothschild LLP.
Farris advises technology and telecommunications companies, healthcare providers, financial institutions, retailers, professional services companies, and manufacturing clients on a variety of technology, privacy, data security, and infrastructure matters. As a former software engineer and network administrator, Farris brings valuable experience involving a wide range of technology matters, including data center and fiber optic networking, cloud computing, mobile app development, information governance, IoT, blockchain, augmented and virtual reality, AI and machine learning, autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles, and international privacy and data security. Farris also advises on traditional intellectual property matters such as patent protection and enforcement, licensing, trademark prosecution, digital rights management, brand extension, and mergers and acquisitions.
Formerly a computer programmer, Hines focuses his practice on a range of intellectual property matters related to patents and trademarks, including the preparation and prosecution of patent applications in the software, networking, telecommunications, and databases industries, among others. He also has experience litigating on patentability, validity, and infringement disputes, as well as working with new businesses on early growth intellectual property concerns.
“We are excited to add these four tech lawyers to K&L Gates’ global platform,” said Michael E. Martinez, managing partner of K&L Gates’ Chicago office. “With cyber risk and privacy continuing to be a focus of companies around the world, this team’s diverse experience will greatly enhance the firm’s ability to serve our clients in those, as well as in broader IP and technology, areas.”
K&L Gates’ intellectual property practice has more than 200 lawyers – including approximately 100 registered patent lawyers, agents, and technology specialists with technical or advanced science degrees, nearly 20 with doctorates – who devote their practices to helping clients establish, enforce, and leverage their intellectual property rights worldwide. Among leading IP firms, K&L Gates filed over 3,000 patent applications and 2,750 trademarks worldwide in 2018.
The firm’s technology transactions group has experience in both complex and routine cases covering a wide range of technologies and industries. This includes providing counsel on business and legal issues related to technology licensing and transactions, Internet/cloud computing law, intellectual property development and taxation issues, e-merging commerce, specialized due diligence, legislation and regulation, and more.
Lawyers in K&L Gates’ data privacy and cybersecurity practices help clients to develop effective solutions for protecting and managing information assets and assist with all aspects of addressing cyber risks. This includes preventing and deterring attacks, pursuing perpetrators, responding to problems, and mitigating risk and loss.
Source: www.klgates.com
