Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP has enhanced its technology practice with the addition of two leading lawyers principally serving the technology and consumer electronics industries. Paul C. Lin and Kevin G. McBride are joining the Los Angeles office of the firm as partners in the corporate and IP litigation practices, respectively. Both lawyers come to Akin Gump from Jones Day.
Mr. Lin’s practice is focused on serving the needs of clients in the technology and consumer electronics industries. He has broad experience in cross-border corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance. In addition, he manages the delivery of the array of legal services accessed by clients in those industries, including IP litigation, ITC proceedings, complex commercial litigation and international trade and antitrust advisory services. Mr. Lin’s clients include leading companies in the technology and consumer industries—located principally in California and the Asia-Pacific region—private equity funds and other institutional investors.
Mr. McBride’s practice focuses on patent and other intellectual property litigation. Mr. McBride’s experience spans a wide range of technologies, including software, semiconductors, smart cards, encryption, satellite controls and digital signal processing. His clients include leading technology and consumer electronics companies, software developers, semiconductor manufacturers, television broadcasters, media and entertainment companies, cellular phone manufacturers and automobile manufacturers.
Frank Reddick, co-leader of Akin Gump’s corporate practice, said, “This is an exciting development for the firm and signals our continued commitment to build a leading practice focused on the technology and consumer electronics sector. With the arrival of these accomplished practitioners, we further extend our footprint in the California tech industry and strengthen our Asia-Pacific presence, building on the recent opening of our Hong Kong office, our presence in Beijing and our planned Singapore office. We are very pleased to welcome Paul and Kevin to the firm.”
Added Steven M. Zager, head of Akin Gump’s IP practice, “Growing our IP capabilities on the West Coast has been a strategic priority for us, and Paul and Kevin’s arrival significantly bolsters those efforts. I’m excited to welcome these noted industry leaders, as well as thoughtful and experienced lawyers, to our team.”
John Karaczynski, partner in charge of Akin Gump’s Los Angeles office, said, “We are thrilled to have Kevin and Paul join our team. Akin Gump opened its Century City office almost 15 years ago and expanded last year with the opening of a second office in Downtown Los Angeles. We have added more than 25 lawyers to our Los Angeles offices over the past 24 months in our corporate, project finance, litigation and intellectual property practices. We are pleased to be able to strengthen the breadth and depth of our offerings in California to serve our clients better.”
Mr. McBride said, “Paul and I are both very happy to be joining Akin Gump, whose depth, global footprint and strong culture of collaboration make it a great fit with our clients. The strengths of the firm’s corporate and IP practices are well-known, and its growing presence in, and emphasis on, Asia will provide a great support for the cross-border aspect of our practices.”
About Paul Lin
Mr. Lin’s corporate practice is broad, ranging from all manner of M&A, transactional and finance matters, to serving in an in-house capacity to many of his clients. His clients range from multinational public corporations and Chinese state-owned enterprises to medium and small privately held businesses across a broad range of industries, including high-tech, consumer products, infrastructure and city development, automotive, green energy and biotech.
Mr. Lin is active in the Asian-American community and cross-border associations and is a member of the Committee of 100, an international, nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that brings a Chinese-American perspective to issues concerning Asian-Americans and U.S.-China relations. He is also a frequent speaker on cross-border M&A and was selected as one of the top “20 under 40” lawyers in California by Daily Journal, California’s largest legal news provider. Mr. Lin serves as a board member of Dean’s Business Advisory Council, University of California, Irvine School of Law.
About Kevin McBride
Mr. McBride’s practice includes representing clients in a broad range of IP-related litigation and disputes. In addition to his litigation experience, Mr. McBride has substantial experience in IP licenses, joint ventures and technology development transactions. His practice spans a wide range of technologies, including software, semiconductors, smart cards, encryption, satellite controls and digital signal processing.
Mr. McBride is a frequent writer and speaker on a number of IP issues. In 2011, he was named as one of the “75 Leading IP Litigators” in California by Daily Journal.
