Mayer Brown announced today that one of the country’s foremost complex copyright litigation lawyers, Paul Fakler, has joined the firm as a partner in the Intellectual Property practice in New York. Mr. Fakler joins from Orrick.

“Paul is widely recognized as a go-to, first-chair litigator in bet-the-company copyright disputes on behalf of major digital music service clients and others, and we are thrilled to welcome him to our preeminent team,” said Lisa Ferri, a co-leader of Mayer Brown’s global Intellectual Property practice. “His extensive and unique experience with rate-setting proceedings before the Copyright Royalty Board and federal courts, as well as administrative proceedings before the US Copyright Office and the US Department of Justice (DOJ), will be invaluable to our clients in the digital media, computer software and telecommunications industries.”

For over two decades, Mr. Fakler has worked at the intersection of music, technology and business. His experience includes litigating some of the seminal cases applying copyright and related law to new media and technologies to help streaming, broadcasting, media and software companies advance their business objectives. He routinely represents digital music services, as well as other media and software companies, in negotiations and disputes with record labels, music publishers and other rights holders. One of the few attorneys in the country with extensive first-chair experience before the Copyright Royalty Board and other royalty rate-setting venues, his experience also spans many other issues, including music licensing, royalty audits and payment disputes, copyright infringement claims, fair use and other defenses, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and its safe harbor for internet service providers, copyright issues relating to artificial intelligence, copyright policy matters and government affairs.

“Mayer Brown has developed a market-leading practice in the area of copyright litigation for digital media, software and other technology clients,” noted Mr. Fakler. “The firm’s deep understanding of and demonstrated commitment to not only support but also grow that practice made my decision to join the firm an easy one. Copyright litigation, especially in the digital media and software spaces, has become increasingly complex and the stakes have increased exponentially. In this environment, firms must have deep benches and the ability to field multidisciplinary teams of experts. Mayer Brown has the collaborative culture necessary to provide the highest level of service expected by clients for these matters. I am excited to join forces, building strength upon strength with the existing Mayer Brown team.”

Mr. Fakler also focuses his practice on counseling clients with respect to copyright, trademark, right of publicity, entertainment, computer and Internet law issues. Additionally, he advises on strategies for shaping copyright policy and represents clients’ interests before government entities that influence the copyright ecosystem, such as Congress, the Copyright Office and the DOJ.

“Paul has led some of the most cutting-edge copyright litigations in recent years—he’s a terrific addition to our worldwide IP practice and expanding New York office,“ said Matthew Ingber, the managing partner of Mayer Brown’s New York office.

Mr. Fakler is the former chair of the New York State Bar Association Intellectual Property Law Section and a member of the Copyright Society of the USA and the International Trademark Association. He frequently speaks and publishes on legal developments in the fields of copyright, music and technology.