Rutan & Tucker LLP, one of California’s leading full-service law firms, recently announced that seasoned attorney Bill Schaal has joined the firm as a partner in its Intellectual Property group and a member of its Corporate/Securities/Tax Section. He practices in the firm’s Orange County office. More >>

Building upon its existing three California offices in San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Los Angeles, Novak Druce will enter Orange County on March 1. The new Orange County office will bring to 11 the number of Novak Druce offices across the country, with California having the highest concentration.

“Overall, we have been experiencing an increased demand from clients involving strategic prosecution of large portfolios that are core to the client’s business, along with litigation and corporate work. While this demand has been strong across our national platform, demand in California has been particularly intense,” said Gregory Novak, Managing Partner and CEO of Novak Druce.

Further, Novak said, “given this demand, we were fortunate to be approached by the Fountain Law Group’s George Fountain to join Novak Druce and deliver to us an ability to better serve our existing clients and to provide George’s clients a greater depth via our national platform. Our being able to gain an Orange County office perfectly fits with our strategic growth plan and with our model of facilitating client services in the growing Orange County and San Diego area markets, reflecting the needs and demands of our high tech, medical device and biotech client base.”

“I am extremely pleased to be able to bring my practice and clients to Novak Druce and to be a part of a national law firm with such an incredible focus on all aspects of intellectual property law, including the ability to foster relationships with and guide early stage and startup companies,” said, new Novak Druce partner, George Fountain. “Having been approached by other national law firms that were more of a general practice, I was happy when a mutual and significant client put me in contact with Novak Druce. The approach towards the client and the encompassing approach on intellectual property made me feel that this is the Firm for my clients to follow me to, as my practice demanded and will significantly benefit from a larger platform.”

Fountain joins Novak Druce bringing his experience from Fountain Law Group to the Firm, where the he and the Firm will continue to provide closely tailored services to its predominately high-tech client base.

Fountain has over 20 years of experience representing high-tech companies and individuals in acquiring and protecting significant intellectual property portfolios. Fountain received his BS EE from California State Polytechnic University in 1984, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude, an MS EE from the University of Southern California in 1988, and his JD from Temple University in 1995, where he graduated Cum Laude. Fountain also brings eight years of industry experience as an engineer.

This is the second office expansion for Novak Druce in the last 9 months. In July, Novak Druce added a Philadelphia office led by veteran IP attorney Alfred W. Zaher. Novak Druce now has 11 offices across the U.S. Fountain also joins Duane H. Mathiowetz, Patricia L. Peden, and Rick C. Chang as new partners who joined Novak Druce in the last 3 months and reside in its California offices.

Theodora Oringher is pleased to welcome Seth Goldstein as a Senior Attorney in the firm’s Orange County office. Seth’s practice has focused on the representation of financial institutions, with emphasis on the defense of consumer class actions and other complex matters brought against banks and other financial service providers in connection with retail banking and lending operations. Seth also has substantial experience in complex commercial disputes at both the trial and appellate levels for clients in a variety of industries, including government contracting, insurance, pharmaceuticals, securities and telecommunications. More >>

Buchalter Nemer is pleased to announce the addition of Michael Caspino. Mr. Caspino joins the Firm as a Shareholder in the Firm’s Litigation Practice Group in Orange County. A practicing attorney for more than twenty years, Mr. Caspino has successfully taken cases to trial in areas of law that include wrongful death, product liability, construction defects, employment, environmental claims and business disputes. More >>

PIB Law, a full-service law firm, is now serving clients coast-to-coast with the opening of its office in Orange County, California. On February 2, 2015 the firm announced the office opening at 695 Town Center Drive, 16th floor in Costa Mesa, California. More >>

Actavis plc and Allergan, Inc. have announced a definitive agreement under which Actavis will acquire Allergan in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $66 billion. The combination will create one of the top 10 global pharmaceutical companies by sales revenue, with combined annual pro forma revenues of more than $23 billion anticipated in 2015. The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of Actavis and Allergan, is subject to the approval of the shareholders of both companies, as well as customary antitrust clearance in the US, the EU and certain other jurisdictions, and is anticipated to close in the second quarter of 2015. More >>

Global law firm K&L Gates LLP represented the underwriters in connection with the $220 million initial public offering of Forward Pharma A/S, a biopharmaceutical company working to advance a proprietary formulation of dimethyl fumarate for the treatment of multiple sclerosis and other immune disorders such as psoriasis. Forward Pharma issued 10.5 million American Depositary Shares (ADSs), representing the company’s ordinary shares at a price to the public of $21 per ADS. The ADSs now trade on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “FWP”. More >>