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Attorneys form Biotactica LLP, life science practice

Kevin Buckley, Tara Nealey, and Saul Zackson, three accomplished patent and life science attorneys, recently left Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthall LLP, one of the largest St. Louis firms, to form a new law firm called Biotactica LLC. The new firm will meet the varying legal needs of the ever-evolving life sciences industry. Biotactica LLC will serve a variety of clients, from contract research organizations, to venture capitalists, to strategic consultants, and other commercial units. They plan serve the dynamic needs of such clients by combining legal practices, including intellectual property protection, licensing, regulation, funding, and marketing. In addition to this broad range of legal services, the law firm will also give its clients the benefit of alternative fee structures, like equity-based and contingency models. The founders of Biotactica LLC, one of the first firms of its kind, have extensive experience in a broad range of life science matters, such as medical therapy, pharmaceuticals, and various forms of bio-energy technologies. According to the Biotactica LLC website, the firm establishes a new standard in expediting the distribution process of cutting-edge technological innovations from the laboratory to the retail shelf.

12-04-2006

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Wilson Elser strengthens lobbying compliance practice

In view of the ever-evolving government lobbying rules, Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker proposes to form a new group in its Albany, NY office to help clients comply with the new stringent lobbying laws. The government affairs practice group of the firm's NY office has entrusted the job to Theresa Russo, currently serving the firm as a compliance officer in lobby law, to head the team.

The new state laws require that companies wanting to sell their goods and services to the New York state government, or municipalities of more than 50,000 people, must be registered as lobbyists. The law became effective this year, states bizjournals.com. Apart from this, other common business practices also require the Lobbying Commission's registration and compliance report. The New York Temporary State Commission on Lobbying also occasionally conducts audits and civil penalty hearings where the firm has to help its clients with the litigation process.

With 21 registered lobbyists, Wilson Elser is undisputedly a top-drawer firm for government affairs and lobbying in Albany, and according to the Lobbying Commission reports, did $5.4 million worth of business last year. Apart from government affairs and lobbying compliance, the firm's attorneys also practice in health law, civil and commercial litigation, and municipal law.

12-01-2006

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Climb Vs Color equations in law firms

Even though hiring patterns in the U.S. law firms have changed, and retention levels of minority, women, and diverse attorneys have considerably increased, the modus operandi as far as promotions are concerned is still archaic. In its report, nytimes.com, commented that despite large scale hiring of African American attorneys, these attorneys do not make it to the top rung as fast as their Caucasian peers do.

In his reports, Richard H. Sander, in The North Carolina Law Review, stated that very few blacks graduated from top-30 law schools with high grades and hence firms who are under tremendous pressure from clients to hire minority attorneys have to compromise quality for quantity, which then gets reflected in the promotion factor. Sander 's study found out that African American lawyers are about .25% likely to get promoted to partner compared to white lawyers from the same batch of fresh associates.

The findings by Sander, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles was published in July first, since when it courted severe criticism and drew flak from the law firm seniors like Bruce McClean, chairman of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, who stated that Sander's report was very opinionated and lacked "detailed data analysis."

Most legal pundits are of the opinion that Sander, while paying more attention to grades, has negated the other attributes that goes into forging good lawyering skills like writing, comprehensive analytical minds, oral advocacy, etc. Good schools also make up a percentage of corporate law firm hiring criteria.

The firms also acknowledge the race to achieve racial diversity within the firm, but the new associates can hardly withstand the race till the new partners are announced. High rate of attrition among attorneys of color also affect their progress. Despite the fact that starting salaries for an average African American attorney can start somewhere at $135,000, their lack of retention finds almost all firms left with little options while finalizing the partners' lists.

A few intellectuals in the arena attribute this factor to failure of providing minority associates with mentoring, encouragement, and good assignments, which leads to dejection and loss of confidence among the minority associates. The Director of the New York City Bar Association's diversity office, Meredith Moore says colored attorneys are often seen stagnating and in most cases, their numbers dwindle. Though these minority attorneys are often said to make it big in firms of lesser fame and reach, because of less peer pressure and good mentoring, Sander however said he did not have direct evidence on that point.

Sander's efforts have been slammed for its merit with a sledgehammer by critics, who while acknowledging the truth, cite different reasons for the disparity. While some concede racial discrimination to be one of the factors, others opine individuals' excellence also counts.

In comparison to minority associates, women showed more zeal while shouldering responsibility and were "positive" than their male counterparts.

12-01-2006

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Davis Wright, Cole Raywid to tie the knot

National law firm Davis Wright Tremaine and Washington, DC-based Cole, Raywid & Braverman announced the reaching of an understanding between the law firms' managements. As per the agreement, the duo will tie the knot formally on New Years day. Cole, Raywid & Braverman will adopt Davis Wright Tremaine's name and will have a combined strength of 455 attorneys. The new firm's DC office will be supervised by co-partners-in-charge, Richard L. Cys of Davis Wright Tremaine, and Steven Horvitz of Cole, Raywid & Braverman.

The partnership between the two communications law firms has been designed with the intention of creating an unparalleled and highly diversified communications practice across the entire country. Davis Wright Tremaine's communications, media, and technology law practice team has 90 lawyers providing varied services within the practice area to a vast array of clients. Four decades old, Cole, Raywid & Braverman are communication pundits concentrating in the legal, business, regulatory and technological aspects of the industry. Davis Wright Tremaine operates from nine offices across the country as well as China, providing its exclusive clientele with full range of specific legal services.

The merger, hyped to be the foundation of a communications, media, and technology law giant, will benefit clients from both the firms with easy access to a team of brilliant attorneys and a wide area of legal practices. Davis Wright Tremaine lawyers also practice in private equity, venture capital, and corporate finance, apart from privacy and data security, health information technology, entertainment, and advertising.

11-30-2006

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Fulbright & Jaworski sets foot in Denver

International law firm Fulbright & Jaworski entered the legal market in Denver by opening an office there, recently. The move to open shop in the Rockies comes from the firm's acknowledging its desire for proximity to energy companies actively involved in energy development in the area. With its presence, the law firm wants its clients to speed up energy development and at the same time protect the outstanding environmental qualities found in the area.

The emerging legal market in Denver is luring attorneys to set their presence in the area in order to tap the potential market. Jeff Dykes, partner will head the Denver office which consists of experienced attorneys adept in handling all energy sector matters from exploration and production to alternative energy, including wind power. The team will have one new face - Ken Wonstolen who has 30 years of experience energy policy and law to his credit. He earlier served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel for the Colorado Oil & Gas Association and in the new capacity serve as senior counsel for the firm.

Fulbright's has more than 250 lawyers in its Energy Practice Group spread across 16 offices who serve clients in energy litigation, regulatory compliance, and energy transactions in energy industry specific areas including Texas, Washington, D.C., New York, California, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

11-30-2006

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Law firms on a re-jig spree in San Diego

From Birch, Stewart, Kolasch, & Birch; Stutz Artiano Shinoff & Holtz; to Wilson Petty Kosmo & Turner, many major San Diego law firms are in revamping mode.

The national intellectual property law firm Birch, Stewart, Kolasch, & Birch moved to Del Mar Heights from its Falls Church, Va., location. The move, though not an overnight development, stemmed from the firm's desire to tap the area's biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. The new office will concentrate on non-litigation intellectual property work. Though at present the firm has four local professionals in its IP team, it is keeping its door open for more. Its expertise lies in biotechnology, chemistry, computer science, diagnostics, electronic technologies, health care, mechanical technologies, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals.

Meanwhile, San Diego-based Stutz Artiano Shinoff & Holtz appointed Prescilla Dugard to head its newly created practice area of Land Use and Real Estate Law. Dugard, who provides counsel during all stages of land use, along with government liaising and legislative advocacy, is an erstwhile San Diego city attorney and assistant city attorney.

Again, Wilson Petty Kosmo & Turner, litigation specialists, beefed up its Product Liability Practice with the induction of two associates, Robert C. Rodriguez and Gita M. Varughese. Being on the Product Liability team, Rodriguez will concentrate mainly on the defense of national automotive manufacturers. Wilson Petty serves its clients on matters related to product liability, litigation on employment and general business, warranty law, health care, and media law.

Fish & Richardson, another San Diego-based law firm has added two more attorneys, David Kleinsmith and Jennifer Schmied to its roster, which already has 45 attorneys and more than a dozen specialists, advisers and law clerks. Kleinsmith joined as counsel in the corporate, licensing, and patent prosecution practices of the firm, and Schmied is already a member of the firm's business litigation practice.

Another major player in the area, Latham & Watkins, added 25 new partners and promoted one lawyer to the firm's five departments spread over its 12 offices. The firm promoted its existing attorney Patricia Guerrero, an environmental litigation expert concentrating on criminal and civil government enforcement matters, toxic torts, natural resource damages, Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act litigation, to partner. Latham & Watkins employs more than 100 attorneys in its downtown offices.

11-29-2006

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Kamenstein joins McDermott Will & Emery

Adam D. Kamenstein, a U.S. Attorney's Office veteran, joined McDermott Will & Emery in its Los Angeles office. Kamenstein will serve the firm as a partner in the Trial Department as well as a member of the Firm's White-Collar Criminal Defense Practice Group. The firm hopes to gain leverage on Kamenstein's vast experience in government-related investigations, including corporate fraud, government fraud, public corruption, civil rights violations, narcotics trafficking, and organized crime. The move has strengthened the firm's trial litigation practice which has nearly 20 partners, most of whom are former senior prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney's Offices.

11-29-2006

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