Industry moves and mergers

Danny Marti, managing partner in the Washington DC office of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, has been confirmed by the US Senate as the new IP czar, with a unanimous bipartisan vote of 92 to 0. The Senate also confirmed Michelle Lee as director of the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Meanwhile, Russell Slifer has been appointed as the next deputy under secretary of commerce for intellectual property and deputy director of the USPTO. Slifer previously served as the director of the USPTO’s regional office in Denver.

Verena von Bomhard has left Hogan Lovells to launch IP law firm BomhardIP, located in Alicante.

Helsinki-based legal technology start-up TrademarkNow has announced the appointment of Charles Hill as head of product and Harry Kairento as head of finance.

Arent Fox has appointed Steven Weisburd and Richard LaCava as partners in its New York office. Weisburd and LaCava. Both join from Dickstein Shapiro.

Dutch Caribbean law firm VanEps KunnemanVanDoorne has strengthened its position in intellectual property, communication and technology with the arrival of senior lawyer Steffen Hagen.

Online rights monitoring and protection service Incopro has expanded its international legal network to promote knowledge sharing and cooperation between member firms, and to provide further expert legal advice and enforcement resources to clients. The four new members are Boehmert & Boehmert, Lenz Caemmerer, MAQS Sweden and MSP-LAW.

Alan Chiu

Hogan Lovells has announced that partners Alan Chiu and Eugene Low have joined its IP practice, along with consultant Kenny Wong. Chiu, Low and Wong, who were previously with Mayer Brown JSM, are based in Hong Kong.

Eugene Low

DLA Piper LLP (US) and Davis LLP have agreed to join forces, effective April 2015. The firm will operate as an integrated part of DLA Piper’s global platform and brand, and will adopt the name DLA Piper (Canada) LLP.

The London office of global law firm K&L Gates LLP has welcomed Arthur Artinian as a partner in the IP practice. Artinian joins from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

Several lawyers have left Klos Morel Vos & Schaap to launch a new firm in Amsterdam, Visser Schaap & Kreijger, which specialises in IP, media and competition law. The new firm will consist of Dirk Visser, Jacqueline Schaap, Paul Kreijger, Naomi Ketelaar and Patty de Leeuwe.

Olswang has bolstered its international IP practice with a four-strong team hire from Winston & Strawn. Gareth Morgan joins as an IP partner, Richard Price is the new head of IP arbitration and Tim Robinson and Charles Hopper join as associates.

Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP has announced that Jeffrey Lewis has joined the firm as a partner in the IP litigation practice in the New York office.

Tilleke & Gibbins has strengthened its Indonesia practice with the hire of Zain Adnan. Adnan will serve as IP manager in the firm’s Jakarta office.

Former under secretary of commerce for IP and director of the US Patent and Trademark Office Q Todd Dickinson has joined Novak Druce Connolly Bove + Quigg as a partner.

Sonal Madan

Michiel Haegens

The International TrademarkAssociation has appointed Deborah Cohn, who previously served as trademarks commissioner for the US Patent and Trademarks Office, as senior director of government relations; and Lori Schulman, who most recently served as general counsel of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum, as senior director of internet policy to represent the association in Washington DC.

Perkins Coie has announced that Fabricio Vayra has joined its IP practice as a partner in the Washington DC office. Vayra was most recently assistant general counsel – intellectual property with Time Warner Inc.

Chadha & Chadha has announced that Shivarpita Nailwal, Sonal Madan and Tarun Gandhi of the Delhi office, and Gopal Trivedi of the Mumbai office, have been made partners.

Michiel Haegens has been appointed president of the Benelux Association of Trademark and Design Law. Haegens heads the trademarks and designs section of VO Patents & Trademarks and is a member of the firm’s China desk.