Signals IP Firm’s Continued National Expansion To Better Serve Pacific Northwest And Pacific Rim Client Base
Knobbe Martens, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the U.S., opened its newest office in Seattle, Washington on February 4, 2008. The new office is the second that the firm has opened in less than four months. In addition to five offices in California, including its headquarters in Irvine, Knobbe Martens opened a Washington D.C. office last November. The full-service Seattle office will represent clients in all aspects of intellectual property law including prosecution and litigation, consulting and licensing. The addition of Seattle brings Knobbe Martens’ total office count to seven. Since its founding in 1962, Knobbe Martens has remained solely focused on providing intellectual property services and industry-specific expertise for a range of clients from garage inventors to multinational corporations such as Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals, AOL and Toshiba.
The Seattle office, located at 601 Union Street in downtown Seattle, will be staffed by four partners and will be a full-service office with additional associates and staff. Partners include Carol Pitzel Cruz, Maria Culic Anderson, Melanie Seelig and Mauricio Uribe. Maria Anderson, Melanie Seelig and Mauricio Uribe join Knobbe Martens from Seattle-based Christensen O’Connor Johnson Kindness PLLC.
Carol Pitzel Cruz, a partner in the firm’s Orange County office, is originally from Seattle and is relocating to the Seattle office. Cruz represents various clients in all areas of intellectual property disputes, focusing on patent litigation. She has extensive knowledge in the area of pharmaceutical litigation, especially litigation involving Abbreviated New Drug Applications under the Hatch-Waxman Act.
Maria Culic Anderson is a partner practicing in comprehensive, strategic client counseling in all aspects of intellectual property. She has been very active in the prosecution of patent applications in the computer science and ecommerce fields since 1993. Anderson has extensive experience in developing patent and trademark portfolios and developing patent and trademark assets. She also provides patent and trademark clearance analysis and advice for a wide variety of products and services.
Melanie Seelig is a partner with extensive experience providing patent landscape analyses as well as development of comprehensive intellectual property programs involving both the procurement of IP assets and generation of corresponding enforcement programs. Seelig’s practice includes comprehensive client counseling and management in all aspects of intellectual property, including U.S. and international patent and trademark prosecution, copyright prosecution, enforcement and agreement work involving all areas of intellectual property and due diligence related to mergers and acquisitions.
Mauricio Uribe has also joined the firm as a partner, and has been very active in the prosecution of patent applications in both the electrical engineering and computer science fields for a decade. He has experience in comprehensive client counseling in all aspects of intellectual property, and has wide-ranging experience in developing patent portfolios and intellectual property assets. Uribe also provides counsel on patentability and infringement matters and comprehensive intellectual property programs including litigation and global licensing, and is fluent in both English and Spanish.
Headquartered in Irvine, California, with seven offices nationwide, including Washington, D.C. and Seattle, Washington, Knobbe Martens has more than 200 attorneys with a breadth of academic and real-world industry experience– with most of the firm’s attorneys having earned undergraduate degrees in one of the engineering disciplines or within the physical or life sciences. Many also hold advanced degrees in the high-tech or life sciences industries. Knobbe Martens lawyers are able to customize client teams to leverage support from numerous scientists in various fields, including biochemistry, mechanical engineering, high energy nuclear physics, molecular cell biology and pharmacology.
The firm has been recognized in international surveys for excellence in all aspects of intellectual property law. In 2007, the firm was ranked #1 for growth in patent litigation and in the top 10 for number of patent litigation cases in a nationwide survey conducted by IP Law 360. In addition, several members of the firm have been voted among the world’s leading intellectual property lawyers. More information about the firm can be found at: knobbe.com.Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP represents clients in all areas of intellectual property law, including transactional and litigation practices. Clients include public and private companies at various stages of growth, from start-up to the Fortune 500 worldwide. The firm has been recognized in international surveys for excellence in all aspects of intellectual property law. In 2007, the firm was ranked #1 for growth in patent litigation and in the top 10 for number of patent litigation cases in a nationwide survey conducted by IP Law 360. In addition, several members of the firm have been voted among the world’s leading intellectual property lawyers.