Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that Walter D. Davis, Jr. has joined the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation practice group as a partner in the Washington, D.C., office. Walter has significant experience in all facets of patent law, including more than 20 years in private practice and six years as a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He joins Blank Rome from Davidson Berquist Jackson & Gowdy where he was a partner.
Walter’s arrival continues the strategic expansion of Blank Rome’s national Intellectual Property & Technology practice, which has grown over the last 18 months with the additions of partner and co-chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation practice group Paul Zeineddin, partner and co-chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property & Technology practice group Hussein Akhavannik, and attorneys Mark F. Mashack and Timothy S. Schwarz in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office; partner Josh Reisberg and associate Michael S. Rubin in the New York office; partner Todd M. Malynn in the Los Angeles office; associate Cory R. Edwards in the Chicago office; and patent agents Benjamin A. Ailes, Dr. Amir Kyarad, David B. Hardy, and Dr. Joseph B. Jackson in the firm’s Philadelphia and Houston offices.
“I am delighted to welcome Walter to our firm and nationally recognized IP group,” said Grant Palmer, Blank Rome’s Chair and Managing Partner. “Walter’s significant background in patent law and focus on technology will add tremendous value to our IP group’s wide range of patent service offerings as well as expand the capabilities of our Life Sciences and Software teams.”
Walter is a first-chair litigator whose practice primarily consists of patent, trade secret, and other intellectual property litigation in U.S. district courts, the U.S. International Trade Commission, and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He has a strong and diverse background with technology, including microprocessors, smart home systems, software, Internet technology, smartphones, lighting control systems, consumer appliances, liquid crystal display devices, plasma display devices, semiconductor design and fabrication, medical imaging systems, battery chargers, computer hardware technology, telecommunications, and pharmaceuticals.
“Walter has an excellent reputation in the IP legal field and we are thrilled to have him join our growing national team,” said Zeineddin. “His deep experience in high-tech patent litigation will
greatly benefit our clients in the hardware, software, and consumer electronics industries, adding significant value to current client relationships and helping us expand our work in this key segment.”
“Blank Rome has an excellent patent litigation team and I am looking forward to growing my practice at the firm,” said Davis. “I have always been impressed with the caliber of Blank Rome’s IP litigators, not only for their significant experience in patent law but also for their collaborative and collegial approach—including with opposing counsel. I am excited to contribute to the ongoing success of the firm’s national IP group.”
Walter has served as chair, vice-chair, and secretary of the Intellectual Property Section of the National Bar Association, the nation’s oldest and largest association of predominately African American lawyers and judges. As chair, Walter helped found the National Bar Association’s Diversity in Tech Awards, which recognize diverse lawyers and in-house legal departments that have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the hiring, retention, and promotion of diverse attorneys in the technology industry.
Walter earned his J.D., with honors, from George Washington University Law School, and his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University.
