DLA Piper announced that Ann Ford will become the sole US chair and global co-chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property and Technology practice. She will assume these roles from Frank Ryan, the incoming chair of DLA Piper LLP (US).
Ford, who is also the US head and global co-head of Sectors for the firm, has been co-chair of the US IPT practice since January 2018. In her practice, she works with clients on business, litigation, strategy and transactional aspects of intellectual property. She has extensive experience working with both mature and emerging companies on developing, strengthening and enforcing brands in a wide variety of industries.
The firm announced several additional changes to the US IPT leadership. They include:
- Mark Fowler will assume the role of vice chair of the US IPT practice to support Ford.
- Sean Cunningham becomes US chair of the Patent Litigation sub-practice, taking over from Fowler.
- Kathryn Riley Grasso and Matthew Satchwell have been named vice chairs of the US Patent Litigation sub-practice, supporting Cunningham.
- Larissa Bifano becomes sole chair of the firm’s Patent Prosecution sub-practice, succeeding Daniel Christenbury, who has served as chair of the group since 2005 and as co-chair with Bifano since 2018.
“This group brings an invaluable breadth and depth of experience, and their guidance and perspectives will strengthen our ability to deliver the highest level of service,” Ford said. “As we continue working to expand the presence and capabilities of the IPT practice, I look forward to collaborating with this talented team, as well as with our local offices, sector leaders, and other practice and sub-practice leaders, to further solidify DLA Piper’s reputation as one of the world’s leading intellectual property practices.”
Fowler’s practice focuses on patent infringement litigation, including trials, binding arbitrations, trial preparation and counseling. His experience also encompasses years of working on trade secret and other complex business litigation.
Cunningham is a patent trial lawyer who focuses on patent disputes in a wide array of technology fields. He has nearly two decades of experience handling patent cases through trial in district courts and in the International Trade Commission.
Grasso is an experienced trial attorney whose work covers a broad spectrum of patent litigation matters. She has tried patent cases involving a variety of technologies, including medical devices, e-commerce, network security and anti-virus software, pharmaceuticals and wireless communication devices. Satchwell focuses his patent litigation practice on representing clients in the automotive device, semiconductor, integrated circuit, navigation, mobile communications devices, power electronics and communications technology industries.
Bifano concentrates on patent and other intellectual property strategy, counseling, prosecution, diligence, and litigation in the United States Patent and Trademark Office and federal courts. She also leads the firm’s team that focuses on efforts to assist companies as they navigate the legal landscape of emerging and disruptive technologies, while helping them understand the legal and compliance risks arising from the creation and deployment of AI systems.
