Ropes & Gray parts with more than 100 in IP prosecution spinoff

Partner Joe Guiliano will helm the new business to be based in New York

Ropes & Gray parts with more than 100 in IP prosecution spinoff
More than 100 lawyers and staff will be departing Ropes & Gray as the American BigLaw spins off its intellectual property prosecution practice into a new firm.

Ropes & Gray chairman Brad Malt said that it is expected no more than three to five partners will join the spinoff, The Boston Globe reported. Partner Joe Guiliano will be heading the new firm. Malt said that Ropes & Gray is still deciding who will depart for the new business.

The new firm, which will be based in New York, is expected to establish Silicon Valley and Boston offices. Malt said it is expected that the spinoff will share many clients with Ropes & Gray, the largest law firm headquartered in Boston.

“We are restructuring our IP practice groups to a configuration that we believe best serves our clients,” Malt in a statement.

The firm ­– which will continue to offer other IP rights management capabilities such as trademark prosecution and patent analysis, strategy, and counselling – said the spinoff process will likely take several months. It is understood the firm will no longer do patent prosecution work after the spinoff.

Ropes & Gray – which also has offices Chicago, Hong Kong, London, New York, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Washington, DC ­– has nearly 1,200 lawyers.


Related stories:
Cooley pockets US$1.8m from Snapchat IPO
American behemoth notches 21st consecutive year of growth

Recent articles & video

Top young stars of Australia's legal profession for 2024 unveiled

Wave of law firm mergers sweeps across the UK despite declining firm numbers

US Justice Department flags Kirkland & Ellis' potential conflict of interest in a bankruptcy case

US Supreme Court permits Idaho to enforce gender-affirming care ban for minors

W+K debuts aviation practice with Clyde & Co lawyer

SA court upholds South Australia's claim on parliamentary privilege and public interest immunity

Most Read Articles

Top young stars of Australia's legal profession for 2024 unveiled

Promotions round beefs up Clyde & Co's Australia partnership

Allens welcomes five new partners

Tech and IP stars join up with Allen & Overy