Portfolio Media. Inc. | 111 West 19th Street, 5th floor | New York, NY 10011 | www.law360.com
`Phone: +1 646 783 7100 | Fax: +1 646 783 7161 | customerservice@law360.com
`
`Ex-Baker Botts IP Team Joins McDermott's New Austin Office
`
`By Jack Rodgers
`
`Law360 (June 30, 2022, 3:57 PM EDT) -- McDermott Will & Emery LLP has launched an office in Austin, Texas,
`the firm's 22nd location in total, with a group of eight intellectual property partners from Baker Botts LLP, the
`firm announced Thursday.
`
`The team will include partners Kevin Meek, Syed Fareed, Stephen Hash, Paula Heyman, Brian Oaks, Margaret
`Sampson, Nick Schuneman and Brett Thompsen. Meek will become the Austin office's managing partner, while
`Amanda K. Jester, formerly a partner with McDermott's Dallas office, has moved her health law practice to
`Austin, according to a firm newsrelease.
`
`In a statement Thursday, Meek said joining McDermott "just made sense."
`
`@Law360
`
`:;<=>?@Aÿ=CDDEÿFGÿH@>IÿJCKLEÿMNO@AICDDPEÿQ@RÿSTEDKLÿUVVKN@
`
`

 ÿÿÿÿÿ ÿÿ !ÿ"ÿ#$%% ÿÿ& 'ÿ(% !ÿ&(ÿ))ÿÿ'''*$+',-)*.%/
`0% 1ÿ2ÿ-3-ÿ45,ÿ4))ÿÿ6+71ÿ2ÿ-3-ÿ45,ÿ4-ÿÿ.8%/   . 9$+',-)*.%/
`^+',-)ÿ_`8 ÿ,)!ÿa)aa!ÿ,1"4ÿ0ÿbcdeÿffÿ.c /%ÿ $$ÿgÿb/ Xÿ^^0ÿ+ÿ$+8. hÿ+ÿ%## . ÿ ÿi8 !ÿd 7+!
`WXÿYZÿ[ \
`]
` ÿ# /jÿaahÿ$%.+ %ÿ ÿ%+$!ÿ' ÿ+ÿk %8lÿ%#ÿ kÿ  $$ .8+$ÿl %l Xÿl+  ÿ# %/ÿW+ ÿW%ÿ^^0!ÿ
`# /ÿ+%8. hÿd8 h+X*ÿ
`d ÿ +/ÿ' $$ÿ .$8h ÿl+  ÿ  ÿ !ÿX hÿ6+ h!ÿ l ÿm+!ÿ0+8$+ÿm X/+!ÿW +ÿn+!ÿ+ k+ 
`+/l%!ÿ& .ÿ.8 /+ÿ+hÿW ÿd%/l *ÿ ÿ' $$ÿo .%/ ÿ ÿi8 ÿ%## . jÿ/++k kÿl+  !ÿ' $
`i/+h+ÿ*ÿ`  !ÿ#% / $Xÿ+ÿl+  ÿ' ÿ.c /%jÿc+$$+ÿ%## . !ÿ+ÿ/% hÿ ÿ +$ÿ$+'ÿl +. . ÿ%
`i8 !ÿ+..% h kÿ%ÿ+ÿ# /ÿ 'ÿ $ + *ÿ
`pÿ+ÿ+ / ÿd8 h+X!ÿ ÿ+ hÿq%  kÿ.c /%ÿrq8ÿ/+h ÿ  *rÿ
`rd ÿ ÿ+ÿ . h o$ ÿ%ll% 8 Xÿ#% ÿ ÿ +/ÿ%ÿ$+Xÿ ÿ#%8h+ %ÿ%#ÿ+ÿ 'ÿ%## . ÿ ÿ+ÿo%%/ kÿp0ÿ/+  !
`+hÿ ÿ# /ÿ+ÿk  ÿ8ÿ ÿl$+#% /ÿ+hÿ8ll% ÿ%ÿ/+ ÿ ÿo%ÿ+ÿ + f /ÿ+hÿ$%kf /ÿ8.. !rÿ
`+ h*ÿrn8 ÿk %8lÿ'+ÿ   +$$Xÿ+ +. hÿ%ÿ.c /%jÿk$%o+$ÿ +.ÿ+hÿ ÿ%l  .+ hÿ$ k+$ÿ+$ ÿ%#ÿ%8
` 'ÿ.%$$ +k8 !ÿ+hÿ%. ÿ' ÿo k+ÿ.% + %ÿ' ÿ ÿ# /!ÿ ÿ' ÿ /l$Xÿ%%ÿ/+Xÿ.8 ÿ+h
`  ÿ 
`
`l %l .  ÿ.$ ÿ+hÿ. %fl +. . ÿX k ÿ%ÿ.%8*rÿ
` $$ +/ÿs+ h !ÿ'%ÿ$ +hÿ.c /%jÿk$%o+$ÿ  $$ .8+$ÿl %l Xÿl +. . !ÿ+ hÿ ÿ+ÿ+ / ÿd8 h+Xÿ+ÿ ÿ 'ÿ%## . ÿ' $$ÿ+$$%'ÿ
`# /ÿ%ÿ#%.8ÿ%ÿ%/ ÿ%#ÿ ÿl+ ÿ$  k+ %ÿ ÿ ÿ  ÿc  .ÿ%#ÿd 7+*ÿm ÿ% hÿr ÿ$+ k ÿl . +k ÿ%#ÿ+$$ÿh  .ÿ.%8 ÿl+ 
`$  k+ %ÿ.+ rÿ+ ÿ%'ÿ# $ hÿ ÿ ÿ+ *ÿ
`rd ÿ +/ÿ%#ÿ $  ÿl +.  % ÿo%%ÿ%8 ÿl +. . jÿ kÿo%ÿ ÿp0ÿ$  k+ %ÿ+hÿp0ÿ ++. %ÿ+hÿ ÿ+ÿo%$hÿ/% ÿ+h+. kÿ%8
` /+ +o$ ÿp0ÿl +. . ÿ %ÿ+ÿ h8 Xÿl%' %8 !rÿ ÿ+ h*ÿr ÿ+ ÿ 7.  hÿ%ÿ ÿ'+ÿ ÿ.%/ kÿ/%ÿo kÿ+ÿ' ÿ' $.%/ ÿ
` +/ÿ%ÿ%8 ÿk$%o+$ÿp0ÿl$+#% /*rÿ
`d ÿ# /ÿ% ÿ ÿi8 ÿ%## . ÿ' $$ÿ+h$ ÿ+ÿ +k ÿ%#ÿ$  k+ %!ÿ .$8h kÿh k +$ÿ +$!ÿ$ # ÿ. . !ÿ 8 ÿ.+l +$ÿ +$ÿ + ÿ+h
`l + ÿ.$ ÿ 8 *ÿd ÿ. Xjÿr $ .%ÿm $$rÿ+ +ÿ +$ÿ ÿ' ÿ ÿt+$ #%  +!ÿ ÿ# /ÿ' % !ÿ/+ kÿi8 ÿ% ÿ%#ÿ ÿ#+ fk %' k
`/  %l%$ +ÿ+ +ÿ ÿ ÿu**ÿ
`  +$ÿ%#ÿ.c /%jÿ 'ÿ+hh  %ÿ+ ÿl ÿh .+h ÿ' ÿ ÿ#% / ÿ# /!ÿ .$8h kÿ !ÿ'%ÿl ÿ% ÿ,)ÿX + ÿ+ÿ+ÿl+ 
`+hÿ +hÿ%#ÿW+ ÿW%jÿ  $$ .8+$ÿl %l Xÿh l+ / ÿ ÿi8 !ÿ+..% h kÿ%ÿ ÿ^  hpÿl %# $ *ÿn+ÿl ÿ% ÿa)ÿX + ÿ' 
`W+ ÿW%!ÿ+hÿ.8 /+ÿl ÿ% ÿ+ÿh .+h ÿ' ÿ ÿ# /ÿo #% ÿ ÿ +/ÿ +  % h!ÿ+..% h kÿ%ÿ ÿ^  hpÿl %# $ *ÿ
`p +ÿt%$ /+!ÿ.c /%jÿ.+ /+!ÿ+ hÿ ÿ+ÿ+ / ÿ+ÿ ÿ# /ÿ'+ÿ+ +. hÿ%ÿi8 jÿk %'ÿ+hÿ# $ÿ ÿl+. ÿ'+ÿ+ÿ+8 +$
`
`"This is an incredible opportunity for this team to lay the foundation of a new office in a booming IP market,
`and the firm has given us the platform and support to make this both a near-term and long-term success," he
`said. "Our group was initially attracted to McDermott's global reach and the sophisticated legal talent of our
`new colleagues, and once we began conversations with the firm, there were simply too many current and
`prospective client and cross-practice synergies to count."
`
`Kevin Meek
`
`William Gaede, who leads McDermott's global intellectual property practice, said in a statement Thursday that the new office will allow the
`firm to focus on some of the patent litigation in the Western District of Texas. He noted "the largest percentage ofall district court patent
`litigation cases" are nowfiled in the state.
`
`"This team of elite practitioners boosts our practice's strength bothin IP litigation and IP transactions and is a bold move advancing our
`remarkable IP practice into an industry powerhouse," he said. "We are excited to see what the coming months bring as we welcome the
`team to our global IP platform."
`
`The firm notes the Austin office will handle a range oflitigation, including digital health, life sciences, venture capital real estate and
`private client issues. The city's "Silicon Hills" area rivals its twin in California, the firm wrote, making Austin one of the fastest-growing
`metropolitan areas in the U.S.
`
`

`

`  ÿ 
`ÿ ÿ


` ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ
` ÿ
` ÿ ÿ ÿ  ÿ ÿÿ  
`  ÿ  ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ  ÿ

ÿ ÿÿ
`   ÿ  ÿ ÿ
`
`
`ÿ   ÿ ÿ ÿ 
` 
` 
`ÿÿ
` ÿ  ÿ  ÿ ÿ  ÿ  ÿ   ÿÿ ÿ
`  ÿ

ÿ ÿ ÿ
` ÿ  ÿ ÿ  ÿÿ! ÿ
` "ÿÿ ÿ
`
`ÿ! ÿ  ÿ  ÿ !
`  ÿ ÿ  ÿ ÿ ÿ! ÿ ÿ  
`#  ÿ"ÿ#
`
` ÿ$  
`
`
`ÿ%  ÿ&ÿ'(()'(''ÿ


` ÿ  ÿ
`
`"We're focused on growth across McDermott's IP, transactions and litigation practices, with parallel concentration across the technology,
`health and life sciences industries," he said. "We're excited that this tailor-made IP group is launching McDermott in Austin and have no
`doubt that we will have more expansion developments to announcein the very near term."
`
`fit. Michael S. Poulos, the firm's head of strategy, also lauded the new additions in a statement.
`
`--Editing by Ellen Johnson.
`
`All Content © 2003-2022, Portfolio Media, Inc.
`
`