|
Attorney By Attorney
Career Profiles of the Profession
Who?
What?
Primary Practice Area & Subspecialty Fields:
Intellectual Property Law; Trademark, Copyright and Unfair Competition
Law; Litigation; International Law.
When?
Years in Practice Area:
Since 1979
Years in the Legal Profession:
Since 1973
Where?
Employer:
Pattishall, McAuliffe, Newbury, Hilliard & Geraldson
http://www.pattishall.com
Size/Sector:
@ 50 lawyer firm
City/State:
Chicago, Illinois
|
Law School:
Northwestern University School of Law
Undergraduate School/Degree:
University of Notre Dame. A.B. (English Literature).
|
Why?
Pluses/Challenges of Practice Area:
A varied mix in my day-to-day practice, including litigation, international
law, transactional work and counseling clients. Trademark and unfair
competition law deals with interesting issues, such as measuring
and arguing about public perception of advertising, brand names,
trade identity symbols and the like. The need to understand and
deal with foreign and international law also affords opportunities
to learn about foreign legal systems. Time management is is a challenge,
as it is for all lawyers.
Core Skills/Key Knowledge Needed in Practice Area:
Analytical and communication skills are core. Litigation skills
are important. Though I am not a patent lawyer, many intellectual
property firms concentrate in patent law, for which a scientific
or engineering background is essential or important.
Advice to Lawyers and Law Students Interested in Your
Practice Area:
Learn all the basics as well as you can while in law school, especially
legal research, analytical and writing skills. If you have an engineering
or scientific background, consider a possible career in patent law.
If you do not have a technical background, but are interested in
civil litigation over interesting issues, consider involvement in
non-patent intellectual property areas such as trademark, copyright
and unfair competition law.
How?
Career Path to Current Position:
I previously worked at two other law firms, a Chicago general practice
firm for 10 years, and then a Washington DC IP firm for 5 years.
During my career I decided that specialization was advantageous
and that a mid-size law firm appealed to me.
Influences and Mentors:
Beverly Pattishall and David Hilliard, who taught the course in
trademarks, trade identity, and unfair competition law when I was
a student at Northwestern.
Suggested Reading About Your Practice Area:
Pattishall, Hilliard & Welch, Trademarks and Unfair Competition
(5th ed.), LexisNexis.
Job Search Techniques Used in Finding Your Position(s):
Started off with interviewing and summer clerking during law school.
Bar Affiliations and Activities:
IPL Section Chair; Vice President, US Group, Association
Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriété
Intellectuelle ("AIPPI"); others.
Recent Professional Publications:
Trademark Law in the Technology-Driven Global Marketplace,
4 Yale Symp. L & Tech. 8 (2001), http://lawtech.law.yale.edu/symposium/s01/comment_sacoff.htm
Recent Professional Presentations:
International Trademark Law, for Practicing Law
Institute programs in New York and San Francisco.
Memorable Career Moments:
Acting as a private sector advisor to the U.S. government
delegation to the Diplomatic Conference in Geneva on the Trademark
Law Treaty; testifying in Congress on the Trademark Counterfeiting
Act; filing an amicus curiae brief in the Supreme Court on behalf
of the ABA in the Victoria's Secret trademark dilution case.
Intriguing Interests:
None particularly intriguing, but I play as much tennis
as I can, and enjoy recreational reading and international travel
with my wife, Mary.
|