Press & News
Patent Expert Dr. Sunwoo Lee and Team Join Seyfarth Shaw Establishing Presence in Washington, D.C., Strengthening Firm's National Intellectual Property Practice
12/11/2006
Contact:
Mark S. Roy, Public Relations Manager
(212) 218-5272, mroy@seyfarth.com
Washington, D.C. (December 11, 2006) - - Seyfarth Shaw LLP, one of America’s leading full service law firms, announced that Dr. Sunwoo Lee has joined the firm as partner to establish a patent law practice in its Washington, D.C. office with his colleagues Victoria Hao, associate; Baldine B. Paul, Ph.D., patent agent; and Donald L. Monin, Jr., patent agent. Previously, all four were associated with Jenkens & Gilchrist. Currently, both Paul and Monin are Registered Patent Agents with the United States Patent & Trademark Office ("USPTO"); earlier in their careers, Hao and Monin were both Patent Examiners for the USPTO.
"The addition of Dr. Lee and his team to our Washington, D.C. office, near the USPTO in Arlington, Virginia, reinforces Seyfarth Shaw’s commitment to expanding the depth and breadth of the patent law component of our national IP Practice," stated Alan L. Unikel, Chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Group. "With their thorough understanding of patent laws, knowledge of the workings of the USPTO, and relationships with leaders in the electronics industry, both in the U.S. and abroad, this group of highly distinguished professionals can provide our clients with immediate benefits from their expertise. I am delighted to welcome them all to the firm."
Lee, recognized for his significant work in the Asian electronics industry, counsels domestic and foreign clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies on all aspects of intellectual property law. His practice includes patent litigation, counseling, patentability and non-infringement opinions, due diligence, licensing and agreement work, and patent portfolio strategy planning, acquisition and management. He has a comprehensive background and technical expertise in the areas of electrical engineering and materials science, including semiconductor, display, multimedia, telecommunication and automobile technologies. Lee has prosecuted, counseled and litigated in the technologies of semiconductor circuitry and fabrication process, flat panel display devices, light emitting diodes, laser diodes, cellular telephonic equipment/system and telecommunication protocols, and automobiles.
Hao’s practice concentrates on intellectual property matters with an emphasis on IP portfolio management, IP-related litigation, patent prosecution, and trade secret issues. Her experience also encompasses proceedings in U.S. District Courts and patent-based unfair trade practice investigations before the International Trade Commission. Her practice also includes providing patentability, non-infringement, invalidity and freedom-to-operate opinions, negotiating licensing, manufacturing and purchase agreements, and handling pre-litigation negotiations. Paul has prosecuted patent applications in a wide range of technical areas, including all types of flat panel displays, semiconductors, such as OLEDs, micro-electronic circuits, LCDs, communications systems, and image compression. As a Research Scientist, he contributed to advances in video compression, video/multimedia communications over packet networks, video conferencing over switched/packet networks, and feature detection in motion video sequences. Monin prosecutes and drafts patent applications in solid state device related technologies and systems related to the use of solid state devices. He has prosecuted patent applications pertaining to optical guidance systems, telecommunication components, satellite emitters/receivers, optical modulators, radar systems, all types of flat panel displays, memory devices, transistors and lasers. He has drafted numerous patent applications pertaining to semiconductor devices, methods of manufacturing semiconductor devices, telecommunication networks/equipment, guidance systems, optical modulators, infrared imaging systems and radar systems.
"The substantial credentials Sunwoo, Victoria, Baldine and Donald have in patent law endows the firm with an established strong foundation for continuing their practice in the nation’s Capital," noted Joseph R. Damato, Managing Partner of Seyfarth Shaw’s Washington, D.C. office. "I am very pleased that they have chosen to come to our firm to continue their exceptional work."
Seyfarth Shaw’s Patent Law practice has significant experience and in-depth knowledge to help clients review ideas and products, evaluate patentability issues, prepare and manage patent applications, identify potential infringements, and enforce patent rights. The addition of Dr. Lee and his team to Seyfarth Shaw’s Washington, D.C. office, swells Seyfarth’s total number of patent practitioners including attorneys and agents to 20 across the country. This group reviews inventions and products for patentability and potential infringement; prepares and prosecutes patent applications before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; drafts and negotiates patent licenses, technology development, confidentiality and employment agreements; obtains and enforces foreign patent rights; integrates patents with other forms of intellectual property protection; develops and delivers patent training programs; provides counsel on patent-related aspects of acquisitions, including due diligence and negotiation of asset purchase agreements; conducts patent portfolio audits and prepares opinions regarding patent infringement, invalidity and enforceability issues. In addition, Seyfarth Shaw’s Patent Law Practice has another substantial group of attorneys who focus on patent litigation.
"Seyfarth Shaw offered us the opportunity to continue to grow our patent law practice in a wholly supportive professional environment," stated Lee. "We are very excited to begin this next chapter of our careers."
Lee received his B.S. in Metallurgical Engineering from Hanyang University in South Korea, his M.S. in Materials Science & Engineering from the Stevens Institute of Technology, his Ph.D. in Solid State Science & Technology from Syracuse University and earned his J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He is admitted to practice before the USPTO and is licensed to practice in Maryland and the District of Columbia. As a scientist, Lee published many articles on thin film devices in several prestigious scientific journals. His articles are frequently cited by scientists especially in the areas of wide band gap semiconductor devices. He is a frequent guest speaker to the Asian electronics industry, academic and professional associations. Recently, Lee was the keynote speaker at the Annual Korean American Scientists and Engineers Association Conference. He also contributes articles to various Korean newspapers and publications on U.S. patent practice.
Hao is a former Patent Examiner for the USPTO; she received her B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park and earned her J.D. from The George Washington University Law School. She is admitted to the bar in the District of Columbia and Maryland and is a Registered Patent Attorney with the USPTO. Paul is a Registered Patent Agent with the USPTO. He has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Florida A&M University, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Florida A&M University, a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and (expected in 2007) will earn his J.D. from George Washington University. Monin was a Patent Examiner in the United States Patent & Trademark Office for more than a decade in the area of active solid state semiconductor devices and the method of making them. He is a Registered Patent Agent with the USPTO and has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Seyfarth Shaw has over 700 attorneys located in nine offices throughout the United States including Chicago, New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento as well as Brussels, Belgium. Seyfarth Shaw provides a broad range of legal services in the areas of labor and employment, employee benefits, litigation and business services. The firm’s practice reflects virtually every industry and segment of the country’s business community. Clients include over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, newspapers and other media, hotels, health care organizations, airlines and railroads. The firm also represents a number of federal, state, and local governmental and educational entities. For more information, please visit www.seyfarth.com.
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