Erik R. Puknys Named Managing Partner of Finnegan's Palo Alto Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 18, 2011

Contact:    Barbara C. McCurdy, 202.208.4047

                    Managing Partner

Erik R. Puknys Named Managing Partner of Finnegan's Palo Alto Office

PALO ALTO, CALIF. - Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP, one of the world’s largest intellectual property firms, announced that Erik R. Puknys has been named managing partner of the firm’s Palo Alto office, effective January 1, 2011. Mr. Puknys, a founding member of the office, succeeds Jean B. Fordis, who has served in the position since 2005.

During Ms. Fordis’s tenure, the office moved to a 42,000+ square-foot building in the Stanford Research Center to accommodate its growth—it currently has more than 30 attorneys—and celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2007. "Being in Silicon Valley is as important today as it was 14 years ago, when Finnegan recognized that, as an intellectual property law firm, it was logical and necessary to have a presence in what is arguably one of the world’s most innovative markets," reflected Ms. Fordis. "I was recruiting partner at the time and hired Erik as part of the founding team, so it is somewhat poetic to now hand him the office’s managing partner reins."

Mr. Puknys’s management experience includes serving as recruiting partner in Palo Alto and as a member of the firm’s management and compensation committees. While leading the Palo Alto office, Mr. Puknys will continue his litigation practice. He was a member of the team that represented i4i in its 2009 win at the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit that affirmed a nearly $300 million judgment against Microsoft, and he was on the Uniloc team that recently saw the CAFC reinstate a Rhode Island federal court jury’s verdict of infringement and validity against Microsoft.

In addition to his practice, Mr. Puknys is a seasoned lecturer and presenter on patent and trade secret law. He instructs classes on chemical patent practice and opinions of counsel for the Patent Resources Group, and he frequently speaks at conferences hosted by industry and academic organizations. He also presents on U.S. intellectual property law at educational programs hosted by Finnegan’s domestic and foreign offices.  Through his experience and reputation representing U.S. companies with IP interests in China, as well as Chinese companies looking to enter the U.S. market, Mr. Puknys was invited last year to present his views on innovation and intellectual property at a conference discussing economic opportunities for San Francisco Bay Area companies in China. Later in the year, he served as a delegate with the Bay Area Council’s Economic Trade Mission to China.

Many of the Palo Alto attorneys, including Mr. Puknys, regularly travel to Asia to meet with clients and support the firm's offices in Shanghai, Taipei, and Tokyo.  "Asia’s sophisticated markets and ongoing economic growth drive innovation and highlight the importance of intellectual property as part of a global business strategy," commented Mr. Puknys.  "I see Finnegan’s presence in Silicon Valley and Asia as an opportunity to expand and facilitate our clients’ interests on both sides of the Pacific."

About Finnegan

With more than 375 intellectual property lawyers, Finnegan is one of the largest IP law firms in the world.  From offices in Washington, DC; Atlanta, Georgia; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Palo Alto, California; Reston, Virginia; Brussels, Belgium; Shanghai, China; Taipei, Taiwan; and Tokyo, Japan, the firm practices all aspects of patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret law, including counseling, prosecution, licensing, and litigation.  Finnegan also represents clients on IP issues related to international trade, portfolio management, the Internet, e-commerce, government contracts, antitrust, and unfair competition.  For additional information on the firm, please visit www.finnegan.com. 

###