Orrick Builds in Boston, Adding Top-Tier Trademark, Copyright & Media Litigation Team


February.19.2019

Orrick today announced the addition of a nationally recognized team of five intellectual property litigation partners, building our tech and innovation-focused Boston office. The firm launched the office last month, initially with a market-leading cybersecurity and privacy team.

Joining in Boston from Fish & Richardson are David Hosp, Mark Puzella, Sheryl Koval Garko and Caroline Simons. Elizabeth Brenckman will join the firm’s New York office.

“We are thrilled to attract to our new Boston office two premier teams that augment two of our destination practices focused on the tech and innovation sector: intellectual property and cyber and privacy. These moves continue to advance our strategy of building the strongest set of destination practices of any global tech firm,” said Orrick Chairman Mitch Zuklie. “And we’re especially excited to do so with diverse teams that share our values around collaboration and innovation.”

The new team brings deep trial experience and has worked to protect some of the most recognizable brands in the world. They have assisted companies at all stages with developing comprehensive strategies to avoid litigation where possible, and to succeed in litigation when necessary. They have litigated several of the most complex and closely watched trademark cases of recent years, including representing New Balance and a U.S.-based multinational retail corporation in their trademark dispute with Converse in the ITC, and automaker Mahindra in a trademark and trade dress dispute with the owners of the JEEP brand in the ITC.

On the copyright side, the team has litigated numerous high-profile matters for leading technology companies, including representing Cablevision in the precedent-setting case concerning the legality of the first RS-DVR, Aereo in its various litigations concerning its streaming service, and Brilliance Audio in establishing new law concerning the right to rent audiobooks. The team also has extensive experience in related areas of litigation, including trade secret and false advertising class action disputes.

Peer and client surveys such as World Trademark Review 1000 and Legal 500 repeatedly name them as leading intellectual property lawyers. For example, the WTR1000 has described the team as “a force to be reckoned with” and quoted a client who describes the team as “by far and away the most knowledgeable, hard-working and talented attorneys I have ever encountered.” Law360 has identified several of their matters as among the most important cases of the year.

“This team is on every shortlist of top trademark and copyright trial lawyers in the country,” said Jared Bobrow, global co-leader of Orrick’s Intellectual Property practice. “As a tech and innovation-focused firm, our strategy is to offer clients top-tier teams across all IP categories – and combining this group with our trademark and copyright team clearly creates a national powerhouse practice.”

“We’re thrilled to join Orrick’s leading litigation and IP platform,” said David. “Joining forces with Orrick’s established and market-leading practice presents a unique opportunity to build a truly market-dominant practice. On day one, we will have the deepest and best bench in this space. In addition, helping to found a highly collaborative and innovative tech-focused office in Boston was an opportunity we could not pass up.”

This move continues a string of additions to Orrick’s IP team over the past year, including Jared and fellow patent trial litigator Clem Roberts in the Bay Area and music rights and copyright specialist Paul Fakler in New York. The firm also announced last month the addition to our Bay Area Tech Sector practice of Matthew Gemello, former head of Baker & McKenzie’s U.S. corporate and securities practice.

At the beginning of the year, the firm announced the addition of cybersecurity and privacy corporate advisor Heather Egan Sussman, who serves as Boston office leader, and litigators Doug Meal and Seth Harrington, all from Ropes & Gray.

The New Team

David Hosp

David is a trial lawyer with a focus on trademark, copyright and media litigation. In 2018, he was recognized as a Gold Tier trademark litigator by WTR1000; he has appeared in every annual list since 2011. David has been recognized as an IP Star by Managing Intellectual Property magazine from 2015 to 2018. In 2012, he was named an American Lawyer “Litigator of the Week” for his lead role in the Aereo case, and in 2013 he was selected among the Top 100 Power Lawyers by The Hollywood Reporter.

Mark Puzella

Mark is a trial lawyer with a focus on trademark, copyright and media litigation. In 2018, he was recognized as a Gold Tier trademark litigator by WTR1000; he has appeared in every annual list since 2011. WTR1000 has called him “intelligent, thoughtful and client-oriented” and “incredibly impressive.” Legal 500 has described Mark as a “smart, creative” trial lawyer who “anticipates everything.” He has been recognized as an IP Star by Managing Intellectual Property magazine from 2015 to 2018.

Sheryl Koval Garko

Sheryl is a trial lawyer with a focus on trademark, copyright and trade secret litigation. She was silver-ranked in the WTR1000 in 2017 and 2018, was named a Super Lawyer in intellectual property in 2018, and was named to Best Lawyers Litigation – Intellectual Property for 2018 and 2019. Sheryl was named a 2017 Woman Worth Watching by Profiles in Diversity Journal. In 2015, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly named her one of the Top Women of Law. She will co-lead Orrick’s Women’s Leadership Board, which comprises senior client leaders who advise on the firm’s efforts to promote women.

Caroline Simons

In addition to her central role in the team’s trademark and trade dress work, Caroline has broad experience in trade secret and complex commercial litigation, white collar defense and investigations, and cybersecurity. Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly named Caroline an Up & Coming Lawyer in 2017. She serves as co-chair of the Mentoring Committee for the Boston Bar Association’s Diversity & Inclusion Section.

Elizabeth Brenckman

Elizabeth is a trial lawyer with a focus on trademark and copyright litigation. She has had integral management responsibility for some of the most high-profile copyright and trademark cases in recent years, including ABC Inc. v. Aereo, Inc. and Converse, Inc. v. ITC. Managing Intellectual Property magazine named Elizabeth a Rising Star in the United States in 2018.