Five Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner attorneys who specialize in trademark matters, including one who serves on the Washington, D.C.based Am Law 100 firms management committee, are leaving the intellectual property powerhouse to start their own shop.
While the group’s departure date is not yet set, a Finnegan spokeswoman confirmed Friday that partners Stephanie Bald, David Kelly, Robert Litowitz, and Linda McLeod, and of counsel Lynn Jordan, are leaving to launch an IP boutique.
Litowitzwho has more than 30 years of experience litigating cases involving patents, trademarks, and other IP issuesis listed on the Finnegan website as being a member of the firm’s management committee. Kelly, who focuses his practice on trademark, Internet, and unfair competition issues, was recognized by sibling publication Legal Times as one of the D.C. area’s top 10 "leading lawyers" in the trademark and copyright fields in 2008.
None of the five attorneys could be reached for comment Friday. In a statement, Finnegan managing partner Barbara McCurdy said the firm wishes them the best of luck and noted that they have many friends at Finnegan who will miss them.
Finneganone of the most successful IPonly firms in the U.S. earned IP Litigation Department of the Year honors from The American Lawyer in 2012 and 2006. Its trademark practice, one of the world’s largest, represents such leading brands as Caterpillar, Gap, and Starbucks. Its lawyers also handle a steady stream of patent cases in regular appearances at the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Early Am Law 100 reporting by the Blog of Legal Times shows that Finnegan’s gross revenue inched up 1.8 percent in 2012, to $348 million, while its profits per partner rose 2.7 percent, to $1.16 million.
