Sullivan & Cromwell Bolsters IP Practice: Adds Former USPTO Director Andrei lancu & Former Federal Circuit Judge Kathleen O’Malley

Sullivan & Cromwell Bolsters IP Practice: Adds Former USPTO Director Andrei lancu & Former Federal Circuit Judge Kathleen O’Malley

Sullivan & Cromwell, (S&C) a prestigious law firm originally founded in New York, recently announced the addition of two esteemed legal professionals to its team.

Andrei Iancu, former Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and prominent IP litigator, has joined the firm as a partner to enhance its leading Intellectual Property and Technology Practice. He will be based in Los Angeles and maintain an office in Washington, D.C.

Judge Kathleen O’Malley, former Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, also has joined S&C as of counsel, resident in Washington, D.C.

At Sullivan & Cromwell, Mr. Iancu and Judge O’Malley will continue to advise clients on a range of IP and technology matters, from litigation, trials and high-stakes appeals to obtaining, licensing, enforcing and defending against IP rights globally.

Robert Giuffra and Scott Miller, Co-Chairs of Sullivan & Cromwell while welcoming their arrival said, “We are delighted to welcome Andrei and Judge O’Malley to S&C. S&C has long represented clients in their most complex and significant IP litigations and transactions. The addition of Andrei and Judge O’Malley, two of the most respected litigation and IP lawyers in the country, will enhance our ability to serve our clients’ increasing demand for exceptional trial and appellate lawyers in this critical and growing practice area. They also will strengthen our overall Litigation Group, including our appellate, corporate crisis, alternative dispute resolution and white-collar practices.”

Mr. Iancu is a leader on IP law and innovation policy. As the head of the USPTO, the senior-most IP position in the U.S. government, Mr. Iancu managed one of the largest IP offices in the world.

In addition to his government service, he has been a partner at a leading firm for more than two decades. He has represented plaintiffs and defendants in IP matters across the technical and scientific spectra, including cybersecurity, medical devices, genetic testing, therapeutics, the Internet, telephony, TV broadcasting, video game systems and computer peripherals.

Most recently, he was inducted into the IAM Hall of Fame by Intellectual Asset Management and received the ‘Excellence Award’ from the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA).

Iancu said: “I am delighted to join Sullivan & Cromwell, one of the preeminent law firms in the world, with an extensive roster of technology, life sciences, financial, industrial and other clients.”

Judge O’Malley before transitioning to her current litigation consulting practice at a major IP firm, served as a federal judge for more than 27 years. She was appointed to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio in 1994, where she served for over 16 years, presiding over more than 1,000 complex civil and criminal matters, including major white- collar, antitrust and securities actions, as well as patent, trademark and copyright cases.

She also was designated to preside over three separate complex multi-district litigations. In 2010, President Obama elevated her to the Federal Circuit, and she was the first District Court judge ever appointed to that court, which hears all patent appeals.

Judge O’Malley is internationally known in the IP litigation and policy fields, and she has received a number of recognitions, including the NYIPLA Outstanding Public Service Award and one of only three honorary lifetime memberships in the Association of Corporate Patent Counsel.

Commenting on her move, O’Malley said she was looking forward to “sharing my years of experience with such a talented group of lawyers and bringing my experience to bear in assisting the firm’s clients on some of their most challenging IP litigation matters.”

The addition of Mr. Iancu and Judge O’Malley follows a wave of recent high-profile wins and market-leading deals by Sullivan & Cromwell’s IP & Technology Litigation and Transactions Practices.