Houston, March 4, 2005 – Baker & McKenzie LLP announced today that it has expanded its intellectual property practice in Houston with the addition of partners Margaret “Meg” Boulware, Lisa Meyerhoff, and Tamsen Valoir, Ph.D., and Valerie Friedrich, Ph.D. as Of Counsel, supported by two associates, two patent agents, one patent specialist and two paralegals. All eleven join from Jenkens & Gilchrist.
“It is with great pleasure that we welcome these IP attorneys to Baker & McKenzie. Our ability to attract talent of this caliber is a testament to our strength in this key practice area. Expanding in North America is a priority for Baker & McKenzie, and adding groups of talented attorneys of the standing and reputation of this team is a core element of our growth strategy.” said John Flaim, Chair of the North American Intellectual Property practice.
Meg, Lisa, Tamsen and Valerie will expand the Firm’s capabilities in Houston with Meg’s focus on intellectual property matters associated with the specialty chemical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, Lisa’s focus on anti-counterfeiting, brand protection and enforcement matters, Tamsen’s focus on biotechnology patent law and Valerie’s focus on patent prosecution. All four are registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Meg Boulware began her legal career in IP litigation at Vinson & Elkins. Subsequently, she practiced in IP boutiques prior to joining Jenkens & Gilchrist in 1998. In addition to patent work, she has experience in world-wide trademark portfolio management and contested trademark matters. She was elected the first woman president of the American Intellectual Property Law Association in 1998.
In 2000, Boulware was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to be the first Chair of the Patent Public Advisory Committee. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology/Chemistry in 1969 and obtained a Master of Science degree from Clemson in Plant Physiology in 1970. After securing her technical degrees, she obtained her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 1975.
Lisa Meyerhoff is a full-time litigator with extensive experience in IP litigation matters. Her focus has been on domestic and international IP disputes including counterfeiting, copyright, patent, trademark/service mark and trade dress. Meyerhoff received a Bachelor of Science degree and subsequently a Master of Science degree from Baylor University in 1978 and 1983, respectively. She obtained her J.D. from the South Texas College of Law in 1990. She joined Jenkens & Gilchrist in 1997.
Tamsen Valoir is an expert in biotechnology patent law and freedom to operate issues involving complex genomics patents. She has assisted companies in developing their policies on patent due diligence and portfolio assessment. Valoir obtained her doctorate from Rice University in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology in 1989, graduated magna cum laude from University of Houston Law Center, and also has an LLM in Intellectual Property. She also works in interdisciplinary technical areas that combine biotechnology and nano and microtechnology.
Valerie Friedrich practices in all areas of intellectual property law, with an emphasis on patent prosecution relating to inventions in the fields of chemistry, chemical engineering, and materials science. She has prepared and prosecuted hundreds of patent applications relating to chemical compositions and processes, pharmaceutical compositions, medical equipment, semiconductor devices and processes, and consumer products. Her patent practice further includes prosecuting PCT applications and direct foreign filings. She also has extensive experience in intellectual property licensing and related issues. In addition, she has participated in infringement litigation involving patents, trademarks, and trade secrets in both federal and state courts. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry in 1983 and obtained her doctorate from the University of California, Los Angeles in Physical Chemistry in 1988. In 1994, she obtained her J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Houston Law Center.
“Meg, Lisa, Tamsen, Valerie and their team will significantly bolster our IP capabilities in Houston and globally, where a strong and increasing presence is needed, “ said Kerry Blair, Managing Partner of Baker & McKenzie LLP’s Houston office.
In February, Baker & McKenzie announced that it has expanded its San Diego office with the addition of a team of six IP attorneys from Paul Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, led by partner Howard Wisnia.
