Reed Smith Intellectual Property

We’re excited to be recognized in the Best Lawyers USA 2025 rankings alongside our esteemed Reed Smith LLP colleagues. Congratulations to the individuals listed below for their outstanding accomplishments, and a special congratulations to Robert Riddle for being named one of only 11 firmwide “Lawyer of the Year” honorees. Lawyer of the Year: - Robert Riddle Best Lawyers: - Katy Basile J.D. (she/her) - Scott Baker - John Bovich - Peter Chassman - Seth Herring - James Hultquist - William Overend - Rob Phillips - Robert Riddle - Brian D. Roche Ones to Watch: - Michael Forbes - Sid Kapoor - Katrina Kershner - Joshua Newman

We are excited to spotlight Joshua Newman's extensive experience in providing strategic brand management and advertising guidance to clients. Currently, Josh oversees all aspects of IP portfolio management for companies and their affiliates, playing a crucial role in cultivating and safeguarding their intellectual property rights both domestically and globally. Josh excels in clearance and availability assessments, skillfully navigating the complexities of IP prosecution with a pragmatic approach. He is renowned for crafting robust IP license agreements, developing and managing enforcement programs, and handling opposition, infringement, and UDRP matters. Additionally, he ensures the protection of clients' trademarks, copyrights, and domain names across a multitude of digital and social media platforms. With a background in advertising, Josh regularly advises on IP-related advertising risks and counsels clients on a broad array of topics, including fair use, right of publicity, compliance, claim substantiation, and emerging technologies like Web3 and AI. We are proud of Josh's dedication to protecting and advancing our clients' brands and intellectual property. #TuesdaysTopAttorney #IPLaw

We are excited to share that some familiar faces will be returning to our IP group in the fall of 2025. Our entire class of 2024 IP summer associates will be joining Reed Smith following their final year of law school. This pipeline of great incoming talent will continue to make our IP team stronger with their backgrounds and degrees in petroleum engineering, chemical engineering and mathematics. Please join us in welcoming Jon Griffith, Brandon Ranieri and Charlie Rieder to the team and wishing them the best in their final year at University of Virginia School of Law, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and University of California, Davis - School of Law. 

We are excited to highlight Michael Forbes's extensive experience in patent litigation and intellectual property law. Most recently, Michael led the briefing before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and Federal Circuit for this month’s successful invalidation of all asserted claims of a patent asserted against Reed Smith client ZyXEL for Wi-Fi functionality. In addition to PTAB and Federal Circuit practice, Michael’s practice includes litigating patent and trade secret cases in federal district courts, including extensive experience in the busy patent venues of the Eastern and Western Districts of Texas, and before the International Trade Commission.    With both bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering, Michael spent eight years as an engineer before transitioning to law. This technical background gives him a profound understanding of the complex technologies involved in his cases and enables him to collaborate effectively with technical witnesses and experts. He reads and analyzes source code for software (including C and Java) and hardware (including Verilog, VHDL, and SystemC).   We are proud of Michael's dedication to achieving exceptional results for our clients and advancing innovation in the field of intellectual property. #TuesdaysTopAttorney #IPLaw

In recognition of last day of the 2024 summer associate cycle, we asked our IP summer associates to share what they learned while here at Reed Smith. We are grateful that these inspiring future lawyers spent their summers with us and wish them the best of luck in their legal careers! “During my summer with Reed Smith, I learned the importance of teamwork when working on any task. Although the work is complex, having the right team makes a big difference.” – Brandon Ranieri “This was an incredible educational experience. It’s hard to pick just one! I had the opportunity to learn about exciting new technology, like AI, from a variety of angles. I was challenged to go outside my comfort zone and give a presentation to the entire SF office. I was given valuable feedback on my writing. Overall, I spent 10 weeks learning intensely and am very proud of what I have to show for it.” – Charlie Rieder “What I learned in my second summer at Reed Smith is that there are a thousand skills tied in to being a lawyer, and good mentorship does not stop at the hard skills—those necessary for writing and legal research—but extends to the soft skills as well. I look forward to returning to Reed Smith next year as a full-time associate to continue learning under the phenomenal mentorship that this firm provides.” – Jon Griffith #IntellectualProperty #IP #SummerAssociateTakeover

Check out Jonah Mitchell's feature in Managing IP's "Five minutes with…" series. He shares his daily routines, the intricacies of handling diverse IP cases, and his dedication to navigating complex legal challenges. According to Jonah, "Juggling is the name of the game. It's both the challenge and the allure of what I do." Don't miss his insights on the evolving landscape of intellectual property law! https://lnkd.in/eYptAs-3 #IPLaw #FiveMinutesWith #Interview

We are thrilled to share a significant victory for our client, Zyxel Communications before the Federal Circuit. In a precedential opinion released Monday, the Federal Circuit affirmed the PTAB's final written decision on the obviousness of six of seven challenged claims of U.S. Patent No. 8,265,096 and reversed the PTAB’s non-obviousness determination of the remaining challenged claim. The court also instructed the PTAB to reassess the validity of proposed substitute claims in light of this decision. This patent has been asserted against ZyXEL by UNM Rainforest Innovations in district court.   Our successful IP team for this case includes Peter Chassman, Jonah Mitchell, Jonathan Detrixhe, and Michael Forbes. Jonathan Detrixhe presented the oral argument. Christine Yang of the Law Offices of S.J. Christine Yang also contributed.    #ReedSmith #PatentLaw #FederalCircuit #IPLitigation #LegalVictory https://lnkd.in/eZmPXX-W

We are excited to showcase Justine Lee's exceptional work in global branding strategy and trademark portfolio management across various industries. Justine provides comprehensive advice on domestic and international prosecution, clearance, enforcement, and online takedowns in both trademark and copyright law. Before her legal career, Justine worked with the intellectual property team of a global retail clothing company in San Francisco, focusing on brand protection and collaborating closely with the in-house legal department and business groups. Recently, Justine advised one of the world’s most valuable brands on global advertising campaigns for the launch of a new consumer product. We are proud of Justine’s dedication to protecting and enhancing her clients' brands on a global scale! #TuesdaysTopAttorney #IPLaw

We are excited to showcase Walter M Egbert, III's exceptional contributions to patent strategy and innovation. With dual degrees in mechanical and aerospace engineering, Walter offers strategic advice in developing robust patent portfolios and ensuring freedom to operate in technology-intense matters. He has extensive experience in patent prosecution, including handling appeals and post-grant proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), litigation in federal courts, opinions, and licensing. Walter's impressive patent post-grant experience includes over 25 reexamination proceedings and appeals before the PTAB. He has prepared and prosecuted hundreds of patent applications for high-profile pipeline and commercial products. Walter has served as a trusted advisor to medical device and healthcare companies, research universities, consumer products companies and start-ups to develop their global IP prosecution, litigation and portfolio licensing strategies, and diligence for IP acquisition and commercial transactions. Previously, Walter served as in-house patent counsel at Philips Electronics North America Corporation, where he negotiated and drafted license agreements, including industry-wide cross-license agreements, and prepared and prosecuted over 100 patent applications. Before his legal career, Walter worked as a flight controls engineer with Grumman Corporation, focusing on flight simulation, flight test, automated carrier landing systems, and digital control systems for several U.S. Navy programs. We are proud of Walter's dedication to advancing technology and protecting intellectual property on a global scale! #TuesdaysTopAttorney #IPLaw

We are excited to highlight Nina Borders's exceptional work in comprehensive IP asset development and counselling, crucial for companies at every stage of development. As a registered patent attorney with a business and technical background, including a degree in chemical engineering, Nina offers practical, solution-driven advice to innovators on product development and emerging technologies. Before her legal career, Nina worked as a chemical engineer in the food and pharmaceutical manufacturing sectors, gaining valuable business experience. Recently, she successfully negotiated multiple technology licenses for a client commissioning manufacturing plants to produce high-grade renewable fuels, energy, and chemical commodities across the United States, UK, and Europe. We are proud of Nina's accomplishments and her commitment to driving innovation forward! #TuesdaysTopAttorney #IPLaw