A Valley Forge, Pa. boutique law firm that focuses on intellectual property announced Monday the opening of a Washington, D.C. office.
RatnerPrestia opened its doors at 1300 I Street, N.W. to give it closer proximity to agencies like the International Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration, said Jonathan Spadt, CEO of the firm.
“It is a bold move, but we are pretty aggressive,” said Spadt. “It plays out well in terms of developing face-to-face relationships and the talent pool we’d like to tap into as we continue to grow.”
The firm recently hired Tom Southard, a shareholder specializing in patent and trademark litigation, to develop the firm’s D.C. practice. Spadt said that between four and six additional attorneys will join Southard in Washington later this year. He also said the firm is interviewing four more laterals next week and in addition is also looking at the possible acquisition of a small firm to bolster its D.C. efforts.
Previously, Southard was with Shulman, Rogers, Gandal, Pordy & Ecker of Potomac, Md.
He said he's excited to join RatnerPrestia, which employs 30 attorneys and four patent agents. “The folks here are superior technology lawyers and it will help my practice greatly,” Southard said. “We have the depth of bench that my clients need.”
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