Duane Morris to Work With Singapore Government on Biz Ops

Duane Morris has continued to grow its presence in Singapore through its joint law venture in the country, Duane Morris & Selvam.Now that venture will partner with Singapore?s Economic Development Board to link the law firm?s clients in the United States and Latin America with business opportunities in Singapore, Duane Morris said Thursday. The agreement was signed today and is expected to last through 2015.

Duane Morris Sees Revenue Grow 1.2 Percent, PPP 1.7 Percent

Philadelphia-based Duane Morris saw modest increases in its revenue and profits per equity partner (PPP) in 2012, a fiscal year that Chairman John J. Soroko characterized as "almost an instant replay" of the prior fiscal year in terms of financial growth.

Duane Morris to Work With Singapore Government on Biz Ops

Duane Morris has continued to grow its presence in Singapore through its joint law venture in the country, Duane Morris & Selvam.Now that venture will partner with Singapore?s Economic Development Board to link the law firm?s clients in the United States and Latin America with business opportunities in Singapore, Duane Morris said Thursday. The agreement was signed today and is expected to last through 2015.

Duane Morris Opens Silicon Valley Office

Karineh Khachatourian, Duane Morris partner
Image: courtesy photo

Duane Morris has opened a new office in Palo Alto, Calif., making for the firm's fifth outpost in California.

The new location will focus, to start, on intellectual property litigation. To that end, the firm hired K&L Gates partner Karineh Khachatourian and associate Patrick S. Salceda.

Duane Morris already has offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Truckee, Calif., which is near Lake Tahoe. The firm said the Palo Alto office will give Duane Morris attorneys more efficient and direct access to clients across the high-tech hub that is the Silicon Valley. Attorneys in the firm's existing four offices will help to service clients in the Palo Alto location.

The firm said Palo Alto is a natural fit for Duane Morris' work in patent litigation and prosecution, trademarks, copyrights, venture capital, private equity and related commercial litigation.

The intellectual property practice, particularly in California, has been a strategic growth target for Duane Morris recently.

L. Norwood "Woody" Jameson, chairman of the practice, said in a statement that the launch in Palo Alto was a direct response to client feedback. He said the IP practice leadership is making a "substantial commitment" to the West Coast with a priority on hiring in Palo Alto and other California offices.

Duane Morris Chairman John Soroko told The Legal Intelligencer the firm wanted to get closer to the types of clients that fall into the firm's IP "sweet spot," which he said was in the computer, high-tech and telecommunications space. Khachatourian said she would be bringing clients with her to Duane Morris, including video game makers, video game console makers and software manufacturers.

Duane Morris changed the leadership of the IP practice in early 2012. Lewis F. Gould Jr. stepped down and Atlanta-based Jameson took his place.

Jameson's practice has a strong emphasis on patent litigation for electronic engineering companies, making the firm's goals in Palo Alto and San Francisco a natural evolution for the practice, Soroko said.

"Companies are being much more circumspect about where they are willing to invest dollars in litigation efforts, but things that continue to be important to our clients are issues that surround intellectual property," Soroko said.

Subscribe to The Legal Intelligencer

You must be signed in to comment on an article

Sign In or Subscribe
">