SALT LAKE CITY, UT—Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP has hired a group of 19 Intellectual Property (IP) & Technology Practice attorneys and patent agents, more than half of whom will be in the firm’s Salt Lake City office, which first opened less than three years ago. The 31-person team, which includes specialist engineers and business staff, joined from FisherBroyles LLP.

New Shareholders Bryan K. Hanks and Jonathan R. Lee, both registered patent attorneys with electrical engineering backgrounds, will spend time in the firm’s Salt Lake City and Phoenix offices. Eleven of the attorneys on the team will be based in Salt Lake City, nearly doubling the number of attorneys in that office.

“When we opened our doors in Salt Lake City, our focus was on offering clients the benefits of a law firm with a global reach. With the addition of this world-class patent team, the potential impact on what we can now offer clients in the IP space is incalculable,” Greenberg Traurig CEO Brian L. Duffy says. “We’ve always grown our firm strategically which ensures we can handle work that is local, national, or international in scope. That is part of our commitment to our clients and to this community.”

Hanks is a registered patent attorney focused on helping high-tech companies acquire and increase the value of intellectual assets. He is go-to counsel for pilot programs, strategic advice, and some of the most difficult legal and technical projects for enterprises ranging from startups to the largest corporations in the world. Hanks guides clients through many areas of patent law, including procurement, licensing, searches, freedom-to-operate opinions, and IP due diligence.

Lee is a registered patent attorney focused on the strategic development and enforcement of domestic and worldwide patent portfolios. As a trusted counselor to some of the largest and most recognizable companies in the world, he frequently counsels clients in a variety of IP-related areas, including litigation, opinions, and post-grant patent proceedings. Hanks and Lee have prepared and prosecuted thousands of domestic and foreign patent applications, primarily in the electrical and computer engineering fields.

“Jonathan and Bryan’s team has a track record of success, serving the needs of clients in a variety of key technological industries,” Greenberg Traurig Global IP & Technology Practice Co-Chairs Scott J. Bornstein and Mark R. Galis said in a joint statement. “Their backgrounds and experience elevate Greenberg Traurig’s already strong resources in important technical areas and their collaborative nature will allow them to seamlessly integrate to take advantage of our substantial team of patent litigators and post-grant prosecutors.”

Hanks and Lee’s legal team includes five of counsels with technological backgrounds: Jon Bills, Allen Kim, Rebecca Kitz, Gregory R. Lunt, and Michael W. Russell. Bills, Kitz, and Lunt will be based in the Salt Lake City office; Kim will be based in the firm’s Orange County, California, office, and Russell will divide his time between Albany, New York, and Washington, D.C. 

Additional members of the group include:

• Martin Bancroft, Practice Group Attorney, New York City
• Jennifer Brooks, Practice Group Attorney, Dallas
• Alton Hornsby III, Practice Group Attorney, Atlanta
• Jared K. Lee, Practice Group Attorney, Salt Lake City
• Alan McBeth, Practice Group Attorney, Salt Lake City
• Sara McFadden, Practice Group Attorney, Salt Lake City 
• Stephen Pulley, Practice Group Attorney, Salt Lake City
• Roger Smith, Practice Group Attorney, Salt Lake City
• Christopher J. Wickstrom, Practice Group Attorney, Salt Lake City
• Alex Chu, Patent Agent, Silicon Valley 
• Marie T. Smyth, Patent Agent, Boston
• Loxley Wang, Ph.D., Patent Agent, Minneapolis
• Priya Jagadish, IP Technology Specialist, Salt Lake City
• Hannah Lipsky, IP Technology Specialist, Salt Lake City
• Jaymn Singh, IP Technology Specialist, Salt Lake City

“We are delighted to have such an accomplished group of legal practitioners with deep Utah roots join our firm. They are committed to an expansive vision of building their IP practice and becoming the key players in top high-tech patent preparation and prosecution both in the region and throughout the country,” Greenberg Traurig Salt Lake City office Co-Managing Shareholders Peggy Hunt and Annette W. Jarvis said.

“The Utah legal market – and especially the ‘Silicon Slopes’ area – is ripe for disruption. We’re thrilled to join Greenberg Traurig and look forward to tapping into its global platform so we can expand services offered to existing clients nationwide,” Hanks and Lee said in a joint statement. “One of the tenets of our legal practice is a commitment to diversity and inclusion, and Greenberg Traurig’s integration of this belief into its culture is a major reason we joined the firm.”

Hanks and Lee were some of the initial backers and participants in the Patent Pipeline Program, a partnership between Meta and the National Council on Patent Practicum. They are actively involved in the program, which aims to create more career opportunities for minorities and women in the patent profession; Jagadish and Singh are both alums of the program. Greenberg Traurig is a Diversity Champion sponsor of the program, pledging a financial investment in patent education and training. 

Hanks and Lee are admitted in Utah and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), but not admitted in Arizona; their practice is limited to federal patent and trademark law. Russell is admitted in the District of Columbia and before the USPTO, but not admitted in New York; his practice is limited to federal patent and trademark law. McBeth is admitted in the District of Columbia and before the USPTO, but not admitted in Utah; his practice is limited to federal patent and trademark law. McFadden is admitted in California and before the USPTO, but not admitted in Utah; her practice is limited to federal patent and trademark law. Chu, Smyth, and Wang are not admitted to the practice of law and are admitted to the USPTO.

About Greenberg Traurig’s Intellectual Property & Technology Practice: With more than 260 intellectual property attorneys and patent agents in the United States, Asia, and Europe, Greenberg Traurig provides a broad range of patent, trademark and copyright protection and strategic counseling. Greenberg Traurig was named “Law Firm of the Year” for Trademark Law and a “National Tier 1” Law Firm for IP Litigation, Patent Law and Litigation, Copyright Law, Technology Law, and Information Technology Law by US News and Best Lawyers, 2022 “Best Law Firms.”

About Greenberg Traurig’s Patent Prosecution Practice: Greenberg Traurig’s IP attorneys have experience in managing international patent portfolios for major companies and organizations – including prosecuting thousands of patents. Greenberg Traurig’s patent capabilities run the gamut from application preparation and filing to examination and appeal processes to maximizing technology transfer opportunities – as well as handling patent litigation, when necessary.

About Greenberg Traurig’s Salt Lake City Office: Greenberg Traurig’s Salt Lake City team works with regional and national companies ranging from startups to Fortune 500 corporations, across multiple industries. The team offers clients a wealth of local experience, backed by Greenberg Traurig’s global platform and network of resources. The firm’s Salt Lake City attorneys are consistently ranked as leaders in their fields by publications such as The Best Lawyers in America®, Chambers USA, Utah Business, and Utah Law Review.

About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2500 attorneys in 43 locations in the United States, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm reported gross revenue of over $2 Billion for FY 2021 and is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law 100, Am Law Global 100, and NLJ 250. On the debut 2022 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard, it is a Top 15 firm. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 5.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab and the Center for Resource Solutions Green-e® Energy program certifies that the firm’s U.S. offices are 100% powered by renewable energy. The firm is often recognized for its focus on philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono. Web: www.gtlaw.com.