Jumping From Megafirm to Boutique, Dentons Partners Expand Shingle at Feinberg Day
Rob Kramer formerly co-chaired Dentons' U.S. patent litigation practice, while Russ Tonkovich backs up his life sciences prowess with a medical degree.
June 04, 2019 at 06:22 PM
3 minute read
Silicon Valley IP litigation boutique Feinberg Day announced Tuesday that it is expanding its name to include two former Dentons partners who joined the firm at the start of May.
The firm, formerly known as Feinberg Day Alberti Lim & Belloli, will become Feinberg Day Kramer Alberti Lim Tonkovich & Belloli once it receives approval from the California Secretary of State. This change reflects the addition of Robert Kramer, the former national co-chair of Dentons' patent litigation practice, and Russell Tonkovich, another IP litigator who is also a medical doctor.
The move amounts to a remarkable downsizing for the lawyers, whose previous firm is closing in on 10,000 lawyers scattered across the globe. “We're seven close-knit partners who know each other well,” Kramer said of Feinberg Day. “We thought it would be best to have all the names on the shingle.”
Feinberg Day also added two associates from Dentons, Kate Hart and Aidan Brewster, who started later in May, along with Nick Martini, who joined from Haynes and Boone. The firm now is home to 14 attorneys.
Both Kramer and Tonkovich have won verdicts in some of the largest patent infringement cases in the country. Kramer, who previously was a partner at now-defunct Howrey, joined Dentons in 2012. Tonkovich came aboard in 2014 from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr.
Both Tonkovich and Kramer said they had observed Feinberg Day with admiration since the firm's founding in 2011.
“We watched them as they were really swinging above their weight, fighting against the best patent litigation teams in the country and steadily winning cases and building up a reputation for success,” Kramer said. “They were bringing the same quality to cases, but doing it in a boutique format.”
Tonkovich said that boutique orientation would allow the pair more flexibility in terms of the clients and cases they took on.
Neither Kramer nor Tonkovich, nor Feinberg Day founding partner Elizabeth Day recalled who reached out to whom about bringing the pair on board, but they all agreed that discussions moved quickly once they got going.
“We started talking about our practices. It turns out there was a real synergy,” said Tonkovich, who added that his background as a medical doctor brings greater depth to the firm's life sciences practice.
They've now had over a month to get a sense of what practicing together looks like. Kramer and Day spoke Tuesday from Texas, where they were preparing for a hearing.
“We've now argued motions together in important cases and have been very impressed with Elizabeth's prowess in the courtroom,” Kramer said. “Which we've known over the years. That's no surprise to us.”
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Boutique Firms Mean Freedom of Choice for IP Litigators
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