Rob Maier, a partner at Baker Botts' New York office, took over as chair of the firm's New York intellectual property group on Dec. 1.

Maier succeeds Rob Scheinfeld, who had been chair of the New York IP practice for 15 years. Scheinfeld will continue as partner-in-charge of the Houston-based firm's New York office.

Maier, who has been at Baker Botts for close to 18 years, said he is excited about the opportunity to build upon the firm's already strong IP group in New York.

“The primary goal is to continue with the forward momentum we already have,” said Maier, who writes a Patent and Trademark Law column for New York Law Journal, Law.com's New York-based publication.

Maier said IP is an important practice for the firm, and about half of the nearly 100 lawyers in the Baker Botts New York office do IP work. He said 15 of the firm's 25 largest clients are in the technology and media space—industries particularly concerned about intellectual property protection.

Rob Maier

Maier said that while the firm has a large group of IP lawyers in New York, intellectual property is a national practice and lawyers in his group do IP litigation all around the country, including in traditional IP hotspots like the Eastern District of Texas, along with other courts in Texas, Delaware and New York.

He declined to identify his clients, but he has worked on patent litigation for companies making smartphones and display technologies and for companies that do drink packaging and deal with stem cells. In addition to litigation, Maier does patent preparation and prosecution, counseling for IP and data issues, licensing, IP asset evaluation and due diligence for M&A transactions.

Maier said Scheinfeld, his predecessor, expanded the office's IP practice substantially.

“Over the course of his 15 years, he just positioned the IP group incredibly well. We are really in a good spot, such great forward momentum going into next year,” Maier said.

Bart Showalter, a partner in Dallas who is chair of the firm's intellectual property practice, said in a statement that Scheinfeld increased the number of IP lawyers in New York and also dramatically expanded the number of client engagements and relationships.

Maier is an “outstanding lawyer,” who will do a tremendous job in continuing to expand the practice, Showalter said.