Philadelphia skyline from 30th Street. Photo Credit: Fotolia |

Events

Panitch Schwarze Belisario & Nadel partner John D. Simmons, who also serves as president of the Philadelphia Intellectual Property Law Association, organized and led the association's first CLE meeting of the year on Jan. 18.

The program was presented by Simmons' longtime client, Michael W. Shore, an attorney and partner at the Dallas law firm of Shore Chan DePumpo.

Shore's presentation was titled “Allergan Partnering With the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe: Sovereign Immunity to Avoid Inter Partes Review Challenges.”

It covered the detailed law related to a public university's use of sovereign immunity, which then led to the use of tribal sovereign immunity as a defense.

Shore also discussed the United States Patent and Trademark Office's Patent Trial and Appeal Board reactions and rulings regarding the issue.

*****

Duane Morris' Philadelphia-based staff donned their best Philadelphia Eagles gear to rally for the team.

Speakers

Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young partner Mark E. Chopko served as a speaker for the 27th annual National Catholic Risk Retention Group Inc. meeting in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Chopko's topic, “Litigation Under a Spotlight: Drawing Lines and Protecting the Church,” explored how litigation can be used, and sometimes misused, by litigants.

Chopko discussed practical approaches to the use of statutory and constitutional defenses and alternative means to resolved disputes.

Chopko chairs Stradley Ronon's nonprofit and religious organizations practice group and advises clients, including colleges and universities, in matters involving structural, business, governance, regulatory and complex litigation.

A former general counsel for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, he has participated in more than 30 U.S. Supreme Court cases as counsel for religious groups in friend-of-the-court briefs.

Elected and Appointed

Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld promoted Alyssa J. Brodzinski, Hope J. Hammer, Sean S. Litz and Melissa B. Paszamant to partner and Erin E. McQuiggan to counsel.

The firm also promoted Rachel Dub to marketing manager.

Brodzinski is an attorney in the firm's corporate and business and business restructuring and bankruptcy groups.

Hammer is a member of Royer Cooper's real estate group.

Royer Cooper attorney Litz is a member of the firm's litigation group and focuses his practice on a wide spectrum of commercial disputes focusing on the transportation, real estate and alternative energy sectors.

Paszamant is a member of the firm's private client services and international groups.
Newly promoted counsel McQuiggan is a member of the private client services group.

Additions

Garen Meguerian joined Stickley Law as of counsel.

Meguerian has over 20 years of litigation experience.

He has taken numerous cases to verdict and practices law in all courts throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Meguerian is a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association and the Chester County Bar Association.

Meguerian received his law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1995.