McAndrews, Held & Malloy

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	10/27/2004 Chicago Daily Law Bulletin: Troy A. Groetken Named APLF President
	The new president of the Association of Patent Law Firms says he will seek "a way to minimize increases in liability premiums for law firms." Troy A. Groetken, a partner in Chicago's McAndrews, Held & Malloy Ltd., was chosen recently to head the association for 2004-2005. The APLF is a group of 15 law firms around the country that devote a majority of their practice to patent law. Members of the group say they "seek to fill a void that has been left by other organizations that have broadened their base to the general field of intellectual property law." Groetken, a 1997 graduate of Drake University Law School, also has a master of laws degree from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago. He said he had been treasurer of APLF for the past three years. The firm to which he belongs, McAndrews, Held & Malloy, has 90 lawyers, according to Groetken. "For the upcoming year, we are looking at the insurance issue facing most law firms," he said Tuesday. "Our association is actively working to see if there is a way to minimize increases in liability premiums for law firms," he said. He plans to see whether law firms can act "collectively as a group to try to reduce insurance costs that have over the past few years literally skyrocketed in our industry." Groetken said he also wants to continue the services APLF provides to members, including its monthly education round tables on new issues within patent law. Member firms sometimes volunteer to present these round tables in their offices, he said. At other times "we also offer a Webcast audio capability. Member firms and other interested parties such as corporate counsels will visit our Web site, and they have the opportunity to listen to those round tables." The Association of Patent Law Firms was founded in 1998. Its previous president was James W. Kayden of Thomas, Kayden, Horstemeyer & Risley, an Atlanta law firm. Three of the four new officers are from Chicago. In addition to Groetken, the other officers are Vice President Jill M. Browning of Greenblum & Bernstein PLC of Reston, Va.; Treasurer Christopher M. Scharff of McAndrews, Held & Malloy; and Secretary Leif R. Sigmond Jr. of McDonnell, Boehnen, Hulbert, & Berghoff LLP in Chicago. "We're always actively seeking more members," Groetken said. Reprinted with permission from Law Bulletin Publishing Company.