McAndrews, Held & Malloy

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	04/07/2008 McAndrews, Held & Malloy Announces Five New Board Members, Five New Partners
	CHICAGO, IL – April 7, 2008 – McAndrews, Held & Malloy, Ltd., one of the nation’s preeminent law firms specializing in intellectual property and complex technology law, today announced the elevation of five of the firm’s veteran attorneys to its Board of Directors and the promotion of five attorneys to partner. “We are thrilled to recognize and celebrate the success of these highly skilled and accomplished attorneys, who are some of the best and brightest in the field of intellectual property law,” said John J. Held, founding partner at McAndrews. “By taking on new and enhanced roles in recognition of their talents, these attorneys will help to ensure our firm’s continued success.” The new board members at McAndrews include the following: Christopher V. Carani’s practice involves various aspects of intellectual property law, including IP litigation, procurement, licensing and dispute resolution. He counsels clients in a wide range of industries, with particular focus on consumer products. He practices extensively in the area of design law, which protects the appearance of items (design patents, trade dress, copyrighted design). He is a member of the bars of the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. He is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Sandra A. Frantzen practices a broad range of intellectual property law focusing on patent and trademark litigation and dispute resolution. She has extensive litigation and consulting experience, having advised clients in various industries on diverse technologies ranging from mechanical devices to chemical and biological processes and compositions to medical devices and electrical technology. Frantzen also advises clients on strategic intellectual property development, acquisition, protection and enforcement. She is a member of the bars of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Frantzen is also involved in several bar organizations, serves on the board of the Arab-American Bar Association of Illinois, and is a member of the firm’s Diversity Committee. Wil Rao devotes his practice to complex patent and trademark litigation and IP transactions, including patent portfolio development and due diligence. He represents corporations of all sizes, including Fortune 500 companies, private equity firms and other rapidly growing businesses, particularly involving medical devices, industrial and consumer products, and other mechanical- and electromechanical-based technologies. He practices before the U.S. International Trade Commission, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and U.S. District Courts across the nation. He recently was recognized as one of the 2008 Rising Stars by Chicago magazine’s Illinois Super Lawyers list. Ronald H. Spuhler has experience in numerous areas of intellectual property law. He has been involved in several patent infringement suits at both the trial and appellate level. These suits have dealt with a variety of products ranging from sporting goods to medical devices to cellular phones. Spuhler has also been involved in numerous trademark and trade dress suits dealing with issues of infringement and dilution, as well as several opposition and cancellation proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Spuhler has also assisted clients in acquiring intellectual property assets – some of which have been valued in excess of $500 million – through various means, including asset acquisition, merger and structured auctions. He is a member of the bars of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. John A. Wiberg has significant experience preparing and prosecuting patent applications in diverse technological fields. With a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering, he focuses on the electrical and software fields. Recently, his practice has concentrated on semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, including gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth wireless, HDTV, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and DSL modem processors. Wiberg also is experienced in infringement opinion work, due diligence analysis and trademark prosecution. He is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The new partners at McAndrews include the following: Oggie Beremski focuses on patent prosecution in the electrical and software areas, with emphasis on telecommunications, video processing and wireless technology. Prior to joining McAndrews, he was a corporate attorney for a U.S. subsidiary of NEC Corporation. While at NEC, Beremski gained valuable knowledge in the areas of IP/technology licensing (including drafting and negotiation), corporate restructuring, and mergers and acquisitions. He also has assisted outside patent counsel in several substantial patent litigation matters. Beremski is a member of the bars of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Supreme Court of Illinois. He is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Merle S. Elliott has experience in patent litigation, prosecution, licensing and counseling. Her work in patent litigation has ranged across a variety of complex technologies, with particular depth in the area of medical devices. Her litigation experience covers all phases of discovery, including depositions, motions, court hearings and work with experts. She has also been involved in briefing case-dispositive motions, preparing appeal briefs, drafting opinions and licensing transactions. Her practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office includes patent drafting and prosecution. She is a member of the bars of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. She is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Consuelo Garcia Erwin practices in all areas of intellectual property, with an emphasis on patent litigation and prosecution. She has gained significant litigation experience through her involvement in numerous patent, trademark, antitrust and trade secret suits. She has experience in a wide array of technologies, including specialty chemicals, cellular communications, films, electronic gaming, barcode printers and medical devices. She also has previous work experience as a chemist at the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Cabot Corporation and APL Engineered Materials. She is a member of the bars of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. She is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Christopher M. Scharff focuses his practice on patent litigation and prosecution. His litigation experience encompasses a wide range of technologies, including orthopedic implants, pain-relief systems, chemical products, advanced polymers, food processing and computer software. Scharff has assisted clients in all aspects of patent litigation, including written discovery, depositions, motion practice and witness preparation, as well as work with experts and arguments before the court. He has also helped clients procure patent protection with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and international patent offices, with an emphasis on the chemical and materials industries. He is a member of the bar of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and is registered before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Philip H. Sheridan has experience in numerous intellectual property matters. He has been involved in various aspects of patent prosecution. That work has included drafting and prosecution of patents to issuance before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in technological fields such as telecommunications, computer networks, data storage, video processing, hearing enhancement and protection, medical imaging systems and software-related applications. Sheridan has experience in many phases of litigation, including extensively researching and writing on disputed legal issues, drafting motions, assisting with depositions and attending trial. He has assisted in due diligence matters such as patent portfolio analyses and has prepared opinions regarding patent validity and infringement. He has also obtained copyright and trademark protection for his clients. Sheridan is a member of the bar of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and is registered before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. # # # About McAndrews, Held & Malloy Founded in 1988, McAndrews, Held & Malloy is one of the nation’s preeminent legal resources on intellectual property, antitrust and technology matters, serving institutions ranging from major multinationals and start-ups to world-class colleges and universities. The firm’s technically trained attorneys have built an unparalleled record of litigation successes in jury trials, bench trials and ADR proceedings. In addition, McAndrews offers its clients services in the following areas: patent and trademark procurement and portfolio management, patent interferences, trademark oppositions and cancellations, international practice, intellectual property/technology opinions and investigations, due diligence and M&A support, technology licensing and joint ventures, and technology transfers and donations. Additional information can be found at http://www.mcandrews-ip.com. CONTACT: Randy Labuzinski / David Schulte Healy & Schulte 312/765-8770 rlabuzinski@healyandschulte.com