LONDON, June 27, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WilmerHale today announced that Justin Watts, PhD, and Matthew Shade, PhD, have joined the firm as partners in its London office, strengthening WilmerHale’s position as a firm of choice for complex patent litigation in the United Kingdom and for clients seeking an effective global strategy for their intellectual property disputes.
Dr. Watts, a first-chair patent litigator with deep experience in international disputes including competition matters, and Dr. Shade, a skilled practitioner and former patent examiner in the European Patent Office, come to WilmerHale from a Magic Circle firm, where Dr. Watts was the head of the firm’s UK IP litigation practice. Together they bring more than 30 years of combined practice, with experience in a wide range of technologies, including cell phones, pharmaceutical products, semiconductors and aero engines.”
“Justin and Matthew are an impressive duo who will substantially strengthen our international patent litigation capabilities,” said Susan Murley, co-managing partner of WilmerHale. “Their experience with high-stakes IP litigation work and ability to manage complex international patent disputes will benefit our life sciences and tech clients alike.”
“The opportunity to join WilmerHale allows us to be a part of a firm that boasts the most esteemed IP litigation practice in the United States,” said Dr. Watts. “Matthew and I are looking forward to joining the WilmerHale team and contributing our UK and EU expertise to extend the ways in which clients can rely upon WilmerHale for well-coordinated and comprehensive guidance in global patent litigation matters.”
WilmerHale’s IP Litigation Practice features a premier litigation team backed by the academic and industry experience of more than 100 lawyers and technology specialists with scientific or technical degrees. WilmerHale’s lawyers have tried major cases in US federal district courts from coast to coast, before the US International Trade Commission, and in Germany and the United Kingdom. The firm’s lawyers also regularly represent clients in patent appeals before the US Supreme Court and the Federal Circuit. Since the first year the title of IP Litigation Department of the Year was awarded in 2004, The American Lawyer has honored WilmerHale twice and a finalist six times in this biennial contest.
Mark Selwyn, co-chair of WilmerHale’s IP Litigation Practice, added, “It is with great pride that we welcome Justin and Matthew. They bring a superb track record of success and commitment to legal excellence, and they will further enhance our ability to offer clients the finest representation for their global IP litigation disputes.”
Biographical Information
Dr. Justin Watts
Justin Watts, a patent litigator, was most recently a partner in the IP and information technology practices of a Magic Circle firm, where he was the head of the firm’s UK IP litigation practice. Dr. Watts has handled complex, multinational disputes, often involving the intersection of antitrust and intellectual property. He has appeared before UK courts and high courts of Northern Ireland and Singapore, and has coordinated international patent litigation in the US, Germany and the Netherlands. His clients span a range of industries from pharmaceutical and medical device to technology, media and communications.
Dr. Watts is a highly regarded practitioner, earning consistent recognition by industry publications such as Chambers UK and The Legal 500 UK, by which he has been cited as “one of the best and most strategic litigators in the field.”
Before his legal career began in 1994, Dr. Watts worked in satellite communications engineering. He earned his BA in electrical sciences and his PhD in optoelectronics from the University of Cambridge, and his diploma in IP law and practice, with commendation, from the University of Bristol.
Dr. Matthew Shade
Matthew Shade was most recently a patent litigator at a Magic Circle firm, where he was a member of the firm’s intellectual property and information technology practices since 2007. His work focuses on complex multijurisdictional patent cases, and he often deals with the interface of intellectual property and antitrust law. Dr. Shade has practiced before the English courts and the European Patent Office. His clients span industries from pharmaceuticals and medical devices to consumer electronics.
Previously, Dr. Shade managed the patent department of a high-tech spin-out from Cambridge University and he was a patent examiner at the European Patent Office. He earned his BS, with honors, from the University of Manchester, and his PhD in chemistry from the University of Oxford. He is a registered solicitor in England and Wales and a European patent attorney.
About Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP
WilmerHale provides legal representation across a comprehensive range of practice areas that are critical to the success of its clients. The law firm’s leading Intellectual Property, Litigation/Controversy, Regulatory and Government Affairs, Securities and Transactional Departments participate in some of the highest-profile legal and policy matters. With a staunch commitment to public service, the firm is renowned as a leader in pro bono representation. WilmerHale is 1,000 lawyers strong with 12 offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit www.wilmerhale.com.