© 2014 The Texas Lawbook.
By Brooks Igo
Staff Writer for The Texas Lawbook
(April 11) – Atlanta-based Sutherland Asbill deepened its IP practice by adding Alan Albright, the firm announced Wednesday. The former Bracewell & Giuliani partner becomes the firm’s 12th lawyer in Austin and is the fourth lawyer to join the firm in the state capital during the past year.
Albright said he was attracted by the firm’s vision and the opportunity to do the work he wants to do.
“I like the challenge of helping them build their IP litigation practice,” said Albright, who helped open Fish & Richardson’s Austin office in 2005.
Last year, the University of Texas School of Law graduate helped Syntrix Biosystems, Inc., a Washington-based biotechnology company, win a $96 million judgment in a patent infringement case against San Diego-based biotechnology firm Illumina, Inc. It was recognized as the fourth largest IP verdict in 2013 by the National Law Journal.
Two developments Albright says he and his clients continue to keep a close eye on are the ramifications of the America Invents Act and how the courts deal with the volume of cases being filed.
The new Sutherland partner said he hopes to begin working with corporations to help inventors file patent applications – something that can be challenging and inefficient for those without any legal expertise – as part of the AIA’s pro bono section. As an example of how the project works, someone at Intel would identify a patent application they want to help with, and then reach out to outside counsel to assist them.
“We can help these inventors get through the process more quickly,” he said.
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