Akerman Grows Chicago Office

CHICAGO — July 28, 2016 — Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, today expanded its Chicago office with partner Thomas Pasternak in the Intellectual Property Practice Group. He adds dedicated experience in patent and trademark litigation to a team that has grown six times larger to 48 lawyers since Akerman's Chicago office opened in 2014. To accommodate this rapid office growth, Akerman recently revealed a plan to more than double its physical footprint in the region. 

"Tom has exceptional in-house and first-chair trial experience with companies across a broad range of technology sectors, including electrical engineering, chemical products, and medical devices," saidMichael Switzer, chair of Akerman's Intellectual Property Practice Group. "Tom's dedicated practice in patent and trademark litigation, and his impressive technical background will bring immediate value to our clients."
 
Pasternak brings more than 20 years of experience in patent litigation, licensing and prosecution. He has appeared in more than 50 patent cases in federal courts across the United States, handling fact discovery, preparation of witnesses and expert reports, cross-examination of technical witnesses and experts, Markman hearings, dispositive motion hearings and trials. Pasternak has written and prosecuted hundreds of patent applications in many technologies, litigated cases before the International Trade Commission, and frequently argues before the Federal and Seventh Circuits. He also has significant trademark and trade dress litigation experience, as well as trademark prosecution experience.
 
Pasternak is a former vice president and chief patent counsel at R.R. Donnelley & Sons (NASDAQ: RRD) in Chicago. He has held adjunct professorships at Valparaiso University and Loyola Chicago School of Law, and taught courses in IP law for engineers for the Society of Automotive Engineers. He holds a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School, and earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy. Prior to entering law school, he served in the United States Navy aboard the U.S.S. Haddo, a nuclear submarine.
 
Akerman's Chicago office has quickly become a key center for IP matters, with an emphasis on patent and trade secret litigation, patent prosecution and counseling in the United States, Asia and Europe. The team is part of Akerman's deep bench of IP lawyers in Chicago, New York, Denver, Washington, D.C., and South Florida, who are experienced in all aspects of IP law across a range of sectors, including chemical, pharmaceutical and life sciences; entertainment, fashion and sports sectors; high technology and consumer electronics, and manufacturing.

About Akerman LLP
Akerman LLP is a leading transactions and trial law firm known for its core strengths in middle market M&A, within the financial services and real estate industries, and for a diverse Latin America practice. With more than 650 lawyers and government affairs professionals and a network of 24 offices, it is ranked among the top 100 law firms in the United States by The American Lawyer (2016). Akerman also is ranked among the top 60 law firms for diversity in The American Lawyer's Diversity Scorecard (2016).
 
Akerman's Intellectual Property Practice Group serves clients worldwide in all areas of intellectual property law, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and the Internet. Ranked nationally by U.S. News – Best Lawyers in intellectual property litigation, the group handles complex and high-profile cases spanning a range of industries, including technology, life sciences, fashion, entertainment and sports, and chemical, among others.
 
Akerman also delivers important developments in IP law on its Marks, Works & Secrets Blog