NEW YORK, NY – February 24, 2009 – Baker Hostetler announced today the expansion of its Intellectual Property Group and New York Office with the addition of partner Victor Siber. Mr. Siber was most recently head of the Intellectual Property Group at Clifford Chance US LLP.
Mr. Siber's extensive and significant experience includes his role as the Chief Intellectual Property Counsel of IBM Corporation, where he headed the world's largest corporate IP law department. He was responsible for IBM's entire patent portfolio, contracts and licensing, including developing its intellectual property licensing program which is recognized as a model for other technology companies.
Mr. Siber's practice involves all aspects of intellectual property law, including asset protection, patents, copyrights, litigation, trade secrets, trademarks, and related transactional matters. Mr. Siber also counsels clients on patent portfolio development and corporate intellectual property transactions involving asset purchases, mergers and acquisitions, financing, joint ventures, licensing and contractual relationships.
Fluent in both Spanish and Portuguese, Mr. Siber's international experience includes a three-year assignment with IBM in Japan and four years in Brazil, where he established regional law offices for the company. He has served as a U.S. delegate to several World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Committee of Experts meetings and was a key player in the deliberations leading up to the European Software Directive and the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement (TRIPS).
Mr. Siber, a frequent lecturer on intellectual property topics, is past President of the International Intellectual Property Society and past Chairman of the U.S. Bar/JPO Liaison Council. He is a member of the American Bar Association (Patent, Trademark and Copyright Section), the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the Licensing Executives Society, the Intellectual Property Owners Association and the Association of Corporate Patent Counsel.
"We are thrilled to welcome Vic to the New York office," said George Stamboulidis, Managing Partner of Baker Hostetler's New York office. "We take great pride in the extraordinary group of partners and associates we have assembled and Vic, with his tremendous experience in the complex information technology area, adds immeasurable depth to our capabilities," said Stamboulidis.
"Our ability to attract lawyers like Vic, who are at the top of their games, allows us to serve our clients across the firm even more effectively," said Gerald Ferguson, Intellectual Property, Technology and Media Group Coordinator for the firm’s New York office. "He will be able to share with our clients the unique insight that comes from working in-house at the world's leading technology information company. He understands the challenges faced by in-house counsel who must manage IP litigation, patent portfolios and other concerns while keeping the big picture in mind."
About Baker Hostetler Founded over 90 years ago in 1916, Baker Hostetler is among the nation’s 100 largest law firms with 600 attorneys coast to coast. The firm has 10 offices nationwide: New York, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Costa Mesa, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Orlando and Washington, D.C. Its five primary practice groups are Business, Employment, Intellectual Property, Litigation and Tax. For more information, visit the firm’s Web site at www.bakerlaw.com. # # #
Contact: Christine L. Gill Communications Manager (216) 861-7852 cgill@bakerlaw.com