Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox Expands Litigation Practice Group

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Jan 05, 2010, 09:00 ET

IP Specialty Firm Adds Team of Four IP Litigation Attorneys

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C. (SKGF), an intellectual property law firm in Washington, D.C., announced today that it has expanded its Litigation Practice Group with a team of four attorneys: Director H. Keeto Sabharwal, Of Counsel Daniel E. Yonan, and Associates Nirav N. Desai and Dennies Varughese.

"From our first meeting with Keeto Sabharwal, we saw his significant experience litigating in the life sciences and electronics areas as a perfect complement to our current litigation team," said Michael B. Ray, Managing Director at SKGF.

"Demand for our litigation services has grown dramatically over the last few years," said Mark Fox Evens, SKGF Litigation Practice Group Leader. "Bringing on board a trial lawyer of Keeto Sabharwal's caliber and this team of litigators strengthens our patent litigation expertise generally, while specifically expanding our capabilities in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries."

Mr. Sabharwal added, "Sterne Kessler's reputation as a leading intellectual property specialty firm is unmatched. We are particularly excited about the unique blend of litigation, scientific, technical, and legal expertise that we now together can bring to bear for clients. I am also thrilled about the opportunity to help build the litigation practice at the firm."

The new team members are:

Mr. H. Keeto Sabharwal -- Mr. Sabharwal joins the firm as a Director in the firm's Litigation Practice Group. Prior to joining SKGF, he was the IP Litigation Practice Group Leader and a Partner at Blank Rome LLP in Washington, D.C. For more than 15 years, he has concentrated his practice in the area of patent litigation, particularly patent litigation involving pharmaceuticals, as well as computer hardware and software. Mr. Sabharwal has litigated in federal courts throughout the United States and counseled clients all over the world about patent and strategy issues relating to the Hatch-Waxman Act. Prior to entering private practice, he served as a federal law clerk to the Honorable Michael J. Davis in the United States District Court, District of Minnesota. Mr. Sabharwal earned his J.D. from Indiana University School of Law and B.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin, and is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and New York.

Mr. Daniel E. Yonan -- Mr. Yonan joins the firm as Of Counsel and focuses his practice on IP litigation before federal district courts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and fast-track investigations before the U.S. International Trade Commission. Earlier in his career, he was a pharmaceutical drug research scientist at Pfizer, Inc. Mr. Yonan received his J.D. from the John Marshall Law School and B.S. in chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and Virginia.

Mr. Nirav N. Desai -- Mr. Desai joins the firm as an Associate and focuses his practice on IP litigation and patent prosecution. Before law school, he worked for Mitretek Systems performing systems analysis and software development. Mr. Desai received his J.D. from the College of William and Mary and B.S. in computer science from the University of Virginia, and is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and Virginia.

Mr. Dennies Varughese -- Mr. Varughese joins the firm as an Associate and focuses his practice on IP litigation and patent prosecution with an emphasis in the pharmaceutical and medical industries. Prior to law school, he completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Rutgers University Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy in conjunction with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. He received his J.D. cum laude from Temple University and Pharm.D. from the University of Sciences in Philadelphia. Mr. Varughese is a licensed pharmacist in Pennsylvania, and is admitted to practice in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C. -- Strategists and Advisors specializing in the protection, transfer and enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights. Founded in 1978 and based in Washington, D.C., the firm has over 130 patent attorneys, agents and technical specialists representing a broad range of clients, including emerging and established companies, venture capital firms, universities and select individuals. In the last year, SKGF received the following awards and recognition: The National Law Journal's Midsize Hot List, Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers Best Law Firms for Women, Washington Business Journal's Best Places to Work, and was named the most diverse partnership in Washington, D.C., by Legal Times / The National Law Journal.

SOURCE Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox