Fish & Richardson Welcomes Nine Lateral Litigation Associates

Fish & Richardson has welcomed nine lateral associates to the litigation practice group since the start of 2023.

"I am thrilled to see our firm continue to grow and foster new talent,” said Corrin Drakulich, Fish’s Global Head of Litigation. "These new members of our team bring refreshing enthusiasm as well as technical knowledge from their diverse backgrounds in STEM-related fields, including biochemistry, electrical engineering, and pharmacology.”

Bryan Cannon: With a background in mechanical and aerospace engineering, Bryan’s practice primarily focuses on patent litigation in District Courts, the U.S. International Trade Commission, and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Prior to practicing law, Bryan was a moored training ship conversion lead auxiliary engineer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division.

Vivian Chew Keller: Vivian’s practice focuses on electrical engineering and computer technologies. She is also a registered patent attorney and has experience assisting with post-grant proceedings. Vivian previously served as a judicial extern to U.S. District Court Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr., in the Northern District of Georgia.

Allison Elkman: Allison built her practice in patent litigation across a range of technologies, including medical devices, video game hardware and software, and artificial intelligence, among others. She has experience in nearly all phases of litigation, from due diligence and pre-filing investigation through trial and post-trial motions. Additionally, Allison has an active pro bono practice, previously working with a non-profit dedicated to preventing cruelty to animals.

Kara Grogan: Kara has a broad patent litigation practice with an emphasis on Section 337 proceedings before the International Trade Commission. Her technical areas of experience include semiconductors, wind turbine generators, LCDs, pharmaceuticals, and antibodies. In addition, Kara maintains an active pro bono practice and served as a judicial intern to the Honorable George A. O’Toole of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Matthew Johnson: Matthew built his practice in patent litigation in U.S. District Courts, the U.S. International Trade Commission, and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. He has technical experience in many areas, including electrical engineering, cybersecurity, thermodynamics, and more. Prior to practicing law, Matthew had a distinguished career in the United States Navy, including multiple deployments in support of operations in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Brandon Pakkebier: Previously a summer associate at Fish, Brandon served as a law clerk to U.S. District Court Judge Leonard P. Stark in the District of Delaware. Brandon’s background is in complex intellectual property litigation involving manufacturing, chemicals, life sciences, biosimilars, and pharmaceuticals (including Hatch-Waxman litigation).

Evan Sumner, Ph.D.: Evan focuses his practice on patent litigation in the areas of pharmaceuticals, biologics, and medical devices. He has extensive experience in Hatch-Waxman litigation and leverages his technical background in pharmacology to effectively represent pharmaceutical companies in complex Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) cases. Evan previously served as an extern at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Lucien Wang: Lucien’s practice focuses on pharmaceutical and technology-related litigation in federal district courts. He has represented innovator pharmaceutical companies and defended blue-chip technology companies in high-stakes litigations. Lucien was a judicial extern to the Honorable Kimberly S. Budd of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. He is also a certified English-Chinese translator, which assists him in cases involving Chinese companies.

James Yang: With a background in biochemistry, James is experienced in high-stakes patent litigation relating to many practice areas including medical devices, pharmaceuticals, electronics, and software. Previously a summer associate at Fish, James is experienced in district court, Federal Circuit, and ITC matters as well as post-grant proceedings.

Fish’s 200-lawyer litigation practice scores more high-profile wins across the board in U.S. District Court, the U.S. International Trade Commission, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board than any other IP firm. We attribute our success to our deep fluency in every technology area imaginable, our robust industry knowledge, and our strategic and tenacious problem-solving abilities.