IP PARTNER MARK LITVACK JOINS PILLSBURY IN LOS ANGELES New hire expands Firm’s IP litigation capabilities, particularly in copyright, trademark and entertainment law

Los Angeles—Mark Litvack joins Pillsbury’s Intellectual Property practice in its Los Angeles office, further bolstering the Firm’s nationally recognized IP litigation capabilities. Litvack has extensive experience in a wide range of IP litigation matters, including copyright and trademark infringement, Internet piracy and prosecution, and entertainment law.

“Whether co-authoring the 1952 Patent Act, the basis for all U.S. patent law today; ushering in the technology age with the incorporation of Intel in 1968, filing the first trademark for a dot.com in 1992, or launching the nation’s first Virtual Law & Video Games team in 2009, Pillsbury attorneys have been practicing at the cutting edge of IP law for more than a century. The addition of Mark Litvack to our team expands upon that rich tradition, particularly as it relates to entertainment,” said partner Jack Barufka, firm-wide leader of Pillsbury’s IP practice.

Litvack joins from Reed Smith, where he was a commercial litigation partner with an emphasis on entertainment and IP litigation. Clients include AOL, IMAX, Sony Pictures, Disney, and Activision. Previously, he served as Vice President at the Motion Picture Association of America, where he focused on Internet piracy issues. He also advises video games and virtual world companies.

“Mark joins Pillsbury as part of our strategic goal of strengthening our IP litigation capabilities in California, and growing the IP practice overall,” said Pillsbury Firm Chair Jim Rishwain. “Mark’s capabilities in the areas of trademarks and copyrights, as well as his work for the video games and film industries will be of great benefit to our clients and extend our strong IP capabilities in Southern California and around the country."

Litvack, a graduate of Hamilton College, received his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law. He is a member of the California Bar Association, and a Counsel Member of the ABA Science and Technology Committee. He is admitted in California, Connecticut and New York.

Pillsbury’s Intellectual Property practice advises clients on developing successful and comprehensive IP strategies by protecting, managing, asserting, defending and leveraging their IP assets. The IP team spans a number of offices and countries, with team members in Northern Virginia, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, Houston, Washington, DC, New York, San Diego, Sacramento, Tokyo, and London. Domestically, Pillsbury have advocated for clients in 62 of the 95 US District Courts, 11 of the 13 US Courts of Appeals, as well as before the ITC in Section 337 cases, the International Chamber of Commerce, and the World Intellectual Property Organization. Pillsbury's IP lawyers have a wide range of advanced scientific and technical degrees in areas including electrical and mechanical engineering, chemistry, biology, physics and a number of other technical disciplines.

About Pillsbury
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP is a full-service law firm with market-leading strengths in the energy, financial services, real estate and technology sectors, and increasingly health care and education. Based in the world's major financial and technology centers, Pillsbury counsels clients on global regulatory, litigation and corporate matters. We work in multidisciplinary teams that allow us to anticipate trends and bring a 360-degree perspective to complex business and legal issues—helping clients to take greater advantage of new opportunities and better mitigate risk. This collaborative work style helps produce the results our clients seek.