Blank Rome adds partner to Washington, DC, practice

First chair litigator served six years at the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Blank Rome has hired  Walter Davis as a partner in its Washington, DC, office. Davis has significant experience in all aspects of patent law, including more than 20 years in private practice and six years as a patent examiner at the  US Patent and Trademark Office.

He joins Blank Rome from  Davidson Berquist Jackson & Gowdy where he was a partner.

A first chair litigator, Davis has a strong and diverse background with technology, including microprocessors, smart home systems, software, Internet technology, smartphones, lighting control systems, consumer appliances, computer hardware technology and telecommunications.

“I am delighted to welcome Walter to our firm and nationally recognised IP group,” said  Grant Palmer, Blank Rome’s chair and managing partner. “Walter’s significant background in patent law and focus on technology will add tremendous value to our IP group’s wide range of patent service offerings.”

“Blank Rome has an excellent patent litigation team and I am looking forward to growing my practice at the firm,” said Davis. “I have always been impressed with the calibre of Blank Rome’s IP litigators, not only for their significant experience in patent law but also for their collaborative and collegial approach—including with opposing counsel. I am excited to contribute to the ongoing success of the firm’s national IP group.”

Davis has served as chair, vice-chair, and secretary of the IP section of the  National Bar Association, the nation’s oldest and largest association of predominantly African American lawyers and judges. As chair, Davis helped found the National Bar Association’s Diversity in Tech Awards, which recognise diverse lawyers and in-house legal departments that have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the hiring, retention, and promotion of diverse attorneys in the technology industry.

According to the firm, this addition highlights the strategic expansion of Blank Rome’s IP practice, following multiple additions within the last 18 months. These include partner and co-chair of the firm’s IP litigation practice group  Paul Zeineddin, partner and co-chair of the firm’s IP and technology practice group  Hussein Akhavannik, and attorneys  Mark Mashack and  Timothy Schwarz in the firm’s Washington, DC, office.

Other new recruits include partner  Josh Reisberg and associate  Michael Rubin in the New York office; partner  Todd Malynn in the Los Angeles office; associate  Cory Edwards in the Chicago office; and patent agents  Benjamin Ailes,  Amir Kyarad,  David Hardy, and  Joseph Jackson in the firm’s Philadelphia and Houston offices.