Blank Rome hires former patent examiner as partner
New partner to focus on tech patents | Experience in engineering, tech and patent exams | Joins from BakerHostetler Life Sciences team.
Blank Rome has appointed Hussein Akhavannik in the firm’s Intellectual Property & Technology practice group as a partner in the Washington DC office.
Akhavannik will focus on patent prosecution and portfolio management with an emphasis on bringing a global perspective to clients’ technology assets.
Prior to joining Blank Rome, Akhavannik was a partner and co-leader of the Life Sciences team at BakerHostetler. “Hussein is a welcome addition to Blank Rome and our nationally recognised IP team,” said Grant Palmer, Blank Rome’s managing partner and CEO.
“His strong engineering background, insights as a technologist, and experiences as a former patent examiner helps him evaluate the evolving technology landscape in a unique way, which will be beneficial to our clients who are looking for diverse portfolio management and patent prosecution counsel.”
Early in his career, Akhavannik spent nearly four years at the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as a patent examiner and served as a legal intern for the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) and the Office of the Solicitor.
“Hussein’s knowledge of the inner workings of the USPTO is a tremendous asset when developing innovative solutions for clients who are seeking IP protection,” said David Perry, partner and co-chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property & Technology practice group.
“We are thrilled to have Hussein on our team to leverage his industry relationships and strong patent experience, which will help us facilitate an even more comprehensive approach to patent protection for clients and advance our Life Sciences practice and service offerings.”
Commenting on his role, Akhavannik said: “There were so many great reasons to join Blank Rome, and a key driver was the firm’s national platform.
