10 February 2020CopyrightSarah Morgan

Fish & Richardson CEO steps down after 20 years

Peter Devlin has stepped down from his role as president and CEO of IP law firm Fish & Richardson after 20 years.

Under his leadership, Fish expanded its geographic footprint with six new offices, including international expansion into Munich, Germany in 2007 and Shenzhen, China in 2019.

Over the past 20 years, Fish has quadrupled its revenue and doubled the number of attorneys at the firm.

John Hayden, principal, management committee member and patent practice group leader, said: “Peter has led our firm for 20 years with judgment, vision and compassion. He is known for his caring and thoughtful approach to issues involving our employees and clients, and we are deeply thankful for his many years of service.”

According to the firm, Devlin made strides to broaden the firm's pro bono programme and expand its commitment to diversity. In 2019, Fish earned a top certification from law diversity and inclusion group Diversity Lab, for successfully reaching at least 30% diverse lawyer representation in current leadership roles and committees.

Hayden added: “He leaves some very big shoes to fill, but we are very excited about continuing his legacy of excellence.”

The firm’s nominating and management committees have unanimously nominated John Adkisson, a principal in the firm’s Twin Cities office and an elected member of the firm’s management committee, to serve as the new president and CEO. Fish’s principals will vote on Adkisson’s candidacy at the firm’s annual meeting on February 20.

Adkisson specialises in patent infringement litigation, particularly in pharmaceuticals, biosimilars, and medical devices sectors.

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13 November 2019   Jenifer deWolf Paine, a former in house counsel in the trademark group at Microsoft, has joined Fish & Richardson’s New York office.
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16 November 2018   The Chinese Ministry of Justice has approved law firm Fish & Richardson’s application to open an office in Shenzhen, China.
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25 February 2020   John Adkisson, a patent litigator in Fish & Richardson’s Twin Cities office, has been chosen to lead the firm as principal and CEO.