Dykema Strengthens IP Department With Additions In Bloomfield Hills And Washington, D.C.

Bloomfield Hills; Washington, D.C.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced that Anna M. Shih and Teresa A. Lavenue have joined the firm’s Intellectual Property Department as Of Counsel. Shih will be located in the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office, and Lavenue will be located in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.

Shih joins Dykema from the Eaton Corporation where she served as lead intellectual property counsel for the Automotive Group. In this role, Shih advised on several sensitive, high-stakes patent and intellectual property litigation matters involving vehicle and related technologies.

Lavenue arrives from Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz where she was a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property practice. Lavenue has more than 20 years of technical experience in the biotech field and more than 13 years of experience in patent prosecution and client management.

"As we continue to deepen our national IP practice with some of the best talent in the field, these two attorneys bring a broad range of experience in domestic and international patent matters that will surely benefit new and existing clients," said Rex E. Schlaybaugh, Jr., Dykema’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Anna and Teresa’s arrival will add considerable depth to our already impressive IP team and underscores the firm’s commitment to expand our patent prosecution and litigation support capabilities."

About Anna Shih

Shih’s practice is focused on a wide range of intellectual property matters, including patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and licensing. She has extensive experience in managing patent infringement litigation, including assisting outside counsel with discovery issues, preparing employees for depositions, and advising management on lawsuit progress. In addition, she has advised clients on the implementation of intellectual property protection strategies and worked with outside counsel in patent drafting and prosecution.

Shih is a member of the Tau Beta Pi and Eta Kappa Nu honor societies, the Michigan Intellectual Property Law Association, and the State Bar of Michigan.

She received a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Kettering University, formerly GMI Engineering & Management Institute.

About Teresa Lavenue

Lavenue focuses her practice on biotech patent prosecution and counseling. She has successfully represented U.S. and foreign clients in the procurement, management, and development of intellectual property rights. She has written and/or prosecuted over 500 patent applications in the biotech field covering a variety of technologies.

As a key strategist, Lavenue has worked closely with business directors to obtain insight into client's financing or commercialization goals to develop long-term business objectives and patent portfolios that protect intellectual property assets.

Lavenue has conducted due diligence for major corporate transactions, performed numerous freedom to operate analyses, and prepared numerous invalidity and non-infringement opinions. She has also conducted patent landscape searches and analysis to assist clients in making informed licensing decisions.

Lavenue is a member of the American Intellectual Property Lawyers Association, the American Bar Association, and the State Bars of California, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

She received a J.D., summa cum laude, from American University’s Washington College of Law and a B.S. in Molecular Biology from Vanderbilt University.

Dykema’s attorneys counsel clients on all aspects of the procurement, management, and enforcement of intellectual property rights. The firm’s intellectual property attorneys, including numerous attorneys who are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, prepare, prosecute and enforce patents in a diverse range of industries including automotive, communications, computer, electronics biotechnology, chemical and consumer products. For more information on Dykema’s Intellectual Property Department, please visit http://www.dykema.com/ip.