LOS ANGELES, CA - Michael A. Molano has joined the Silicon Valley office of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP as a partner in the firm's Intellectual Property (IP) practice group, a press release by the Office stated.

Molano was most recently a partner in the Palo Alto office of Mayer Brown LLP.

Molano is a registered patent attorney and electrical engineer whose practice focuses on IP litigation in federal courts and before the ITC.

For more than 15 years, he has represented clients engaged in IP litigation and patent matters across a broad spectrum of electrical and electro-mechanical fields, with substantial experience in the semiconductor industry.

"Mike adds significantly to our formidable patent litigation expertise and his semiconductor focus is complementary to our existing strength in the tech sector, both in Silicon Valley and throughout the firm,” Chairman of the firm Guy Halgren said.

“We continue to grow practices like IP and technology, and Mike's industry knowledge and experience is of great value to clients," he added.

"It wasn't Sheppard Mullin's preeminent reputation in the California legal market that drew me here. Nor was it their thriving IP practice of over 70 lawyers,” Molano commented.

“Instead, it was the quality of their people that convinced me that the firm, and its growing Silicon Valley office, was the perfect home for me and my practice," he continued.

"Mike's reputation in Silicon Valley and the IP community is outstanding. I am honored to work with him," Marc Sockol, managing partner of the Silicon Valley office noted.

In November, Sheppard Mullin added two IP partners specializing in patent litigation: Tony Chen joined the firm's Los Angeles office from Bingham McCutchen and Joy Arnold joined the firm's New York office from Heller Ehrman.

Sheppard Mullin is a full service AmLaw 100 firm with more than 560 attorneys in 11 offices located throughout California and in New York, Washington, DC and Shanghai.

From:www.ag-ip-news.com