WilmerHale is pleased to announce the arrival of Arthur J. Gajarsa, formerly a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, to its Boston office. Judge Gajarsa joins the firm as senior counsel in the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice and will provide strategic counsel to the firm’s clients in a wide range of IP-related issues.
“Upon concluding my thoroughly satisfying service as a judge on the Federal Circuit, I was sure my next professional home needed to be someplace special,” said Judge Gajarsa. “WilmerHale is that place. The firm has developed a leading intellectual property practice with an extraordinary group of lawyers. I am happy to be a part of this team.”
“We are proud and pleased to welcome Judge Gajarsa,” said Bill Lee, current partner and former co-managing partner of WilmerHale. “He will be an invaluable asset to both our clients and our lawyers.”
Lisa Pirozzolo, co-chair of WilmerHale’s IP Litigation Practice, noted, “Judge Gajarsa is a perfect addition to our team. He will enhance our ability not only to provide effective legal counsel to clients, but also to give the best possible training to our next generation of lawyers.”
Judge Gajarsa had a long and distinguished career in the judiciary. He was nominated to the Federal Circuit in 1996 by President Clinton, confirmed by the US Senate in 1997 and served for 15 years, retiring in June 2012.
Prior to his appointment, Judge Gajarsa was a well-recognized litigator who also practiced corporate law. His career included service at the Department of Commerce, Department of the Interior and Department of Defense.
Judge Gajarsa received a BSEE from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1962, a JD from Georgetown University Law Center in 1967, and an MA from Catholic University of America in 1968. He served as law clerk to the Honorable Joseph McGarraghy, United States District Court for the District of Columbia, from 1967 to 1968. He currently serves as chair of the Board of Trustees of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
WilmerHale’s IP Litigation Practice has a leading patent, copyright and trademark litigation team backed by the academic and industry experience of more than 140 lawyers and technology specialists with scientific or technical degrees. Its lawyers have considerable experience litigating intellectual property cases in the Federal Circuit, federal district courts from coast to coast, and the US International Trade Commission, as well as managing disputes elsewhere. In 2012, the firm was named an “Intellectual Property Litigation Group of the Year” finalist by The American Lawyer and the “Patent Contentious Firm of the Year” in the United States and in the Northeast by Managing IP.