Paul Andre and Jonathan Caplan Appointed Co-chairs of Kramer Levin’s Intellectual Property Practice

Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP announced today that Paul J. Andre and Jonathan S. Caplan have been named co-chairs of the firm’s expanding intellectual property practice.

Mr. Andre and Mr. Caplan have both distinguished themselves as leaders in the intellectual property department. Mr. Andre has served as managing partner of the firm’s Silicon Valley office in Menlo Park, CA, since joining the firm in 2011—a role that he retains. Kramer Levin’s Silicon Valley lawyers provide IP-related services exclusively, with a focus on patent litigation. Mr. Caplan has served as deputy chair of the IP department in New York, also since 2011. New York partner Peter A. Abruzzese is stepping down as department chair after more than five years of service.

Mr. Andre focuses his practice on litigating intellectual property disputes involving complex technology, with a particular emphasis on the life sciences, computer science and the electrical arts. Admitted to federal courts in more than 30 states, he has handled more than 100 patent trials and litigations throughout the country. Mr. Andre also counsels clients from a variety of technology-related industries on intellectual property issues, trade secret protection and other commercial matters.

Mr. Caplan represents clients in patent litigation, counseling and prosecution, as well as in antitrust litigation and general corporate matters involving the acquisition, sale or licensing of intellectual property rights. He litigates patent infringement actions in federal district courts across the country and in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, as well as in state courts, both representing patent owners seeking to enforce their rights and defending companies against allegations of infringement.

“Paul and Jonathan’s leadership has been instrumental to our success protecting our clients’ intellectual property and advising on their most important IP issues,” said Paul S. Pearlman, managing partner of Kramer Levin. “Their appointments are a recognition of that success and that the firm’s IP practice has two headquarters, one in New York and one in Silicon Valley.”

“I look forward to working with Jonathan to help guide our exceptional group of talented and innovative IP lawyers on matters impacting a wide range of industries,” said Mr. Andre.

“The growth and remarkable success of our IP practice in recent years has fostered close collaboration between our New York and California offices,” said Mr. Caplan. “Paul Andre and I will continue exploring synergies between our East and West Coast teams and every opportunity to advance our clients’ interests.”

Kramer Levin’s IP practice is in expansion mode. The firm opened its Silicon Valley office in September 2011 to service existing clients in the area and has continued growing its world-class IP practice since. In 2015, the firm hired two prominent patent litigators in New York, partners Gregory B. Sephton and Brian V. Slater, who chairs the firm’s Life Sciences practice. Now nearly 60 lawyers strong, Kramer Levin’s intellectual property department represents clients in a variety of industries in all aspects of intellectual property law including litigation, prosecution, licensing, due diligence and technology transactions. The department is involved, on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants, in many of the most significant intellectual property litigation cases in the country before the federal district courts and appellate courts.