Top 100 US firm Venable has hired a team of five IP partners from Dentons to further expand its tech-focused intellectual property litigation group. 

The quintet include Timothy Carroll and Steven Lubezny, who join the firm in Chicago, with Manny Caixeiro and Laura Wytsma joining in Los Angeles and Elizabeth Manno joining in Washington DC. A sixth lawyer, associate Vivian Sandoval, will also join in Chicago. 

Carroll’s practice focuses on high-risk patent cases related to cutting-edge tech such as location-based services, messaging systems and medical devices. Meantime, Lubezny focuses on IP litigation and counselling, specialising in patent and trademark infringement and trade secret misappropriation, while Caixeiro focuses on IP disputes related to software, financial services and entertainment and Wytsma specialises in patent and appellate litigation. Manno advises tech industry clients on patent infringement and other IP matters.

Dom Conde, co-chair of Venable’s IP division, said: “[The team] are outstanding IP litigators who are client focused. They will be the third significant group of IP lawyers who have joined us in the last two months. They see what we know, namely that lawyers in Venable’s IP group work together as a team and are unsurpassed in experience, depth and quality.”

Carroll joins after nearly three years at Dentons, having previously been Chicago patent litigation office lead at Perkins Coie, which he joined back in 2012. Prior to that Carroll was a partner at Loeb & Loeb and Vedder Price. Lubezny has followed Carroll on the same career path since they worked together at Loeb & Loeb. He previously worked at Levenfeld Pearlstein and legacy firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal. 

LA-based Caixeiro likewise has been with Carroll and Lubezny since their Loeb & Loeb days, with Caixeiro having previous experience at Quinn Emanuel and Willkie Farr & Gallagher. Wytsma had reunited with the team earlier this year at Dentons having remained at Loeb & Loeb in the intervening years. Manno, meantime, also rejoined the team at Dentons earlier this year having remained at Perkins Coie since 2012.

Justin Pierce, Conde’s co-chair, said: “We are always on the lookout for top-notch talent, and when we come across the right individual or team, we do all we can to bring them to the firm. That is the case with Tim and his team. They will integrate nicely with our IP attorneys and will work well across other practices and offices.”

Other prominent US firms have also looked to boost their tech-focused IP litigation offerings recently. Last month, Kirkland & Ellis announced it was opening an IP litigation practice in its recently-launched Austin office, which according to the firm will allow it to better serve IP and tech clients thanks to the city’s position as one of the state’s strongest tech hubs. And Washington DC-based firm Crowell & Moring also announced in June that it was expanding in the Midwest through a merger with Chicago-headquartered tech and IP firm Brinks Gilson & Lione, which specialises in high-stakes IP litigation.