Mr. Gasparo represents U.S. and international clients in federal courts and at the ITC; he also has a proactive non-contentious intellectual property practice
NEW YORK (March 23, 2011) – Frank M. Gasparo, an intellectual property litigator representing U.S. and international clients before federal courts and the International Trade Commission (ITC), and a registered patent attorney, has joined Venable’s New York office as a partner.
Mr. Gasparo will head the firm’s Intellectual Property practice group in New York. He joins Venable from Baker & McKenzie LLP, where he was a partner.
In addition to regularly representing companies in federal courts throughout the United States and before the ITC, Mr. Gasparo counsels companies on best practices for harvesting, protecting and monetizing their IP assets, and minimizing infringement risks. He also conducts patent due diligence for the acquisition and sale of IP assets and counsels clients on the patentability of inventions. He is licensed to practice before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Besides focusing on patent law, Mr. Gasparo handles matters related to copyright, trademark and trade dress, e-commerce, and privacy issues. His clients include notable names in fashion, luxury goods, entertainment, software, financial services and consumer products – sectors he plans to develop further at Venable.
Among noteworthy assignments, Mr. Gasparo has served as lead counsel in the following matters:
- Represented a Swiss apparel company in a patent action before the ITC over infringement claims concerning construction of specialty physiological shoes;
- Represented a German software/database company in a district court litigation over distribution agreements and trademark laws in Europe and South America;
- Represented French manufacturer of smart phone cards in patent infringement action concerning process and construction of smart cards;
- Represented a leading U.S. financial institution in a patent case alleging infringement of check processing business method patents.
Currently, Mr. Gasparo is representing a major entertainment studio in a patent infringement case brought by a non-practicing entity in the Eastern District of Texas.
“Venable has the ideal base to help me to continue growing my IP practice, especially in portfolio management and litigation matters,” said Mr. Gasparo. “The New York office reflects the firm’s national strength in litigation and I’m excited by the opportunity to help build a more visible IP platform for Venable in this market, representing key sectors that I’ve worked with for a number of years.”
Edmund O’Toole, managing partner of Venable’s New York office, said, “We had been searching for an experienced, well-rounded IP practitioner who is adept at business development and strategies for value-added IP counsel. Frank Gasparo has been extremely successful in building his own diverse IP practice and we look forward to his leadership in making New York a cornerstone of Venable’s firmwide IP group.”
Mr. Gasparo earned his J.D., with honors, from Brooklyn Law School, and a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree, cum laude, from SUNY Stony Brook.
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About Venable LLP: An American Lawyer top 100 law firm, Venable attorneys practice in all areas of corporate and business law, complex litigation, intellectual property and government affairs. Venable serves corporate, institutional, governmental, nonprofit and individual clients throughout the U.S. and around the world from its headquarters in Washington, DC and offices in California, Maryland, New York and Virginia.