WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 5, 2003) – Venable LLP has introduced a key player to its technology transactions practice with the addition of Nora Garrote as a partner in its Washington office. Ms. Garrote has a diverse practice in intellectual property counseling and technology transactions. A significant part of her work focuses on computer technology, telecommunications, and health care.
Ms. Garrote was head of the Technology Group for the Washington, D.C. and Reston, Virginia offices of Brobeck, Phlegher & Harrison, which announced its dissolution last month. Previously, she was an intellectual property and telecommunications partner for Piper & Marbury LLP, where she handled a substantial portion of the firm’s trademark, copyright, trade secrets, and technology licensing work for many years.
Ms. Garrote has handled numerous transactional matters and disputes involving a multitude of computer and other information technologies, network appliances, and Internet products and services. She has handled licensing deals, joint ventures, development agreements, resale and distribution arrangements, strategic contracts and IP transactional due diligence, and all forms of mergers and acquisitions. She brings particular experience on database issues, software and hardware matters, and copyright exploitation. She also counsels clients on maximizing the value of their intellectual property and technology, including IP protection, cross-licensing, patent licensing, safeguarding of trade secrets, trademark and copyright prosecution, contract interpretation and enforcement, and pre-litigation strategy and evaluation.
She also has an especially solid background in telecommunications technology in both transactional and federal litigation settings, having practiced before the Federal Communications Commission for many years. She has participated in regulatory, administrative and court proceedings involving cable television, mass media, and the PCS/wireless industries, as well as trademark and copyright matters.
"Venable has well-established and nationally known Business and Intellectual Property groups, which cover the full spectrum of enterprise issues," Ms. Garrote said. "The firm’s regulatory and government contracts practices offer in-depth experience in areas that are critical to technology businesses in today’s economy. The combination of these sophisticated practice groups provides me and my clients with a sound practice platform. Venable understands the interaction of business and technology and also the value of intangible assets to an enterprise."
Ms. Garrote sits on the Board of the Virginia Hospital Center, in Arlington, Virginia and chairs its Medical Office Building Allocation Committee. She is active in pro bono matters as well as charitable and community activities in the Greater D.C. region. She has authored a number of articles on intellectual property issues for various publications and has been a speaker at events held by business groups and bar associations.
Originally from La Havana, Cuba, Ms. Garrote is fluent in Spanish. She frequently negotiates technology contracts in Latin America and has recently done work for U.S. clients in Mexico, Colombia and Ecuador.
She received her J.D. from Columbia University School of Law in 1983, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. She graduated with honors from Bryn Mawr College. Her professional affiliations include memberships in the Northern Virginia Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners; Women in Technology; the International Trademark Association; and the Federal Communications Bar Association.
Ms. Garrote, 44, lives in Arlington, Virginia with her husband, a lawyer for the FCC, and the couple’s two boys, ages six and eight.
One of the American Lawyer’s top 100 law firms, Venable LLP has attorneys practicing 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, D.C. and offices in California, Maryland, New York and Virginia.