Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Page 3
Former IP Group Chair at Manatt Phelps Joins Sheppard Mullin
Firm Also Adds Three New Associates Statewide, One in Century City
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP yesterday announced the addition of Jill M. Pietrini as a partner in its 70-member Intellectual Property practice group, based in Century City.
She made the move from Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP, where she chaired the firm’s Intellectual Property and Intellectual Property Litigation practice group.
Pietrini said yesterday that she was impressed by the “strength and breadth” of Sheppard Mullin’s intellectual property group, and “the reputation of the firm’s entertainment practice.”
She added that “Sheppard Mullin’s successful expansion, entrepreneurial culture, and support of diversity initiatives have also been very attractive to me.”
Guy N. Halgren, chairman of the firm, praised Pietrini as “a powerhouse litigator, portfolio manager and trademark attorney, who has regularly been recognized among the top IP lawyers in the state.”
He opined that her “diverse client roster”—which includes Summit Entertainment, Fifty-Six Hope Road Music, Gwen Stefani, Café Press, Metallica, Will Smith, and Gerawan Farming—“dovetails well with our entertainment group.”
Carlo F. Van den Bosch, co-chair of the Sheppard Mullin’s Intellectual Property practice group, remarked that the addition of Pietrini furthers the firm’s “strategic goal of adding attorneys with thriving practices who also are proven leaders and builders, with the goal of continuing to grow our IP practice.”
He said Pietrini “brings a significant trademark litigation practice to our Century City office and strengthens our global IP capabilities,” and “fits extremely well with the firm’s collegial atmosphere that has become Sheppard Mullin’s cultural trademark.”
Pietrini’s focuses on trademark, dilution, trade name, trade dress, copyright, right of publicity, unfair competition, patent litigation and appellate practice, a firm spokesperson said.
She is a graduate of UC Berkeley and the Santa Clara University School of Law. Pietrini joined the State Bar in 1988.
In other news, Sheppard, Mullin also announced the addition of three new associates yesterday, including Paul Bost who joined Pietrini in the Century City office.
Bost also joined the firm from Manatt Phelps and is part of the intellectual property group.
He attended Pepperdine University before graduating from law school at Vanderbilt University and joining the California State Bar in 2008.
The other new associates are Shannon King, who joined the San Francisco office and Ryan Hilbert, who is based in Palo Alto.
Copyright 2012, Metropolitan News Company