Former AMLaw 100 Intellectual Property Lawyers found New DC-based Law firm

March 3, 2010 - PRLog -- Albrecht Tousi & Farnum PLLC announced the formation of a new intellectual property (IP) boutique based in Washington, DC (http://www.atfirm.com).  Ralph P. Albrecht, Cameron H. Tousi, and David M. Farnum, formerly of Venable LLP, are the founding members of the firm, which will focus on the enforcement and procurement of IP rights.

Having represented leading multinationals as well as startups and emerging growth businesses, the founding partners and counsel are experienced in all avenues of technology protection and enforcement, from licensing and litigation (both enforcement and defense), to technology transactions, to building sophisticated domestic patent prosecution portfolios and outbound foreign filing programs.  

Mr. Albrecht is an American Bar Foundation Fellow and Immediate Past President of the Bar Association of the District of Columbia (http://www.BADC.org), and former Chair of the BADC’s Patent Trademark Copyright (PTC) Section, who served as co-chair of Venable's patent prosecution practice group from 2000-2004.  Mr. Albrecht will continue his patent litigation, licensing and procurement practice at Albrecht Tousi & Farnum PLLC (http://www.atfirm.com). Prior to joining private practice of law in 1997, Mr. Albrecht advised clients as a lead technical consultant with IBM from 1989-1997.

Mr. Tousi is a distinguished IP licensing and litigation attorney with an active intellectual practice for leading corporations. Mr. Tousi previously served as Director of Intellectual Property for the Telecommunications Business of Samsung Electronics, and has had a distinguished career with such firms as Booz Allen Hamilton and IBM. Mr. Tousi, along with Mr. Albrecht, had joined Venable in May of 2000 through merger with Lane, Aitken & McCann.

Mr. Farnum has built a national reputation as an intellectual property litigator and licensing attorney through his years with Venable and Latham & Watkins.  His practice focuses on patent trial, appellate and other intellectual property work in a variety of technologies ranging from electronics, telecommunications products and services, software, computer hardware and financial services.

“As a past president of the Bar Association of DC, the nation’s third oldest bar association, I am proud we are founding our firm in the Nation’s capital city,” said Albrecht.  As former co-chair of Venable’s patent prosecution group, focusing on its domestic patent practice, Albrecht oversaw a period of unprecedented growth in that firm’s patent practice, while building a world class patent foreign filing department in its Washington Office, before moving his practice more recently to its Northern Virginia office.  

“This boutique law firm platform will enable us to meet a growing need in the IP services marketplace at a time when businesses around the country and across the globe are seeking creative, cost effective solutions to increasingly difficult legal and financial challenges," Mr. Farnum said. Agreeing, Mr. Tousi underscored, "Our combination of large firm and IP boutique legal experience, and broad industry expertise will provide the firm the ability to provide cost effective, high quality legal services solutions to clients of all sizes.”  "Founding Albrecht Tousi & Farnum PLLC to continue to grow our respective legal services businesses has been a life’s dream of each of the principals," Mr. Albrecht said.

About the Attorneys

Ralph P. Albrecht, Partner:  Mr. Albrecht is a renowned intellectual property licensing, litigation and prosecution attorney, who has developed worldwide intellectual property portfolios for industry leaders and innovative startups. He represents all sizes of clients in procuring US and foreign patent rights, and in their licensing and litigation matters nationally. He speaks and writes frequently on patent related issues, and has been recognized for his years of service to the voluntary bar by being named an American Bar Foundation Fellow in 2009.

Mr. Albrecht received his JD from the George Mason University School of Law and earned his BS in Electrical Engineering, cum laude, from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1989.

Cameron H. Tousi, Partner:  Mr. Tousi has broad intellectual property and business transactions legal experience, and counsels the world’s foremost companies on their most sophisticated issues. He provides clients over twenty years of breadth and diversity in industry experience. He develops case strategies and conducts complex litigation, negotiates licenses and technology transfer agreements, analyzes infringement, validity and freedom-to-operate issues, procures patents and trademarks, conducts intellectual property audits and management programs, and provides high-level strategy and management.

Mr. Tousi obtained his JD degree from George Washington University after earning dual BS degrees in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics at the University of Maryland in 1989.

David M. Farnum, Partner:  Mr. Farnum is a leading national intellectual property litigator with a focus on patented high technologies and science, trademarks, trade secrets, copyrights, licensing, and unfair competition. In this capacity, Mr. Farnum has litigated dozens of patent suits before numerous United States District Courts, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the International Trade Commission.  His work has covered a variety of technologies ranging from electronics, telecommunications products and services, software, computer hardware, financial services, medical devices and pharmaceuticals.

Mr. Farnum earned his JD degree from Yale Law School after graduating Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Chicago.

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About Albrecht Tousi & Farnum PLLC:
Albrecht Tousi & Farnum PLLC (http://www.atfirm.com), with headquarters in Washington, DC, is a leader in all areas of IP, including patent enforcement and defense, licensing, and procurement. Albrecht Tousi & Farnum’s attorneys have extensive experience in patent litigation, licensing and prosecution. The firm represents clients in various industries including financial services, medical device, telecommunications, IT, entertainment, media, computer hardware, software and video game technologies, consumer products, and government contracts. With a worldwide network of law firm counsel, the firm is able to build global patent portfolios, while providing cost effective alternative fee based legal services. Each of the firm’s founding members has over a decade of experience representing Fortune 500 companies, midsize and emerging growth businesses, government contractors, technology innovators and individual inventors.