News

Perkins Coie is proud to announce that it has been named to AARP’s Best Employers for Workers Over 50 list.  The list, cosponsored by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), recognizes 50 employers with exemplary practices for recruiting, retaining and promoting mature workers.  This year, Perkins Coie was the only law firm to make the biennial list.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Sandra K. Newman and Lucy K. Park have joined the firm’s Chicago office as part of Chicago’s newly-launched Personal Planning group. They were most recently partners at K & L Gates. The arrival of Newman and Park follows closely on the recent addition of Domingo Such, who joined Perkins Coie in late May.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that David St. John-Larkin has joined the firm’s Intellectual Property practice as a senior counsel in the Denver office.  He was previously a partner at Merchant & Gould P.C., where he served as co-chair of the Technology Transactions group.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that 22 of the firm’s Intellectual property attorneys were recognized by Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) in the IAM Patent 1000 and IAM Strategy 300 lists.

Mark Eckenwiler was quoted in an ABA Journal Magazine article titled "Prosecutors’ Use of Mobile Phone Tracking is ‘Junk Science,’ Critics Say" in which he discusses the reliability of cell tower records in providing evidence of a defendant's guilt or innocence. 

Rajiv Sarathy was quoted in an article for Bloomberg BNA titled, "Stakeholders Unsure of Future After Federal Circuit Split on Software-Related Patents."

Partner Les Brown was quoted in a Law360 article titled "Junk Fax Ruling Draws Map For Making Damages Insurable" in which he commented on the Illinois Supreme Court's recent decision on the insurability of damages under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and how other states are likely to proceed following that decision.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Domingo P. Such III joined the firm’s Chicago office as a partner in the firm’s Personal Planning group.  He was most recently a partner at McDermott Will & Emery LLP.  Mr. Such is the fourth new partner and the ninth attorney overall to join Perkins Coie’s Chicago office since January.

Perkins Coie is proud to announce that once again it has been ranked by Chambers & Partners, publishers of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, as one of the top law firms in the United States.

Partner Daniel Marre was quoted in a recent white paper released by Hotel Management and Hostmark Hospitality Group titled "The Evolution of Short-Term Management Contracts in the Lodging Industry." Daniel discussed various topics, including the differences between brand management companies and third-party managers, the costs and benefits of long-term brand management agreements and suggestions for negotiating short-term contracts.

Perkins Coie partner Bob Bauer was among those individuals appointed by President Obama to be co-chair and member of the 10-person Presidential Commission on Election Administration, which is tasked with finding ways to shorten lines at polling places, promote the efficient conduct of elections, and provide better access to the polls for all voters.

T. Markus Funk, Lanny Breuer and other former federal prosecutors specializing in the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act discuss the recent uptick in the Act's enforcement.

Intellectual Property Litigation Partner William Rava was featured in a Law360 "Q&A" segment, which highlights his practice and then presents his views on the following questions:

• What is the most challenging case or matter you have worked on and what made it challenging?
• What aspects of your practice area are in need of reform and why?
• What is an important issue or case relevant to your practice area and why?
• Outside your own firm, name an attorney in your field who has impressed you and explain why.
• What is a mistake you made early in your career and what did you learn from it?

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Kimberly Reindl has joined the firm’s Washington, D.C. office as Senior Counsel.  Reindl was most recently Senior Counsel at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP.

Fetch Rewards, a mobile application that reinvents the grocery shopping experience, won Perkins Coie’s $10,000 Innovative Minds Challenge on May 10 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Counsel Joseph Cutler was quoted in a PC World article titled "Bitcoin Boosters Rally to Assure Congress of Currency's Worth," regarding technology companies' efforts to protect themselves from government data requests.

Perkins Coie Partner Tyler Welti was quoted in a Law360 article titled, "Revised Federal Fracking Rule Gives Industry Breathing Room"

Rajiv Sarathy was quoted in an article for Managing Intellectual Property titled, "How CLS v. Alice Affects Software Patents."

Perkins Coie has launched Corporate Trust Insider, a new blog featuring commentary and insights on emerging legal issues affecting corporate trust professionals.  Authored by Perkins Coie’s corporate trust attorneys, Corporate Trust Insider helps corporate trust companies and corporate trust departments of major banking institutions develop best practices and stay up-to-date with the most important business and legal trends.

Partner Rajiv Sarathy was quoted in a Law360 article titled, "'Nightmare' Ruling On Software Patent Standard Baffles Attys" regarding the CLS Bank v. Alice Corp case.  Rajiv offered insight into the concerns of attorneys and patent owners stemming from the Federal Circuit opinion.

Perkins Coie Partner David Biderman was quoted in an article on Law360 titled, “3rd Circ. J&J Ruling Won't Halt Flood Of Food Labeling Suits.” The article discusses the Third Circuit's finding that federal law preempts food labeling allegations against Johnson & Johnson and how that effects plaintiffs' ability to target advertising claims explicitly addressed by federal regulations.

In a front-page New York Times story, "U.S. Weighs Wider Wiretap Laws to Cover Online Activity," Privacy Partner Michael Sussmann observed that White House-backed legislation that would make all popular Internet communications wiretap-able “appeared to be modeled on a British law, the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act of 2000.”

Partner Al Gidari was quoted in a CNET article, "DOJ: We Don't Need Warrants for E-mail, Facebook Chats," regarding how the Justice Department has handled warrants since the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals' 2010 ruling in U.S. v. Warshak.

Partner Al Gidari was quoted in a Reuters article, "Obama administration weighs options for expanding wiretap laws."  The article discusses the recent proposal by the Obama administration to end a long-running debate over Internet wiretaps using legislation that would enable law-enforcement agencies to tap into many types of Internet communications, U.S. officials with knowledge of the matter said.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Sara L. Chenetz has joined the firm’s Los Angeles office as a partner in the Financial Transactions & Restructuring group. Chenetz, who represents clients in restructuring, bankruptcy, workouts, litigation and related matters, was most recently a partner at Blank Rome LLP.

Partner Al Gidari was quoted in a New York Times article, "U.S. Is Weighing Wide Overhaul of Wiretap Laws," regarding the possible implications of the FBI's revised proposal to overhaul surveillance laws.

Pravin Rao was profiled in Law360 as part of its Practice Group Leader Q&A Series, which offers a direct look at each attorney’s areas of expertise, revealing their toughest cases, hard-knock lessons, and take on issues ripe for reform. Pravin commented on dealing with the SEC on an insider trading case, the recent DOJ/SEC FCPA Resource Guide, and when to provide individual representation to employees in the midst of corporate internal investigations.

Partner Eric Miller was featured in a Law360 Q&A in which he discussed his most challenging cases and important issues within his practice area. Read article here. (subscription required to view link)

Privacy Partner Michael Sussmann was quoted in a front-page Washington Post story, "As cyberthreats mount, hacker’s conviction underscores criticism of government overreach," which discussed overzealous cybercrime prosecutions. Commenting on the prosecution of Andrew Auernheimer for collecting 120,000 email addresses from AT&T's iPad registration Web page, Sussmann considered it "borderline" whether Auernheimer had committed a crime, saying the case was "not endemic of an overreaction to cybercrime or overaggressive prosecutions in general," but "[f]orty one months in prison seems like an awfully long time when nothing bad happened."

Partner David Neff was featured in a Law360 Q&A in which he discussed challenging cases as well as important issues and areas in need of reform in his practice area. Read the full article.

Partner David Neff was quoted in an article in the Dow Jones Daily Bankruptcy Review titled, "DJ Supreme Court Passes on Charter Communications Case," regarding the U.S. Supreme Court's decision not to weigh in on the reorganization of Charter Communications Inc., the country's fourth-largest cable company.

Privacy Partner Michael Sussmann was quoted in a front-page Washington Post story, "Panel seeks to fine tech companies for noncompliance with wiretap orders," which discussed FBI-led efforts to create legislation requiring all communications services to be able to comply with wiretap orders. "Today, if you’re a tech company that’s created a new and popular way to communicate, it’s only a matter of time before the FBI shows up with a court order to read or hear some conversation." "If the data can help solve crimes, the government will be interested."

Partner Al Gidari was quoted in the Washington Post in an article titled "Panel Seeks to Fine Tech Companies for Noncompliance With Wiretap Orders" regarding the increase in online surveillance issues as social media and chat services continue to grow.  He specifically addressed the possible implications of a proposed enforcement provision to the 1968 Wiretap Act.

Perkins Coie has been honored by the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) with the 2013 Amicus Award. The award, which was presented to the firm on April 26 during NWIRP’s 29th anniversary celebration, honors the firm for its partnership with the organization to protect the civil rights of Washington residents and to provide critical legal services to undocumented youth and others.

Perkins Coie has been honored by the American Bar Association with the 2013 John Minor Wisdom Public Service and Professionalism Award. The award, established by the ABA Section of Litigation, recognizes individuals and entities for their outstanding contributions to the quality of justice in their communities, ensuring that the legal system is open and available to all.

Partner Al Gidari was quoted in an article in the Wall Street Journal titled "Judge Denies FBI Request to Hack Computer," which discussed a Texas judge's decision to deny a request made by the FBI for a warrant to remotely access a computer suspected of criminal use.  He was quoted as saying "As an investigative tool, when you can’t tell if the perpetrator is in the U.S. or abroad, it raises all kinds of issues.”

Koorosh Talieh was quoted in Law360 in a 'Q&A' series.

Tyler Welti was quoted in a Law360 article titled "Fracking Ruling May Stymie Oil, Gas Projects On U.S. Land."

Privacy Partner Michael Sussmann was quoted in a front-page Wall Street Journal story, "Wall Street vs. Its Employees' Privacy," which discussed state legislative efforts to block companies from monitoring employees' personal Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Jose A. Lopez, a partner in Perkins Coie’s Chicago office, has been selected as Co-Chair of the American Bar Association Securities Litigation SEC Enforcement subcommittee.

Perkins Coie has maintained its streak as one of the most family-friendly law firms in the nation, according to Yale Law Women, a student organization that promotes the interests of women in law school as well as the profession.

Mark Eckenwiler was quoted in an article for Law360 regarding the clarity of Section 2707(e).

Privacy Partner Michael Sussmann was quoted in a Washington Post story, “Heavy Documentation of Boston Marathon is an Asset to Investigation,” which discussed the “rich stream of possible evidence” drawn from surveillance cameras, personal photos and video footage, and cellphone records.

• What is the most challenging case or matter you have worked on and what made it challenging?
• What aspects of your practice area are in need of reform and why?
• What is an important issue or case relevant to your practice area and why?
• Outside your own firm, name an attorney in your field who has impressed you and explain why.
• What is a mistake you made early in your career and what did you learn from it?

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that the firm has made a $15,000 donation to Practicing Attorneys for Law Students (PALS), a New York City-based non-profit that provides customized mentoring, educational and professional development opportunities  for minority law students and early-career attorneys.

Perkins Coie has launched its M&A Viewpoints blog, focusing on strategic middle-market, technology-focused mergers and acquisitions. The blog’s primary authors, Bruce McNamara and Lior Zorea, both have extensive experience in public and private mergers, acquisitions and business combinations, as well as in related corporate finance and corporate governance matters.

Bloomberg BNA featured Julianne Henley's promotion to counsel in its recent "Personnel Changes at IP Law Firms, Organizations" announcement.  

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Michael R. Osterhoff, Adam L. Marchuk and Heather A. Boice have joined the firm’s patent litigation practice in Chicago.  All three attorneys were most recently partners at K&L Gates LLP.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Edgar (“Ned”) B. Washburn has joined the firm’s San Francisco office as a Senior Counsel in the Environment, Energy & Resources practice.  Washburn was most recently Senior Counsel at Morrison Foerster LLP. 

“’The business community will be one of the most important change-makers in the human trafficking area in at least 20 years,’ said Funk, a partner at Perkins Coie in Denver who co-chairs the firm’s corporate social responsibility and supply chain practice. But it won’t be easy, Funk cautioned. [Mandated compliance] can be a daunting task, he said . . . .”

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Michael R. Henson has joined the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice as a partner in the Denver office.  He was previously a partner at Holland & Hart LLP.  Henson is the second partner to join the firm’s Denver office in the past month; Brian Kinnear joined on March 18, 2013.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Lowell Ness has joined the firm’s Palo Alto office as a partner in the firm’s Emerging Companies practice.  Ness was most recently a partner in the Silicon Valley office of Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP.

Perkins Coie Partner William Rava was recently quoted in an article titled, "The perils of 'brandjacking' on Facebook," published on Law.com: Corporate Counsel.  The article discusses a recent case of a Facebook user stealing the identity of another user and what Facebook is required to do to help remedy the situation.

A Perkins Coie team scored a victory for Boeing in a securities class action over the 787 Dreamliner’s first flight.  In a unanimous opinion authored by Judge Richard Posner, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirmed dismissal of the complaint and remanded to the district court for the limited purpose of determining whether plaintiffs’ attorneys, the Robbins Geller law firm, violated Rule 11.  

• What is the most challenging case or matter you have worked on and what made it challenging?
• What aspects of your practice area are in need of reform and why?
• What is an important issue or case relevant to your practice area and why?
• Outside your own firm, name an attorney in your field who has impressed you and explain why.
• What is a mistake you made early in your career and what did you learn from it?

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Kelly D. Hine and I. Bobby Majumder have joined the firm’s Dallas office as Partners. In addition, three associates have also joined the firm’s Dallas office.

The National Law Journal (NLJ) selected Perkins Coie partner Bob Bauer as one of the 100 most influential lawyers in its annual list released today.

Government Contracts Partner Andrew Shipley was featured in a Law360 “Q&A” segment, which highlights his practice and then presents his views on the following questions:

• What is the most challenging case or matter you have worked on and what made it challenging?
• What aspects of your practice area are in need of reform and why?
• What is an important issue or case relevant to your practice area and why?
• Outside your own firm, name an attorney in your field who has impressed you and explain why.
• What is a mistake you made early in your career and what did you learn from it?

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Cameron (Cam) M. Leonard, most recently Senior Assistant Attorney General with the Alaska Department of Law, has joined the firm’s Anchorage office in the firm’s Environment, Energy & Resources practice.

Perkins Coie Senior Counsel Mark Eckenwiler was quoted in an article titled "Hacker Case Leads to Calls for Better Law" that was published in The New York Times. The article discusses a recent case involving computer hackers and the proposed sentence the accused faces.

Privacy Partner Michael Sussmann was quoted in a Washington Post story, "FBI Surveillance Tool Is Ruled Unconstitutional," which discussed the decision by a California federal court to invalidate the statute authorizing national security letters (section 2709 of the Stored Communications Act) because the section's nondisclosure provision violates the First Amendment.

Mark Eckenwiler, a senior counsel with the firm, was quoted in an article titled "Reuters Hack Attack Will Push Cos. To Firm Up Firewalls" that was published in Law360.  The article discusses a recent hacking case in which a person assisted a hacking group by providing login credentials to his former employee's content management system.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Brian Kinnear has joined the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice as a Partner in the Denver office.  He was previously a Partner at Holland & Hart LLP.

The high-visibility outlet FCPA Professor blog posted Perkins Coie Counsel Caryn Trombino’s update titled, “DOJ Fraud Official Offers an Insider’s View of the FCPA Resource Guide.” The update captured the remarks of Chuck Duross, Deputy Chief of the DOJ’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section, at the American Bar Association’s Annual National Institute on White Collar Crime.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that David B. Fournier has joined the firm’s Chicago office as a Partner in the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice.  Fournier was most recently a Partner at K&L Gates LLP.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that James W. McTarnaghan has joined the firm’s San Francisco office as a Partner in the Environment, Energy & Resources Practice Group.

NPR Supreme Court correspondent Nina Totenberg interviewed Privacy and Data Security (and former Acting Assistant Attorney General for DOJ's National Security Division) regarding the Court's decision in Clapper v. Amnesty International U.S.A. The Court held that plaintiffs, a group of journalists, human rights workers, and defense counsel did not have standing to challenge the constitutionality of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Amendments Act on the grounds that they suspected that their communications with foreign individuals located overseas who might be targeted under the Act might be intercepted by the government. The story and audio-link can be found at here.

Perkins Coie was one of the honorees at the inaugural pro bono reception for Columbia Legal Services (CLS), which celebrated its most significant pro bono partnerships.  CLS' mission is to achieve social and economic justice and systemic change for thousands of low-income people across Washington state. 

Perkins Coie is proud to announce that David J. Tsai, a counsel in the firm’s San Francisco office and a member of the firm’s Litigation practice, has been recognized by the Daily Journal as one of the top “Five Associates to Watch” in California.

The article, under the “In-Demand Firms” header, features Markus Funk’s representation of Joel Esquenazi in his appeal from the longest-ever FCPA sentence.

In a recent Law360 article titled “9th Circ. Juicy Juice Ruling Could Curb Food Labeling Suits” regarding health benefits on product labels, Partner Dave Biderman commented on Mauricio Chavez v. Nestle USA, Inc. et al.

Senior Counsel Nick Gellert was recently quoted in a Law360 article titled “Murky Language No Way Out for Insurers Fighting Fees.”
Read the article.

Perkins Coie Partner Gregg Barton has been elected as a fellow of The American College of Tax Counsel (ACTC), a not-for-profit professional association of tax lawyers who are recognized for their excellence in tax practice and for their substantial contributions and commitment to the profession.

Political Law Partner Bob Bauer has been appointed as co-chair of the Presidential Commission on Election Administration, a bipartisan commission to examine voting reforms. President Obama announced the Commission during the State of the Union Address.

Since 2002, the Ethical Sourcing Forum has provided companies with the business intelligence and data they need to make informed decisions on their increasingly offshore, outsourced supply chain. In December 2012, the Ethical Sourcing Forum issued a press release announcing that partner T. Markus Funk would be their March 7, 2013, Keynote Speaker. Markus in his address will survey the impending regulatory CSR deluge.

Wall Street Journal featured Markus Funk and Michael Sink’s Inside Counsel article on the U.S. Travel Act.

Perkins Coie team leads defense team in reduction of sentence for Ben Arredondo, former AZ legislator sentenced for fraud convictions.
View the full article.

As part of the recent renovation of the firm’s Seattle office, we engaged the artist team SuttonBeresCuller to build a new reference desk out of recycled books from the library’s collection. As the library expanded its electronic collection, less physical space was required and several print products were selected for recycling.

Partner David Biderman was quoted in The National Law Journal in an article titled "Energy Drinks' Defenses to Class Claims May Have Wings."

Perkins Coie client, Strategic Hotels & Resorts, was awarded the "Single Asset Transaction of the Year 2012" award at the Americas Lodging Institute Investment Summit (ALIS) today in Los Angeles, CA.

Partner Joel Levin was featured in a NBC-5 report on former Governor George Ryan's release from prison.

The Green Bag Journal of Law selects T. Markus Funk and Judge Virginia Kendall's book Child Exploitation and Trafficking: Examining the Global Challenges and U.S. Responses as a “2012 Honoree For Exemplary Legal Writing”.

Portland Partner Sarah Crooks and Associate Nathan Christensen Publish CSR Overview Article in the Oregon Litigation Journal.

UW Law School To Be Institute’s New Home
Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that it has joined forces with clients Microsoft and Starbucks as major supporters of the re-launch of the Washington Leadership Institute (WLI) at the University of Washington School of Law school (UW Law School).

Every January, the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS), a gathering of over 2,000 hospitality professionals from all over the world, bestows awards on the top hospitality transactions to have taken place in the Americas.  On January 25,  Perkins’ client Strategic Hotels & Resorts was awarded the "Single Asset Transaction of the Year 2012" award at the conference for its $362.3 million purchase of New York City’s iconic Essex House Hotel. 

Privacy Partner Michael Sussmann was quoted in a Boston Globe article, "Suicide of internet pioneer prompts emotional debate over federal prosecution," that questioned the Department of Justice's actions in its prosecution of hacker/activist Aaron Swartz. "Some lawyers agreed that Swartz’s alleged actions were clearly criminal violations, and that prosecutors were justified in pursuing the case. 'This one fell squarely in the statute,' said Michael Sussmann. 'This is what the statute was written for. People who have data in computers want them to be confidential.'"

Perkins Coie, along with co-counsel Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), are representing a group of gaymers (individuals who self-identify with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered community who have an active interest in video games) pro bono in a petition filed with the Trademark Office to cancel the “Gaymer” trademark registration. 

Privacy Partner Michael Sussmann was quoted in a front-page New York Times article, "How M.I.T. Ensnared a Hacker, Bucking a Freewheeling Culture," about the suicide of hacker/activist Aaron Swartz, who took his life as his trial for allegedly hacking into the M.I.T. computer network was poised to begin. M.I.T. has come under withering attack for referring the case to law enforcement and for assisting the U.S. Attorney's Office in its prosecution. M.I.T. was the victim and that, without more information, it had to assume any hackers were "the Chinese, even though it’s a 16-year-old with acne." Once the police were called in, the university could not back away from the investigation. "After there’s a referral, victims don’t have the opportunity to change their mind."

Perkins Coie is proud to announce that it has been named to FORTUNE Magazine’s list of “The 100 Best Companies to Work For” for the 11th consecutive year.  This year the firm was ranked 33, an improvement over last year’s ranking of 58, and was one of only five law firms to make the annual list.

Partner, T. Markus Funk and Counsel Michael Sink, were quoted by Law Week Colorado on the constitutional issues presented by the government’s expansive interpretation of “foreign official” under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Perkins Coie has announced that 88 attorneys have been promoted to the firm’s newly created Counsel position, effective January 1, 2013.  Counsel is a partnership track position for attorneys with at least six years of experience, recognizing consistently high quality legal work and the ability to supervise junior lawyers and staff and collaborate with partners on the strategy, development and management of client matters.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Mark Eckenwiler has joined the firm’s Privacy & Security Practice in its Washington, D.C. office as Senior Counsel.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Jeffrey L. Terry has joined the firm’s Chicago office as Senior Counsel in the firm's Private Equity Practice.  He was most recently Of Counsel at Paul Hastings LLP.  Terry concentrates his practice on private equity/venture capital investing, mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, and leveraged buyouts. He regularly counsels private companies and private equity funds on all aspects of their business ranging from acquisitions and dispositions to corporate governance and litigation support.

Partner Jose Lopez was quoted in a Law360 article titled "Self-Reporting Rule May Not Aid Insider Trading Crackdown." Jose spoke to the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network’s (FinCen) proposed rule to require hedge funds to self-report insider trading.

Partner Patrick Collins, along with other high-profile Chicago litigators, will participate in the re-trial of Socrates on Jan. 31, 2013 at the National Hellenic Museum in Chicago. Patrick will be representing the City of Athens with former US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald and Socrates will be defended by Dan Webb and Bob Clifford.  Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals Judges Richard A. Posner and William J. Bauer, as well as Anna Demacopoulos, Circuit Court Judge will preside over the proceedings before a jury of twelve distinguished citizens of Chicago who will decide the validity of these charges.

Perkins Coie has announced that 17 Associates and Of Counsel have been promoted to partner.  The new partner class of 2013 includes Brian A. Audette (Chicago), Eric G. Barber (Madison), Jeff J. Bowen (Madison), Adam M. Docks (Chicago), Albert M. Ferlo (Washington, D.C.), Andrew L. Greene (Seattle), Jeff Hanson (Seattle), Brian Hennessy (Palo Alto), Erika E. Malmen (Boise), Ezra Reese (Washington, D.C.), Danielle M. Ryman (Anchorage), Andrew H. Solomon (Portland), Amanda Tessar (Denver), Jeanette L. Thomas (Portland), Teresa Poulsen Tate (San Francisco), Amy Tucker (Seattle), and Brandon White (Washington, D.C.).

Todd Hinnen was quoted in a Law360 article titled "Surveillance Bill’s Renewal Leaves Oversight To High Court."  Todd spoke to the vital role that the courts will play in addressing concerns over the scope of the FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012.

Perkins IWCD serves as legal counsel to FCPA Monitor of a large multinational corporation appointed in connection with a deferred prosecution agreement and settlement with the DOJ and SEC.

“In the months ahead, we will continue to take action by empowering investigators and law enforcement with the training they need, and by engaging businesses, advocates and students in developing cutting-edge tools people can use to stay safe. . . . And as one of the world's largest purchasers of goods and services, the Federal Government will keep leading by example, further strengthening protections to help ensure that American tax dollars never support forced labor.”

The article discusses the Perkins Coie white collar defense team of T. Markus Funk and Robert N. Miller and their role in representing insurance executive Michael Van Gilder against USDOJ and SEC insider trading charges.

Various media outlets, including the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, South China Morning Post, WLS Radio, NPR, Fox, and CBS, featured Perkins Coie Partner T. Markus Funk’s role in the landmark prosecution of recently-deceased Chicago organized crime boss Frank Calabrese, Sr.

Partner T. Markus Funk, who serves as lead appellate counsel for Joel Esquenazi in his historic FCPA case, was quoted by the Wall Street Journal on the appellate team’s objectives.  The Wall Street Journal had previously named Esquenazi 2012’s top corruption case/sentence.

Partner Selena Linde was recently quoted in Forbes in an article titled "Cyber Insurance Policies Not as Comprehensive as Most Retailers Think."  Linde discussed how online retailers may be exposed to risk even if they think they are covered.

Perkins Coie announced that Law Week Colorado, the state’s only newspaper published specifically for lawyers, law firms, corporate counsel and the judiciary, selected Denver partner Markus Funk as one of the top ten Lawyers of the Year.  Law Week Colorado has been presenting the Lawyer of the Year awards since 2008.

Click here for the E.O. Flow Chart.

Judge Richard A. Posner, in his concurrence in Unites States v. Craig, cited Funk and Judge Virginia Kendall’s influential Child Exploitation and Trafficking: Examining the Global Challenges and U.S. Responses (2012) for the proposition that “sex offenders are more likely to recidivate than other criminals.”

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce it has been recognized by the Financial Times as a "Standout” in Intellectual Property for the firm’s successful defense of client HTC against Flashpoint Technologies, a spin-off of Apple’s Image Capture Division, in a dispute over smartphone patent infringement before the U.S. International Trade Commission.. Perkins Coie was one of only four firms in the top category (Standout) and one of only 15 firms ranked in the IP category overall.

Perkins Coie represented Intermec, Inc. (NYS: IN), a leading provider of data capture and information management solutions, in its acquisition by Honeywell International Inc. (NYS: HON). The all-cash transaction is valued at approximately $600 million, net of debt and cash acquired.

Perkins Coie represented Teton Outfitters, a privately owned designer, developer and distributor of KLIM Technical Riding Gear, in its acquisition by Polaris Industries, Inc., a leading manufacturer of high quality off-road, snowmobiles, motorcycles and on-road electric/hybrid powered vehicles. The terms of the transaction were undisclosed.

Washington, D.C. Partner, One of Only Two Policyholder-side Law Firm Partners Recognized on Prestigious List
Perkins Coie announced that Selena J. Linde, a Partner in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office and a member of the firm’s Insurance Coverage practice group, has been recognized by Business Insurance magazine as one of 2012’s “Women to Watch.”

Pravin Rao was quoted in Law360 in article on the impact of the SEC's top enforcement official leaving the agency and the strategies a new chief may employ in bringing a large volume of cases focusing on insider trading and other market manipulation schemes.

Perkins Coie announced that Sarah J. Crooks, a Partner in the firm’s Portland office, has been recognized by the Oregon State Bar Association (OSB) with the 2012 Justice Edwin J. Peterson Professionalism Award, which was presented at the OSB Annual Awards Luncheon on Thursday, November 29 at The Governor Hotel in Portland.

Seattle Partner Todd Hinnen authored a chapter in the book National Security Law in the News: A Guide for Journalists, Scholars, and Policymakers, published by the American Bar Association.  The book features contributions from experts in constitutional and international law, covert action, targeted killings and the law, foreign intelligence surveillance and homeland security issues.  Todd wrote a chapter on national security investigations.  Prior to joining Perkins Coie, Todd led the National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.  

Privacy Partner Michael Sussmann was quoted in a New York Times article, "City Is Amassing Trove of Cellphone Logs," which detailed the "trove of telephone logs" that the NYPD collects and stores relating to the thousands of cell phone theft cases they investigate. "If large amounts of victim phone records are being collected and added to a searchable database, it’s very troubling." "We’re all used to the concept of growing databases of criminal information, but now you’re crossing over that line and drawing in victim information."

Privacy Partner Michael Sussmann was quoted in a front-page story in the Sunday Washington Post, "FBI investigation of Broadwell Reveals Bureau’s Comprehensive Access to Electronic Communications," reporters discussing the implications of the enormous amounts of data collected in General David Petraeus/Paula Broadwell investigation.

Perkins Coie LLP is proud to announce that it has, for the fifth year in a row, earned the top rating of 100 percent in the Corporate Equality Index (CEI) and Best Places to Work, an annual survey conducted by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Arthur L. Haubenstock has joined the firm’s San Francisco and Washington, D.C. offices as a Senior Counsel in the Environment, Energy & Resources (EER) practice.

Perkins Coie announced that it has been named one of the “2012 Best Law Firms for Women” by Working Mother Media and Flex-Time Lawyers LLC, which each year recognizes a select group of the nation’s law firms for commitment to the advancement and retention of women lawyers.  This is the fourth time the firm has been included in this respected list.

The World Bank in Washington, DC, invited T. Markus Funk and Judge Virginia Kendall to discuss their critically-acclaimed book, Child Exploitation and Trafficking.  From the invite:  “Funk and  Kendall will draw on their extensive experience to provide a practical survey of the history of child sexual exploitation, to discuss the interconnected web of domestic and transnational federal laws and law enforcement efforts launched in response and to examine the range of responses.”

Bill Macumber spent 37 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.  On Wednesday, November 7, 2012, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Bruce R. Cohen ordered Bill resentenced to time served.  He was released from custody later that afternoon.  A team of lawyers from Perkins Coie and The Arizona Justice Project represented Bill in his successful Petition for Post-Conviction Relief.

Chicago Bankruptcy Partner David Neff and Associate Eric Walker secured a major win for client LNR Partners in a contested Chapter 11 plan confirmation hearing before the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Arizona. After four days of trial spanning two months, Bankruptcy Judge Eileen Hollowell issued a 20-page opinion refusing to confirm the debtor's Chapter 11 plan of reorganization over LNR's objection.

Ben Straughan was recently interviewed for a Bloomberg Businessweek article titled "More Reasons Not to Fudge Business Expenses,"  in which he explained the importance of not blurring the line between business and personal expenses as entrepreneurs build their startups.  

Perkins Coie represented Jive Software (Nasdaq:JIVE) in its acquisitions of Meetings.io, a leading technology company that will expand Jive’s social communications tools, helping the company deliver more business value to customers.  The details of the acquisition were undisclosed.

A Chicago Magazine article titled, "Lawmakers Gone Wild" quoted Investigations & White Collar Defense Partner Joel Levin on politician's use of campaign funds for personal purposes.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce it has been listed in the 2012-2013 U.S. News – Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" with first-tier rankings in 26 practice areas nationally and 112 practice areas in 11 major markets including Alaska, Chicago, Colorado, Idaho, Los Angeles, Madison, Phoenix, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce it has been named the 2012-2013 U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Law Firm of the Year” in Patent Law. The firm was also, for the second year in a row, named “Law Firm of the Year” in Venture Capital Law.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce it has been named the 2012-2013 U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Law Firm of the Year” in Venture Capital Law.  This is the second year in a row for the firm to be so honored.  The firm was also, for the first time, named “Law Firm of the Year” in Patent Law.

Commercial Litigation Partner Todd Hinnen was interviewed on National Public Radio's Morning Edition on Monday, October 29. The broadcast was about oral argument in Clapper v. Amnesty International, a lawsuit brought by American lawyers, journalists and human rights workers challenging the constitutionality of the FISA Amendments Act (FAA).

The ABA-CJS Newsletter cover story focuses on the ABA Global Anti-Corruption Task Force’s various successes, including the 2012 publication of the Special Report on Compliance (authored by the University of Chicago Corporate Lab, in conjunction with Microsoft).  Denver Partner T. Markus Funk Chairs the Task Force with Chicago AUSA Andrew S. Boutros.

With Hurricane Sandy bearing down on the Northeast, our primary concern is for the safety and well-being of our people.  Consequently, our offices in New York and Washington, D.C. are currently closed and we have encouraged our lawyers and staff to work from home today. 

Perkins Coie, representing CTIA - The Wireless Association, enjoined Puerto Rico in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico from enforcing a law that would have required pre-paid mobile phone providers to collect subscriber information and submit it to a government agency - the Telecommunications Regulatory Board of Puerto Rico - so that the Board could maintain a registry of pre-paid mobile phone users.

Perkins Coie announced that Rocío Cristina García, an Associate in the firm’s Dallas office, has been recognized by the Dallas Hispanic Bar Association (DHBA) with their annual Estrella Award.

D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Vacates 2008 Guantanamo Bay Military Commission Conviction
The Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit today reversed and vacated the conviction of Salim Ahmed Hamdan for material support for terrorism.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today in favor of Perkins Coie clients Dex Media West, Inc., SuperMedia LLC, and the Local Search Association in Dex Media West v. City of Seattle, No. 11-35787.

Schuyler Carroll was recently quoted in the Wall Street Journal on the subject of Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP’s bankruptcy.  The article, titled “Dewey Defied Law of the Jungle,”  discusses the early settlement Dewey’s bankruptcy team was able to negotiate with more than 400 of the firm’s former partners.

“’[Funk and Kendall’s] Child Exploitation and Trafficking: Examining the Global Challenges and US Responses is a book of broad appeal that offers practical advice while sharing the wealth of experience that the authors have in prosecuting child exploitation and trafficking cases,’ said Norma Abbene, Deputy Counsel to the Mayor.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Martin P. Willard has rejoined the firm’s Washington, D.C. office as a partner in the firm’s Government Contracts Practice Group.

Perkins Coie LLP has announced a new Innovative Minds competition, offering a $10,000 prize to a University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) student team that produces the year’s most market-ready innovation.

Partner Al Gidari was quoted in an article regarding a third party audit of Google's privacy practices.

Former AUSA and Boeing VP Joins Firm’s Seattle Office
Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Eric B. Wolff has joined the firm’s Product Liability Practice Group as a Senior Counsel.

New Addition Marks 12th Attorney To Join Firm’s New York Office This Year
Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Jeffery L. Shuchat has joined the firm’s New York office as Senior Counsel in the firm's Real Estate Practice Group.

Leading Government Lawyer Joins Appellate Practice
Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Eric D. Miller has joined the firm’s Seattle office as a partner in the firm’s Appellate Practice Group

The ABA Journal, in an article titled “Foreign Exchanges,” quotes Partner T. Markus Funk in the context of increasingly vocal calls for targeted reform the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Mikhail Reider-Gordon’s review of Partner T. Markus Funk and US District Judge Virginia Kendall’s Child Exploitation and Trafficking:  Examining the Global Challenges and U.S. Responses notes that book “provide[s] perhaps the first comprehensive history and current account of child exploitation and trafficking. . . . 

Bay Area Offices Continue Firmwide Expansion Trend
Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that David Dedyo has joined the firm’s San Francisco office as a partner in the firm's Corporate Governance & Transactions Practice Group.

Denver Partner T. Markus Funk is leading the landmark first appellate challenge to the government’s interpretation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (Funk was not involved in the trial or sentencing)

Wall Street Journal names Joel Esquenazi Case 2012’s #1 Corruption Sentence

The Seattle Times recently posted an article about an argument filed by Perkins Coie Associate David Perez.  The argument discusses initiative kingpin Tim Eyman's voter-approved law that requires a two-thirds vote in both houses of the Washington Legislature to boost taxes rather than a simple majority as with most other laws. 

Aaron Wininger was recently quoted in the September 5th issue of China IP News regarding benefits for Chinese enterprises from the amendments of U.S. patent laws - faster patent grants and resolution of patent disputes.
美国专利法的修改，将有利于中国企业在美——加速专利授权和解决确权纷争

John Skilton, a partner in the firm's Patent Litigation practice, was recently interviewed in the Asked & Answered section of the Wisconsin Law Journal. The article spotlights John’s four-decade career in law with a series of Q&A. In the article John talks about his achievements, love of history and how trial lawyers can learn a lot from Honest Abe.

Perkins Coie recently successfully represented Catherine Jane Fisher, an Australian citizen, pro bono in a significant case in which Judge William S. Pocan of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court granted Ms. Fisher standing to enforce a Japanese civil judgment against a former US Navy sailor, now living in Milwaukee, who raped her in Japan ten years ago.

Perkins Coie is proud to announce that 197 of its attorneys were selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2013 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.  Thirty-five attorneys were listed this year for the first time, representing a 22 percent increase in the number of Perkins Coie attorneys who appeared in the 2012 edition.

The article examines the charging potential inherent in 18 U.S.C. § 1519’s broad language.

"It’s no secret that Funk’s been in the news lately . . . . Yet this corporate law specialist has reason to be. His experience in supply-chain management and corporate social responsibility is nationally recognized. And you’ll likely keep hearing from him as companies continue to navigate the muddy waters of the Dodd Frank Act . . . ."

Perkins Coie LLP successfully represented a group of African-American and Hispanic voters from Texas in a case involving discrimination in Texas voting maps [Texas v. United States, Civil Action No. 11-1303 (D.D.C. Aug. 28, 2012).].

Peter Tracey is quoted in connection with the Court of Appeals of Indiana's ruling in FLM LLC, et al. v. The Cincinnati Insurance Co., Case No. 49A02-0902-CV-127. He notes that the ruling is helpful to policyholders insofar as it provides precedent for pollution-type coverage under the personal injury provision of commercial general liability policies.

In April of this year, CRGT, a provider of technology solutions for the Federal government, filed a complaint in Virginia state court alleging that Perkins Coie client Northrop Grumman had breached a subcontract arising out of the U.S. Army’s Defense Knowledge On-Line program. 

Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Richard Posner (joined by Judges Tinder and Hamilton) repeatedly cited partner T. Markus Funk’s book as authority for the use and effectiveness of computer encryption and the presence of files on hard drives even after a user “deletes” them. 

In InsideCounsel’s article, “A Sox Provision that Could Blindside Your Company,” Partner T. Markus Funk is quoted extensively on the recent emergence of 18 U.S.C. 1519, which prohibits anticipatory obstruction of justice.

The SEC today announced its final rules ordering companies to disclose their efforts to trace “Conflict Minerals” in their supply chains.  Perkins Partner (and former USDOJ and State Department lawyer) T. Markus Funk was widely quoted on the new Rules’ real-world impact on the business community.

Perkins Coie represented Strategic Hotels & Resorts in its recent agreement to purchase New York City’s Essex House Hotel from the Dubai Investment Group for a gross purchase price of approximately $362.3 million.

The Los Angeles Business Journal has named Perkins Coie as one of the "Best Places to Work in Los Angeles."  Perkins Coie was among 44 companies honored in the Large Company category and was one of only 8 law firms recognized overall.

Addition of Randy Bridgeman Brings Chicago Office New Partner Total to 11 Since January 2012.
Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Randy A. Bridgeman has joined the firm’s Chicago office as a Partner in the firm's Corporate Governance & Transactions Practice.

$20,000 Grant To Be Used to Develop New Treatments for Obesity.
Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Dr. Joshua Thaler, Assistant Professor of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition at the University of Washington has received the $20,000 Perkins Coie “Award for Discovery” for 2012.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Washington, D.C. partner Martin E. Lybecker has become Chair of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Section of Business Law for 2012 - 2013.  The ABA’s Business Law Section has over 54,000 members and more than 50 committees that drive many developments in business law by exploring the emerging legal issues in the field.

Victory Nets Largest U.S. Real Estate Investment Trust Four Key Wins in Case.
Perkins Coie LLP successfully represented Simon Property Group, the largest real estate investment trust (REIT) in the U.S., in NorthMobileTech v. Simon Property Group, No. 3:11-CV-287 (W.D. Wis.), pending in the Western District of Wisconsin.

After many years of service to the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) and the criminal law field, Jean-Jacques Cabou has been elected to the NACDL Board of Directors.

The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin quoted Partner T. Markus Funk on the global challenges human trafficking poses, and referenced Funk's 2012 anti-trafficking book (co-authored with US District Judge Virginia Kendall).

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that four partners in the San Diego office have been named by their peers to The Daily Transcript's 2012 Top Attorneys list. The annual listing recognizes the best lawyers in 14 categories that cover the private, corporate, academic, and government practice in San Diego County.

Eric Walker, bankruptcy and financial restructuring associate in Chicago, recently wrote an article entitled "Supreme Court Weighs In on Credit-Bidding in RadLAX: Implications for Chapter 11 Practice" for the August 2012: ABI Committee News - Business Reorganization Committee Newsletter, a section of the American Bankruptcy Institute.

Partner Keith Miller was quoted in an article entitled, "Court: No Obligation To Disclose Wells Notice Receipt" in Compliance Week.

Perkins Coie is proud to announce that the Gas City sale of 50 stations to 14 buyers for $135 million as part of the 1993 William J. McEnery Revocable Trust Chapter 11 filing will be honored with the Large Company Transaction of the Year Award. Partner, Daniel Zazove was the primary attorney working on the matter. Of Counsel, Jeanette L. Thomas, and Associates Kate Stetsko and Nathan Fahrer assisted Daniel throughout the project.

Following recent growth with new lateral hires and an increasing client base, Perkins Coie today announced the expansion of its New York office space. The law firm is taking up a second floor of 24,258 square feet in 30 Rockefeller Plaza, where it currently resides.

Partner Patrick Collins was recently quoted in a Chicago Law Bulletin article entitled, "Attorneys attest to credibility put into Freeh report."  Collins discussed the credibility of Louis Freeh's report, an independent investigation into the Jerry Sandusky Penn State sex abuse scandal paid for by Penn State.

Partner Patrick Collins was recently quoted in a Chicago Law Bulletin article entitled, "Attorneys attest to credibility put into Freeh report."  Collins discussed the credibility of Louis Freeh's report, an independent investigation into the Jerry Sandusky Penn State sex abuse scandal paid for by Penn State.  

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Michael Thimmig and Rafael A. Colorado Ferrer have joined the firm's Financial Transactions and Restructuring practice in the Dallas office as Partner and Associate respectively. Michael is joining the firm from Greenberg Traurig, LLP, while Rafael is joining from Hudson Americas LLC.

Privacy Partner Michael Sussmann was a panelist for a full hour dedicated to "Law Enforcement’s Growing Reliance On Cell Phone Data." Guests included Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA), New York Times reporter Eric Lichtblau, Chris Calabrese from the ACLU, and John Bottone, Vice President of the Federal Law Enforcement Officer's Association.

Briefing sponsored by Senators Rubio and Cardin
Click here for video.

Perkins Coie CSR Practice Attorneys, including J. Cabou and T. Markus Funk, are actively engaged in ABA CSR leadership.  For example, Markus was recently tapped to co-chair both the Section of International Law's Corporate Social Responsibility Committee and the Criminal Justice Section's Corporate Social Responsibility, Trafficking & Supply Chain Task Force.

Portland Managing Partner Rob Aldisert has been elected to the Board of Governors of the City Club of Portland.  The City Club is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, education and research based civic organization dedicated to community service, public affairs and leadership development.  

An Op-Ed written by Peter Schweizer reviewing the article titled, "USA 10-K: Why America Needs an Annual Report," contributed to by Perkins Coie Partner John Squires.  In the article, originally published on Knowledge@Wharton, the authors discuss the lack of trust in the nation today and what can be done to restore trust in the nation. Peter admits it is a bit of a depressing read but states '"If there are grounds for optimism, it is the authors’ assessment that, as America Inc.,  'our most important asset' is 'our people.'  So maybe it’s time for the shareholders (that would be us,  the citizenry) to better assert our rights as owners."'

New York Perkins Coie Partner John Squires was recently acknowledged in an article on Knowledge@Wharton titled, "USA 10-K: Why America Needs an Annual Report." The article discusses the lack of trust in the nation today and what can be done to restore trust in the nation. This article was republished in Forbes and Time, and was also reviewed by Peter Schweizer on the Newsweek Daily Beast"

Perkins Coie is proud to announce that Portland Partner Julia E. Markley has been selected by the Oregon Area Jewish Committee (OAJC) for its 2012 Judge Learned Hand Emerging Leadership Award.

Perkins Coie Partner Ben Straughan was recently interviewed for a blog on the topic, "What is Fair Market Value for a Startup: Understanding 409A Valuations for Startups." 

Todd Hinnen was quoted in an article published in The Wall Street Journal titled "The FBI's Secret Surveillance Letters to Tech Companies." The article addressed the type of information that can be acquired by the U.S. government through the use of so-called national security letters (NSLs). NSLs are used to obtain financial, phone and internet data relevant to a national security investigation.

To celebrate 100 years of service, the Dallas office of law firm Perkins Coie made a special $10,000 charitable contribution to the Children's Medical Center of Dallas. On Thursday, June 21, 2012, the firm presented the gift at a special event at the Frontiers of Flight Museum to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the firm’s founding.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Kester Spindler has joined the firm's Denver and New York offices as a Partner in the Private Equity practice. He joins the firm from Kirkland & Ellis LLP’s New York-based private equity group.

Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) has published the IAM Patent 1000 and IAM Strategy 300 lists. The lists, published in the June 2012 issue, provide in-house counsel with detailed information on top patent practitioners in every major jurisdiction worldwide.

Perkins Coie partner J Cabou and associate Nathan Christensen represent the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers as amicus curiae before the U.S. Supreme Court.  Perkins Coie's brief urges the Court to grant certiorari to review the decision of the Fifth Circuit, which allowed two government witnesses in a criminal case -- one of them an expert -- to testify fully anonymously.  The Perkins Coie brief traces the history, purpose, and practice of the Confrontation Clause and concludes that the admission of such anonymous testimony is inconsistent with them all.  The case is Elashi v. United States, Docket No. 11-1390.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Louise Adamson has joined the firm as Partner in the San Francisco office. She joins from K&L Gates.

In observance of 100 years of service, the Washington, D.C. office of law firm Perkins Coie made a special $10,000 charitable contribution to the Children's National Medical Center. On Thursday, June 14, 2012, the firm presented the gift at a special event at the Washington, D.C. office to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the firm’s founding.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce the launch of the California Land Use & Development Law Report, which offers legal commentary on planning and development.

To celebrate 100 years of service nationally, and 10 years locally, the Chicago office of law firm Perkins Coie made a special $10,000 charitable contribution to Lawrence Hall Youth Services, one of the oldest and most innovative child welfare agencies in Illinois. The firm hosted a special event to present the gift and celebrate 10 years of success at the Chicago History Museum on June 6, 2012.

In honor of 100 years of service nationally, Perkins Coie Madison has made a special $10,000 charitable contribution to Porchlight. The firm hosted a special presentation at the rooftop of the Madison office on June 8, 2012

In honor of 100 years of service nationally, and 15 years locally, Perkins Coie Boise made a special $10,000 charitable contribution to Idaho Governor’s Cup Scholarship Fund. On June 7, 2012, outdoors at the Boise Plaza building where the Boise office is located, the firm hosted a special event to present the gift and celebrate 15 years of success.

Perkins Coie proudly announces that once again it has been ranked by Chambers & Partners, publishers of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, as a top law firm in the United States. 

InsideCounsel, in an article about US v. Noriega, quoted Partner T. Markus Funk on the scope of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

The ABA Tax Section has just published the 25th Edition of the ABA Sales & Use Tax Deskbook, which was founded 25 years ago by Perkins Coie Seattle Partner Mike Young, who has continued to serve as the Editor-in-Chief for all these years later. The deskbook is a multistate resource designed for in-house tax professionals, attorneys and accountants that compiles information about sales and use taxes from every state that imposes them. Seattle Partners Gregg Barton and Bob Mahon have also, at some point, served as Co-Editor-In-Chief alongside Mike.

Perkins Coie proudly announces that it has been ranked as the top corporate law firm in the Portland market by Corporate Board Member magazine.

The American Bar Association appointed Perkins Coie Partner T. Markus Funk, who along with Partner J. Cabou helped set up the firm's Corporate Social Responsibility and Supply Chain Compliance Practice (the first such specialized practice among the AmLaw 100), to serve as  Co-Chair of the ABA's Corporate Social Responsibility Committee (Markus is also the Chair of the ABA-Criminal Justice Section's Corporate Social Responsibility and Forced Labor Task Force).

Chicago Healthcare Finance attorneys Dan Coyne, Jim Carroll and Christine Biebel on behalf of Ascension Health Alliance, closed a $435,370,000 bond deal on May 10, 2012 that involved four Issuing Authorities and project locations in five states. As part of this transaction, a $1 billion Line of Credit and a $1 billion Commercial Paper program were negotiated and implemented as well as a $330,175,000 Tender Offer for Illinois Finance Authority Bonds previously issued for Alexian Brothers Health System, a health system absorbed by Ascension earlier this year. Melissa Hunt, Bruce Bonjour, Brian Jennings, Brian Mullins and Jim Carroll (Washington, D.C.) worked on parts of the transaction.

Perkins Coie EER Partner Mark Whitlow has been reappointed by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) as Oregon Government Relations Chair for a one-year term beginning May 20, 2012. In this volunteer role, Whitlow will represent the interests of owners, developers, investors, marketers and other retail specialists across the state of Oregon.

New York Bankruptcy Partner Schuyler Carroll discusses the seemingly inevitable bankruptcy for Dewey & LeBoeuf in the May 11, 2012 The Recorder article, "As Dewey Partners Find New Homes, Questions Mount About Old One."

Denver Partner Bob Miller has been named by Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet to the bipartisan, 11-member advisory committee that will implement an open process to recommend highly qualified applicants to fill a vacancy on the U.S. District Court in Colorado. Chief Judge Wiley Daniel is going on senior status effective January 1, 2013, creating a need to fill the vacancy as soon as possible. The advisory committee is a non-partisan, merit-selection system endorsed by the American Bar Association and is increasingly being embraced by senators from across the country.

Perkins Coie Partner, T. Markus Funk and Associate Michael Sink, filed their opening brief on behalf of Joel Esquenazi, who received the longest-ever sentence in an Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) case (15 years).  This briefing, which Michael Koehler (the "FCPA Professor") described as "historic," represents the first time the much-debated definition of what constitutes a "foreign official" for FCPA purposes will be addressed by an appellate court.

The Colorado Supreme Court has recognized Perkins Coie for achieving the annual goal of an average of 50 hours of pro bono legal services for Colorado-licensed attorneys. Firms were recognized for valuing such hours for all purposes of attorney evaluation, advancement and compensation just as it does for compensated client representation.

Crain's Chicago Business has named Perkins Coie as one of "Chicago's Best Workplaces for Women."

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Bruce Zivian and Dennis Peterson have joined the firm in Chicago as Partners in the Private Equity, Venture Capital and Emerging Company practices. They join the firm from K&L Gates LLP.

Perkins Coie has been named one of the 2012 Top Ten Family Friendly Firms by Yale Law Women, a student organization devoted to promoting the interests of women in law school and the legal profession.

Intellectual Asset Management magazine ranked the Patent Prosecution Subgroup #4 nationally, for preparing and prosecuting the highest quality patents in the 2012 IAM/Ocean Tomo quality report.  This is up two spots from last year's ranking of #6. 

Palo Alto Partner Viola Kung and Los Angeles Partner Michael Wise have both been named to the 2012 Daily Journal "Top 25 Intellectual Property Portfolio Manager" list.

On Monday, April 23, 2012, Chicago Bankruptcy Partner and Hotels & Leisure Co-Chair David Neff argued before the Supreme Court on behalf of RadLAX Gateway Hotel LLC.

An article featuring Perkins Coie Partner Tina Moss as a "Mover of the Week" in the DowJones DBR Small Cap. The article discusses her move to Perkins Coie and the effect that had on her practice.

On April 18, 2012, Joel Levin spoke on a panel with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, former U.S. Attorney Scott Lassar and Blagojevich prosecutor Reid Shar that was sponsored by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. The panel addressed the role that prosecutors play in fighting public corruption.

Hunter College posted a video of Perkins Partner T. Markus Funk and his co-author, Judge Virginia Kendall, discussing their anti-trafficking book with members of the New York media prior to the March 8, 2012, Mayor's Office event.

In a story on human trafficking, the Chicago Tribune quoted T. Markus Funk on the phenomenon of organized human trafficking and mentioned his book (co-authored with U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall) on the same subject.

Perkins Coie has added Andrew Shipley as Partner and John Henault as Of Counsel in the Government Contracts practice in Washington, D.C. Shipley joins from Northrop Grumman Corporation where he was an Assistant General Counsel, and Henault joins from Cooley LLP where he was a member of the firm's Commercial Litigation group.

Privacy Partner Michael Sussmann was quoted in a front-page New York Times article, "Police Are Using Phone Tracking as a Routine Tool." The article discussed the government's increasing use of cell phone tracking in criminal investigations and the need for clearer laws on location tracking. The law is understandably confusing “when even the federal courts can’t agree." Carriers “push back a lot" when the police urgently seek out cell locations or other information in what are purported to be life-or-death situations. "Not every emergency is really an emergency."

Pravin Rao was quoted in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin on new rules involving Whistleblower complaints and the Wells process that are pressuring the SEC to make decisions on enforcement actions quicker than it had in the past, and how that influences strategies for dealing with the SEC.

Kevin J. Hamilton has become a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in America.

Perkins Coie announced today that it has added four attorneys to its New York office.

Caryn Trombino commented on the Dodd-Frank whistleblower program's rules as applied to foreign-based whistleblowers in The Wall Street Journal's Corruption Currents article entitled "What Rights Do Foreign Whistleblowers Have?" (subscription required).

Tim Burns, Firmwide Chair of the Insurance Recovery practice, has been named the Chair of the Director and Officer Liability Insurance Committee for the International Center for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CPR Institute).

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Michael Owen has joined as Partner in the firm's Business practice in Chicago. He joins the firm from K&L Gates.

Karen Samuels Jones moderated a debate on March 8 between four district attorney candidates for the 18th Judicial District. The South Metro Chamber of Commerce hosted the event that featured George Brauchler, Leslie Hansen, John Topolnicki and Robert Wareham. To learn more about the debate, read the March 9 Centennial Citizen article "Republican candidates for DA face off."

On March 15, Partner Patrick Collins moderated an Association of Corporate Counsel CLE program entitled "What to Do When Leaders Lose Their Way." Patrick led a spirited discussion of the issues confronting general counsels when they need to respond to management misconduct. He was joined by an exceptional panel of distinguished general counsels from McDonald's, Exelon and Hill-Rom. Over 250 in-house counsel and executives attended the program.

James Pistorino, Palo Alto Patent Litigation Partner, reviews patent filings for 2011 in his March 16, 2012 Bloomberg BNA Patent Trademark & Copyright Journal article, "2011 Trends in Patent Case Filings: Eastern District of Texas Continues to Lead Until America Invents Act Is Signed."

T. Markus Funk, Special Advisor to the Council and Co-Chair of the Global Anti-Corruption Task Force, recently released his new book entitled, Child Exploitation and Trafficking, which he co-authored with Virginia M. Kendall.

Sponsored by the Office of the Mayor of New York City, Perkins Coie Partner T. Markus Funk and co-author U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall discussed their book Child Exploitation and Trafficking: Examining the Global Challenges and U.S. Responses at the Roosevelt House in front of a capacity crowd.  Impacto Latin News covered the event, describing it as "incredibly informative".

Perkins Coie announced today that it has launched startupPerColator, a user-friendly interactive website that enables entrepreneurs to generate the legal documents needed to form a Delaware "C" corporation, free of charge.

The American College of Bankruptcy announced March 1, 2012 that Dan Zazove, Partner at Perkins Coie in Chicago will be inducted as a Fellow of the College on March 16, 2012 in Washington, D.C.

Perkins Coie announced today that Keith Miller has joined the firm as Partner in the Investigations & White Collar Defense practice in New York and will serve as Head of the Securities and Exchange Commission Enforcement practice.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Julia Markley has been named one of the Portland Business Journal's "Forty Under 40" for 2012. Recognized for their leadership in business and service to the community, the forty recipients of this honor are considered to be among the most accomplished young executives in Portland, Oregon.

Perkins Coie announced today that Marcelo Halpern has joined the firm as Partner in the Licensing & Technology practice in Chicago. He joins the firm from Latham & Watkins.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce it has launched a national Healthcare Industry Group with the addition of  Partners Renee Howard, Anne Redman and David Robbins, Of Counsel Brian Grimm and Associate Anastasia Anderson.

Perkins Coie has added three Partners and one Of Counsel in New York. John Squires joins as Partner in the Intellectual Property practice, Dennis Hopkins joins as Partner in the Patent Litigation practice and Richard Ross joins as Partner in the Business practice.

Perkins Coie Environment, Energy & Resources Partner Mark Whitlow has been appointed by Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber to serve as a member of the State's newly formed Access Management Oversight Task Force.

Perkins Coie announced today that Steve Ducommun joins the firm as Partner and Anne Pansard joins as Associate in the Business practice in the Chicago office. They join the firm from K&L Gates.

Perkins Coie has added Mel Wheaton as Of Counsel in Seattle in the Business practice. He rejoins the firm from Orca Bay Capital where he served as President and General Counsel.

A deal that Perkins Coie attorneys worked on received The 2012 M&A Advisor Turnaround Award for Consumer and Retail Products Deal of the Year (Over $50 Million) and Real Estate Deal of the Year (Under $500 Million) for its 363 Sale of Gas City, Ltd. to multiple strategic buyers.

Stewart Landefeld, Firmwide Chair of the Business practice, co-authored the January 2012 INSIGHTS: The Corporate & Securities Law Advisor article, "The Value of Restraint: Independence of Corporate Directors after infoGROUP." In the article, they explore a recent Delaware Chancery Court decision that illustrates the context-focused manner in which a Delaware court will assess the independence of directors.

Perkins Coie has added Timothy Carroll as Partner in the Intellectual Property Litigation practice. He is accompanied in the practice by Matthew Carmody as Partner and Steven Lubezny as Associate. They join the firm in Chicago from Loeb & Loeb LLP.

Funk's article and accompanying decision trees will be used as part of the International Bar Association, OECD, and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime's ongoing effort to (1) investigate the role of lawyers in international transactions affected by corruption, (2) raise awareness among legal professionals about the devastating effects that may result from this crime, and (3) promote the highest standards to prevent corruption in this profession.

This article discusses a matter in which Perkins Coie Of Counsel Stephen Feldman is currently representing the defendants.

Privacy Partner Michael Sussmann was quoted in a Washington Post article titled, "Hackers Eavesdrop on FBI, Scotland Yard Call," which reported that an FBI conference call with Scotland Yard in their investigation of an international group of hackers was secretly monitored by the hackers under investigation. "Other than the fact it’s not al Qaeda, it’s the worst-case scenario that the target of your operation is listening in on your call."

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Stephen Hardesty has joined the firm as Partner and Nicholas Taylor has joined as Associate in the Business practice.

Perkins Coie attorneys Phillip Gordon, Alexandra Cole, Ed Wicks, Jaclyn McNally and Suleen Lee represented the owners in the sale of Dallas-based Rosewood Hotels & Resorts LLC hotel management company and five North American properties under Rosewood management for $800 million to China-based New World Hospitality and individual investors.

This article welcomes Perkins Coie Of Counsel Dana Krawczuk to the firm.

According to the influential FCPA Compliance and Ethics Blog, "these articles fill a valuable niche for the compliance practitioner. I hope that you will review and use them in your practice going forward."

The Daily Journal of Commerce's Builder Banker Breakfast series is back for another year with a February session focused on commercial mortgage-backed securities with speaker, Perkins Coie's Of Counsel Kirsten Day.

This article welcomes Perkins Coie Of Counsel Dana Krawczuk to the firm.

T. Markus Funk was interviewed and quoted by the Denver Post in an article examining the global phenomenon of trafficking in human beings and the nexus between organized crime and this particular form of exploitation.

Privacy Partner Michael Sussmann was quoted in a front-page Washington Post story alleging that the FDA, through aggressive surveillance of employee email, retaliated against nine whistleblowers who reported to Congress corruption and risks to women with breast cancer. Sussmann said the FDA’s warning on its computers gave the agency latitude to conduct extensive monitoring. "Anything on this agency’s network is fair game by use of this banner, as long as they’re lawfully targeting their employee."

Perkins Coie announced today that Jean-Jacques “J” Cabou has joined the firm in Phoenix as Partner in the Investigations & White Collar Defense practice. He joins the firm from Osborn Maledon, P.A.

Vivek and Selena were among a total of eleven attorneys chosen.  2012 Benchmark Plaintiffs Litigation, Benchmark Plaintiffs Litigation, the Definitive Guide to America's Leading Litigation Firms & Attorneys, 2012

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Nick Milano has joined the firm in Washington, D.C. as Of Counsel in the Investment Management practice.

Advocates for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities filed a class action lawsuit against the Governor of Oregon and other state officials. The lawsuit, which was filed on January 25 in US District Court in Oregon, alleges these officials are violating the Americans with Disabilities Act and the federal Rehabilitation Act by failing to provide supported employment services to more than 2,300 state residents who are instead segregated in sheltered workshops where they perform mundane, rote tasks for sub-minimum wages.

Perkins Coie announced that Dana Krawczuk joined the firm’s Portland office as Of Counsel in the Real Estate and Land Use practice. She joins the firm from Ball Janik LLP.

University of Chicago; Northwestern University School of Law
Judge Posner, author of nearly 40 books and widely considered one of the world's most distinguished scholars, described Funk and Kendall's Child Exploitation and Trafficking: Examining the Global Challenges and U.S. Responses as “a milestone on the road to improved policy in this difficult and important area, this book will be an invaluable resource to judges, prosecutors, police, policymakers, criminologists, and the defense bar.”

For the 10th consecutive year, Perkins Coie is proud to announce that it has been named to FORTUNE magazine's list of "The 100 Best Places to Work For." This year the firm was ranked 58. The full list and any related stories appear in the February 6 issue of FORTUNE and at www.fortune.com/bestcompanies.

Partner T. Markus Funk was featured in an ABC-7 report on the guilty pleas of Jerry Scalise and Robert Pullia

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Judy Jennison, Michael Scoville and Karl Klassen have joined the firm in Seattle.

Perkins Coie is proud to announce the launch of a new blog, Groundbreaking Law. The blog provides insights on design and construction topics such as statutory and regulatory changes, recent court opinions, sustainable and green building, BIM, insurance and project delivery methods.

Pravin Rao was quoted in Law360 on the SEC's new position on no longer settling cases with "neither admit nor deny" language where there's already been admissions to or convictions of parallel criminal offenses.

Perkins Coie announced today that Jose Lopez has joined the firm's Chicago office as Partner in the Securities Litigation practice. Previously, he served as Partner at Schopf & Weiss and prior to that was a Senior Attorney at the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Division of Enforcement.

Jon Buck and Pravin Rao successfully obtained the dismissal of an SEC insider trading case in SEC v. Garcia et. al. Rao was quoted in the Chicago Tribune and Law360 on the Judge's ruling.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Gary Eisenberg has joined the firm’s New York office as Partner in the firm’s Financial Transactions & Restructuring practice. He joins the firm from Herrick, Feinstein LLP.

Funk and Trombino in their article break down the form, function, and flow of the  FCPA and the UK Bribery Act.

Perkins Coie announced that 12 attorneys have been named Partner and five have been named Of Counsel effective January 1, 2012.

Perkins Coie announced today that three new finance attorneys have joined the firm’s Chicago office. Dan Coyne and Jim Carroll join as Partners and Christine Biebel joins as Of Counsel. All three join from O’Keefe Lyons & Hynes, LLC. The new attorneys specialize in the representation of healthcare and other nonprofit organizations in their financial transactions. 

The BBC reports that Brazil's official "dirty list" of employers using slave labor was extended to include 294 companies and individuals, representing the highest number since officials began compiling the list in 2004.

T. Markus Funk and M. Bridget Minder author "Bribery of Foreign Officials: The FCPA in 2011 and Beyond: Is Targeted FCPA Reform Really the “Wrong Thing at the Wrong Time”? in the Bloomberg Law Reports. The in-depth piece not only summarizes 2011 enforcement trends, but also addresses the arguments raised against the growing call for targeted FCPA reform.

Pravin Rao was quoted in Law360 on the future of Whistleblower and Hedge Fund Enforcement in 2012.

High-visibility outlets, including the FCPA Professor ("This is a very useful one-stop chart for anyone involved in FCPA issues or likely to encounter foreign bribery issues"), the FCPA Blog ("Travel Act bribery cases made simple . . . an excellent tool"), and the White Collar Crime Prof Blog ("[C]aptures the essence of the FCPA . . . It's terrific"), have posted Perkins Coie partner T. Markus Funk's FCPA/Travel Act Decision Tree.

The White Collar Crime Prof Blog published Perkins Coie Partner and ABA Global Anti-Corruption Task Force Co-Chair T. Markus Funk's novel and practical UK Bribery Act decision tree/"cheat sheet" and chart comparing the anti-bribery laws of the US, UK, China, and India describing it as "extraordinary."

Bob Miller and Stephanie Dunn, Denver Litigation Partners, were recently named to Law Week Colorado’s Lawyers of the Year in Big Verdict Cases list.

Chicago Hotels & Leisure industry Co-Chair David Neff was quoted in the December 22 HotelNewsNow, "Hotel credit bidding draws Supreme Court's eye," article that looks at the highly anticipated credit bidding decision in the case of Radlax Gateway Hotel LLC and Radlax Gateway Deck LLC v. Amalgamated Bank, which is expected to be heard by the Supreme Court in April.

Portland Partner Julia Markley was appointed by Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley to serve on their Judicial Selection Committee which will recommend candidates to President Obama for nomination as a district judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. Julia is among a 13-member selection committee appointed to screen candidates for federal judicial vacancies in the state.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Jacob Farber has joined the firm as Of Counsel in the firm’s Licensing & Technology practice. He joins the firm in Washington, D.C. where he previously served as Counsel at Dickstein Shapiro.

Perkins Coie is pleased to have been named as a recipient of the National Legal Aid & Defender Association's (NLADA) 2011 Beacon of Justice Award

"[Providing] a resource regarding not only victims, but various sex crimes, the court system, defense strategies and computer techniques perpetrators use to hide information, as well as how law enforcement can find it."

Perkins Coie Partner and ABA Global Anti-Corruption Task Force Co-Chair T. Markus Funk has drafted a very handy decision tree sketching out the key analytical steps in evaluating a potential bribery situation.

Fred Rivera, Perkins Coie Partner and Co-chair of the firm's Financial Services Litigation & Investigations practice, was featured on NPR's national radio show Marketplace. The story, which ran nationally on NPR stations, is on the Marketplace website as "Senate Republicans Block Cordray Nomination to CFPB." 

The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, in an article titled "Blago Faces Nearly $22K in Court Penalties," quoted T. Markus Funk on how and when federal judges typically impose fines on convicted defendants such as former Illinois governor Rod R. Blagojevich.

Perkins Coie LLP is proud to announce that it has earned the top rating of 100 percent in the Corporate Equality Index (CEI) and Best Places to Work 2012, an annual survey administered by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).

The Associated Press, in an article entitled, "Support, doubts greet stiff Blagojevich sentence" quoted Investigations & White Collar Defense partner, Joel Levin, on the 14-year prison sentence imposed on former Governor Rod Blagojevich for corruption.

Perkins Coie was ranked within the top 10 busiest firms overall in the 2011 Corporate Counsel Patent Litigation Survey. The firm ranked 7th in overall cases, up from 18 in 2010, with 54 district court cases. For the defense, the firm ranked 5th, up from 14 in 2010, with 47 cases.

InsideCounsel, in an article titled "Data shows that companies lose a week's earnings to fraud every year" quoted partner T. Markus Funk throughout the article addressing the quantifiable impact of fraud on companies' bottom line. The story ran in the December 2011 issue of InsideCounsel.

Perkins Coie’s Denver office has seen a 40 percent growth with the addition of 13 attorneys in 2011. In January 2011, to accommodate the expected growth, the Denver office relocated to a larger office space located at 1900 Sixteenth Street.

David Neff was recently quoted in an article on HotelNewsNow.com about a recent judgment awarded in favor of the owner of the St. Regis-branded property in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Michael Dunning has joined the firm as Of Counsel in the Seattle office in the Environment, Energy & Resources practice.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Christine A. Williams has joined the firm as Of Counsel in the Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice. She joins the firm in Los Angeles from Northrop Grumman Corporation, where she previously served as Senior Counsel.

Information regarding our 2012 1L Diversity Fellowship program is now available on our website, located here. There, students can find information about the fellowship including application deadlines and requirements. A list of commonly asked questions about the fellowship can be found here.

New York Bankruptcy Partner Schuyler Carroll was quoted in the November 17 "Solyndra pushes off auction for lack of bids," The Deal Pipeline article. The story explores why bankrupt solar panel company Solyndra received no bids by their deadline leading it to push back auction. Schuyler offers insight as to why even though there was initial interest from several parties, in the end there were no bidders for Solyndra.

The Chicago Tribune has named Perkins Coie's Chicago office as one the Top Workplaces of 2011. The Tribune survey of the best work places in Chicago placed Perkins Coie 19th among all area businesses with fewer than 250 employees. Perkins was one of only two law firms of any size on the Chicago Tribune list, which honored more than 100 Chicago area companies.

Perkins Coie announced today that Deborah Gutfeld has joined the firm’s Chicago office as Of Counsel in the Bankruptcy practice. She joins the firm from Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP.

Law Week Colorado

Al Gidari was quoted in an article titled "Judges Weigh Phone Tracking."  The article discusses how state and federal authorities follow the movements of thousands of Americans each year by secretly monitoring the location of their cellphones, often with little judicial oversight, in a practice facing legal challenges.

Perkins Coie Foreign Legal Affairs Attorneys at Law announced today that it has opened a new office in Taipei, Taiwan, to expand Perkins Coie’s Asia practice and to better serve its Taiwan-based clients, particularly in patent litigation and other intellectual property matters.

Perkins Coie announced today that Matthew Shebuski has joined the firm as partner in the Real Estate practice. He joins the firm in Chicago where he previously served as counsel at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP.

Daniel Marre, Hotels & Leisure partner in Perkins Coie's Chicago office, recently wrote a perspectives article for GlobalHotelNetwork.com. His article, "The Hotel: A New Paradigm," suggests that the economic model of a modern hotel is drifting to that of a shopping mall.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Chicago Partner Vince Maloney received the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Cook County's 2011 Spirit Award for his work as a CASA Volunteer Advocate for the last 15 years.

New York Bankruptcy Partner Schuyler Carroll was quoted in the November 1 "Sports museums struggle to draw fans, turn profit," USA Today article where he discusses the process for returning memorabilia when a museum goes under, citing his experience with the Sports Museum of America in New York.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce it has been listed in the 2011-2012 U.S. News – Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" with first-tier rankings in 18 practice areas nationally and 106 practice areas in 10 different major metropolitan markets including Alaska, Chicago, Colorado, Idaho, Madison, Phoenix, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce it has been named the 2011-2012 U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Law Firm of the Year” in Venture Capital Law.

The Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University awarded Howard Cabot its 2011 Justice for All Award for Outstanding Commitment to Pro Bono Service.

T. Markus Funk, a white collar partner at Perkins Coie and former federal prosecutor, was tapped to draft and present a resolution at the ABA Criminal Justice Section Council meeting to clarify the FCPA. 

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce Marc Bruner has joined the firm as partner in the Environment, Energy & Resources practice. He joins in San Francisco where he previously served as partner at Bingham McCutchen.

The Seattle office of Perkins Coie celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month on October 11, with a reception that included a keynote address by King County Superior Court Judge Steven González. Judge González, who is seeking appointment to the Washington State Supreme Court, would be the second person of color to serve on the state's highest court.

Perkins Coie Partner Howard Cabot is being recognized for his pro bono representation of a Guantanamo detainee.  The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University recently published a press release regarding his accommodation titled, "Phoenix attorney Howard Cabot to receive top pro bono award from Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law."

Perkins Coie Partner Schuyler Carroll and Associate Shan Haider were recently mentioned in the Deal Pipeline for their work in connection with the representation of the official committee of unsecured creditors in the Xstream Systems Inc. bankruptcy case, pending in the District of Delaware Bankruptcy Court.

Corporate Counsel Magazine, in an article titled "The End of an Era for Stock Option Backdating Scandals," quotes partner T. Markus Funk: "T. Markus Funk, a partner in Perkins Coie's Investigations and White Collar Defense group, has been listening. Although the backdating scandals are now mostly history, Funk says the enduring lesson for in-house and outside counsel is that the SEC and federal prosecutors are likely to continue to heavily scrutinize the advice lawyers give their clients. Federal law enforcers get inspiration from their past successes, according to Funk. He says there's no reason to believe they 'will shy away from their consistent practice of seeking to leverage their enforcement programs by targeting those legal and accounting professionals they consider failed gatekeepers.'"

On October 12, in Chicago, Partner Patrick Collins presented at the 2011 Enterprise Risk Management Conference on the increasing criminalization of corporate conduct. Patrick provided insight into the prosecutorial presumptions about corporate America, and provided practical guidance for addressing the heightened regulatory regime corporate America faces.

Perkins Coie will be hosting an event titled "Muchos Orígenes, Muchas Historias…Un Espíritu Americano Many Backgrounds, Many Stories…One American Spirit Seminar" in celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month. The event will be held on Tuesday, October 11th at 5:30 p.m. The multicultural Latino community has had a profound and positive influence on our American tapestry and Perkins Coie is planning a special evening to celebrate the contributions and accomplishments of our Latino colleagues, peers, families and friends. Keynote remarks by King County Superior Court Judge Steven González will begin at 6:00 p.m.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Best Lawyers, a peer-review publication in the legal profession, has named 21 attorneys as “Lawyers of the Year” in their respective practices for 2012.

Perkins Coie has been recognized by Corporate Counsel magazine in the "2011 Who Represents America's Biggest Companies" list. The magazine researched Fortune 100 companies to determine which law firms they use in four primary practice areas: Contract Litigation, Labor Litigation, Torts Litigation and Intellectual Property Litigation. Perkins Coie tied four other firms for the second most overall total of representation with 13. Corporate Counsel magazine has published the list annually for the past 10 years.

Partner Selena Linde was selected as a 2012 Women Worth Watching by the Diversity Journal.

National Research Council released the third edition of the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence on September 28, 2011. Perkins Coie Denver partner David L. Black is one of two practicing attorneys chosen as an author for this prestigious manual.

Vascular Access Systems and SMRT Therapeutics were the winners, among twenty-two teams of UCLA researchers at the UCLA Business of Science Center Venture Team Competition, competing for Perkins Coie's $20,000 Innovative Minds prize.

Partner Al Gidari was recently quoted in an article covering the ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which states that non-US citizens are also entitled to the protection of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA). The article, "Federal Court of Appeals upholds that non-US citizens are protected by ECPA," reports on Suzlon Energy v Microsoft Corporation where a corporation sued for disclosure of an Indian national's emails from his Hotmail account. ''The ECPA prohibits the disclosure of the content of user communications in civil matters regardless of whether the user is a citizen of the US, located in the US or living abroad," Gidari was quoted as saying.

Perkins Coie announced today that a senior member of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, which oversees DOJ’s nationwide counterterrorism, counterespionage, and export-control programs, has joined the firm. Todd Hinnen, who served in the National Security Division as both Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Law and Policy and Acting Assistant Attorney General, a role in which he managed all aspects of the 320-attorney division, begins as a partner in the firm’s Washington, DC office effective immediately.

Partner Patrick Collins and Associates Jade Lambert and Brandy McMillion co-wrote an op-ed which ran in the September 25th issue of the Chicago Sun-Times. The article "Quinn must act on clemency petitions," addresses the one-year anniversary of Illinois Governor Pat Quinn's 2010 promise to decide all 3,000 pending clemency petitions by year's end. Collins, Lambert and McMillion, who served as pro bono counsel for a number of clemency petitioners, emphasized that Quinn's promise remains unfulfilled, leaving the lives of numerous petitioners in limbo. The authors called on Quinn to accelerate the petition process because he owes it to thousands of petitioners waiting for answers "to make good on his promise and to decide their clemency petitions, one way or another, in a timely manner."

Perkins Coie is proud to announce that Seattle Litigation partners Joe McMillan, Harry Schneider and Charles Sipos have received the Washington State Bar Association's (WSBA) Award of Merit.

Perkins Coie announced today that it has added five new attorneys to its national Insurance Coverage practice in the Washington, D.C. office. Joining the firm from Dickstein Shapiro, Leon Kellner  and Vivek Chopra join as partners and Christina Buschmann, Aaron Coombs and Laura Dellatorre join as associates. This expansion comes less than two months after partners Selena Linde and Michael Sharkey joined the Washington, D. C. Office, also from Dickstein Shapiro.

Perkins Coie announced today that James F. (Jim) Jensen has joined the Firm in Palo Alto as a Partner in the Emerging Companies practice group. He joins the Firm from VantagePoint Capital Partners where he recently served as General Counsel, Emerging Markets & Assistant General Counsel.

Chicago Hotels & Leisure Co-Chair Phil Gordon recently sat down with Chicago Real Estate Bisnow to discuss the trend in increased transactions and financings in the hotel industry. Phil attributes much of the activity to recovering REIT stock prices and debt availability that has caused revenue to rise, and investors are taking notice. You can read the entire interview here.

Perkins Coie announced today that it has been named one of the "2011 Best Law Firms for Women" by the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE) and Flex-Time Lawyers LLC. This is the third time in four years that the firm was recognized for its commitment to the retention and advancement of women.

Esquire magazine recently profiled Perkins Coie's Guantanamo pro bono client Noor Uthman Muhammed in its September 11 issue.

Perkins Coie ranked 35 on the California Lawyer's "California 50," a survey of the largest firms in California. See the entire list here.

California Lawyer also listed firms with the largest percentage of part-time lawyers who are minorities and women. Perkins Coie had the second-highest percentage for part-time minority lawyers with 44.4% and tied for 12th for part-time women lawyers at 77.8%. Click here for the entire list.

Don Karl, Co-Chair of the Interactive Entertainment group, was featured in a Q&A in a recent Media & Entertainment Law360 article. Throughout the article Don discusses his most challenging case, important issues relating to interactive entertainment law and lessons learned. To read all of his responses, visit Law360.

The Perkins Coie Chicago office placed third in the 2011 American Lawyer Midlevel Associates Survey with a score of 4.069.

Perkins Coie is proud to announce that 163 of its attorneys throughout the country were selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2012 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® (Copyright 2011 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, S.C.).

Perkins Coie is pleased to have received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) for the firm's work with Washington's only LSC grant organization, the Northwest Justice Project (NJP). The firm has been honored for our extraordinary commitment to providing equal access to justice.

Shanghai (August 18, 2011) – Perkins Coie has announced that its Shanghai office will be relocating in order to accommodate the continued growth of the China practice, effective August 19, 2011. Perkins Coie opened the Shanghai office in 2006 to serve multinational clients conducting business in China as well as clients from China doing business in the United States.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Charles H. Samel will join the firm as partner in the firm's Litigation practice group. He joins in Los Angeles where he previously served as partner in the global antitrust and competition group for Latham & Watkins LLP.

The all-things political news outlet Politico recently named Washington, D.C. Political Law partner Marc Elias to its "50 Politicos to Watch" list. The annual special section focuses on "up and comers" in a variety of categories such as candidates, journalists, lawyers, fundraisers, consultants and others that will be taking center stage in the political arena in 2012.

Perkins Coie Partner Len MacPhee has been appointed as the new managing partner for the firm's Denver office. He is succeeding Bob Miller, who has held the position for the past four years.

Eric Barber, Insurance Coverage Litigation Associate in Madison, was quoted in the August 1, 2011 Agenda article titled "D&O Insurance: Mind the Gaps." He discusses the gaps directors and officers (D&O) need to look out for when obtaining insurance. Barber explains that most insurance carriers do not honor claims for investigations that take place before a lawsuit is filed. In order to be covered, directors and officers need to broaden the definition of “claim” in their policy when they renew it with their insurance provider to include informal investigations as triggers to the claim.

Perkins Coie Partner Will Rava was recently published in E-Commerce Law Report.  The article titled "Pepsi and .Soda: Are You Ready For The Coming Expansion Of Domain Name Space? Legal and Practical Issues For In-House Counsel and Brand Managers" was originally written as a client update and can be viewed here.

The article "Ninth Circuit: Limited Disclosure Of Online Anonymous Speakers' Identities Necessary To Determine Nature Of Underlying Speech" discusses the Ninth Circuit opinion to vacate an Idaho district court's denial of a motion to compel production of the identities of four anonymous online speakers.  This article first appeared on DigestibleLaw.com.

Partner T. Markus Funk, a former federal prosecutor, was featured in CNBC's "American Greed" series special "Mob Money: Murders and Acquisitions." Markus discussed, among other things, the "Operation Family Secrets" case, which stands as the most extensive mob-murder prosecution in the US and resulted in Markus and the team receiving the US Department of Justice's highest trial performance distinction.

Timothy Alger, former Deputy General Counsel at Google, will be joining the Palo Alto office of Perkins Coie as a partner in its Litigation practice.

Colorado Law Week previewed a panel on the new SEC whistleblower bounty rules that will be moderated by T. Markus Funk. The panel will include the SEC's Regional Director, the head of the Fraud Section of the Colorado US Attorney's Office and IHS General Counsel Sean Radcliffe.

Perkins Coie announced today that Selena Linde and Michael Sharkey have joined the firm’s Washington, D.C. office as Partners in the Insurance Coverage Litigation practice group. They join from Dickstein Shapiro where Linde served as Deputy Practice Leader in the Insurance Coverage group and Sharkey served as Partner.

New York Bankruptcy Partner Schuyler Carroll was quoted in the July 18 Reuters story, "Borders, unable to find white knight, to liquidate," where he discusses not only the unfortunate loss of jobs that is associated with the Borders liquidation but also how competitor Barnes & Noble isn't in the clear just yet with one rival out of the way. The story was picked up by more than 30 outlets across the country including Chicago Tribune, Orlando Sentinel, Yahoo! News and Portfolio.com.

Eight partners in the San Francisco office, as well as two partners in the Silicon Valley office, have been named by their peers to the Northern California Super Lawyers list

Perkins Coie received the first annual Volunteer Law Firm of the Year award from the Eastside Legal Assistance Program (ELAP), a non-profit organization providing free or low-cost, high quality civil legal services to low-income residents of East and Northeast King County, Washington and domestic violence legal aid throughout King County, Washington. The award was given in recognition of our firm's establishment of a pro bono program to represent ELAP clients, specifically domestic violence victims. In particular, after working on one case for more than a year, Seattle associates Ashley Locke and Nicole Sporer successfully represented a domestic violence victim in King County Superior Court through which the court granted the client full and sole custody over her children, limited the abusive ex-husband's contact with the children and required him to pay substantial child support. Joe Silvernale and Sue Bilger assisted Nicole and Ashley with trial preparations. Nicole and Ashley accepted the award on behalf of the firm on May 5, 2011, at the ELAP "Breakfast for Justice" at the Bellevue Hyatt Hotel.

Madison Partner David Harth received the 2010 State Bar of Wisconsin Pro Bono Award for a Private Practitioner at the Wisconsin Equal Justice Conference at Marquette Law School on March 4, 2011. He was also recognized at the State Bar's annual Meeting on June 9th. Having been nominated by Judge Barbara Crabb and the Delivery of Legal Services Committee of the Dane County Bar Association, David was recognized, in part, for the fact that he has spent hundreds of hours each year representing prisoners in section 1983 civil litigation, primarily in the Western District of Wisconsin. For the past 10 years he has represented a Georgia inmate on death row seeking to overturn his conviction on the grounds of inadequate legal representation. (See page 14 of Perkins' 2010 Pro Bono Report for more on this case.) Among all his other activities, David also chaired the Western District Bar Association’s Pro Bono Committee for 15 years from which position he promoted social justice and mentored associates interested in taking on cases.

Seattle Labor & Employment Partner Andrew Moriarty weighed in on the implications of three U.S. Supreme Court opinions.

In a New York Times article entitled "For Illinois, Blagojevich is Only the Latest to Fall," Patrick Collins, partner and former Chair of the Illinois Reform Commission, opined that the conviction of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich would not alone cure the ethical deficit in Illinois. "I don't think you can indict your way to reform," said Collins. "Ultimately, the long solution for Illinois is a more engaged public who steps up and demands better government before the next scandal develops."

Seattle Commercial Litigation Partner Dave Burman recently weighed in on a Law360 story on the recent U.S. Supreme Court case that rejected a California ban on selling violent video games to minors. The ruling states that the law violates the First Amendment because it restricts free expression without a valid justification. Dave notes that the majority opinion leaves no room for other states to pass similar bans on violent video games. For the full story, click here.

Bobbie J. Wilson, Intellectual Property Partner in the San Francisco office, was recently quoted in a Law360 story on the upcoming patent reform legislation. The biggest decision that needs to be made is  whether the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) should be able to keep all of the patent application fees it collects, where currently the fees go to Congress and get redirected to other government programs. Bobbie shared her thoughts on what would be the best solution for all parties, citing that many believe the USPTO should be able to fund itself in order to provide a more complex and bureaucratic patent process. The full story can be found here.

Bob Bauer has rejoined Perkins Coie as partner in the Washington, D.C. office in the firm's Political Law Practice. Bauer rejoins the firm after serving as White House Counsel since November 2009.

Seattle Licensing & Technology Partners, Dax Hansen and Kirk Soderquist were recently mentioned in the AllThingsD article, "A Sneak Peek at Zynga’s IPO: How to Turn Virtual Goods Into Real Money." The article delves into the pending IPO of Zynga, which will be the first major U.S. company supported primarily by the sale of virtual goods to do so. Because of its novelty, there are no current laws governing the method for taking into account the sale of virtual goods. For their part, Kirk and Dax look into the legal consequences of virtual goods. To read the full article, including comments from Dax, visit: http://allthingsd.com/20110624/what-zynga-will-look-like-as-a-public-company/.

Perkins Coie is hosting an evening with Major Margaret Witt, plaintiff in landmark "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" case, Thursday, June 23 at 5:30 p.m. at the Seattle office located at, 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 4800. The event is free and open to the public.

Perkins Coie's National Privacy & Security practice was again recognized by Chambers USA, this year climbing to Band 2.

Michael Simon, a Litigation Partner in the Portland office of Perkins Coie LLP, is leaving the firm to accept appointment as a U.S. District Judge for the United States District Court for the District of Oregon.

Chicago Real Estate Partner Alex Cole was recently elected to membership in the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL).

Patrick Collins offered legal analysis on the retrial of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich on federal corruption charges. Patrick was a featured guest during segments on local television networks and was frequently quoted in local and national publications.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that it has earned a Gold Standard Certification from The Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF). The Gold Standard Certification seeks to certify, publicly recognize and broadly publicize law firms that have integrated women into the highest leadership positions in the firm. Out of more than 300 firms that were invited to apply, Perkins Coie was chosen as one of only 32 firms that met the criteria.

T. Markus Funk and Caryn L. Trombino's article "Is The Government Listening" was selected for publication in Richard L. Cassin's Be My Guest: Byline Posts From the FCPA Blog (2011)

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that four attorneys in its Anchorage office and two Alaska practices were recognized in the 2011 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. Nationwide, the annual directory once again ranked Perkins Coie as a top law firm in the United States with 100 attorneys ranked as leaders in their field and the firm recognized in 34 practice areas.

Perkins Coie proudly announces that four attorneys in its California offices were ranked as top lawyers in their fields in the 2011 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. The firm was recognized in the annual directory as a leader in its Life Sciences practice area in California.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that eight attorneys in its Phoenix office and three Arizona practices were recognized in the 2011 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. Nationwide, the annual directory once again ranked Perkins Coie as a top law firm in the United States with 100 attorneys ranked as leaders in their field and the firm recognized in 34 practice areas.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that 20 attorneys in its Portland office and six Oregon practices were recognized in the 2011 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. Nationwide, the annual directory once again ranked Perkins Coie as a top law firm in the United States with 100 attorneys ranked as leaders in their field and the firm recognized in 34 practice areas.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that seven attorneys in its Boise office and four Idaho practices were recognized in the 2011 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. Nationwide, the annual directory once again ranked Perkins Coie as a top law firm in the United States with 100 attorneys ranked as leaders in their field and the firm recognized in 34 practice areas.

Perkins Coie proudly announces that once again it has been ranked by Chambers & Partners, publishers of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, as a top law firm in the United States

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that the firm’s Environment, Energy & Resources practice was recognized in the 2011 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that eight attorneys in its Chicago office were ranked as top lawyers in their fields in the 2011 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. The firm was also recognized in the annual directory as a leader in its Real Estate practice area in Illinois.

Perkins Coie proudly announces that six attorneys in its Denver office were ranked as top lawyers in their fields in the 2011 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. The firm was also recognized in the annual directory as a leader in its Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions practice area in Colorado.

Perkins Coie proudly announces that three attorneys in its Madison office were ranked as top lawyers in their fields in the 2011 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. The firm was also recognized in the annual directory as a leader in its Intellectual Property practice area in Wisconsin.

Perkins Coie announced today that three new attorneys have joined the Emerging Companies practice in the firm's San Diego office. Peter Townshend has joined as partner, and George Colindres and Monique Ho have joined as Of Counsel. The group joins from McDermott Will & Emery LLP.

Colorado Law Week features Judge's endorsement of Perkins' argument that lawyer who filed class action suits against client Westwood Colleges and made arguably defamatory statements about Westwood cannot rely on the litigation privilege: "[T]he [litigation] privilege does not extend to remarks lawyers make on the courthouse steps, or anywhere else outside the court proceeding, said Markus Funk, a Perkins Coie partner who has consulted on the case. “Simply because you are an attorney who filed a lawsuit does not convey to you carte blanche permission to exit the courthouse and utter defamatory statements about the defendant,” Funk said. “The lesson is that, although the law renders statements made in the context of litigation non-actionable, counsel who exceed the boundaries of what constitute  ‘litiga­tion’ do so at their own peril.”

Perkins Coie was ranked #4 on the Top Law Firms for Patent Quality in Information Technology and #6 on the Top 20 All Industries list put on by Intellectual Asset Management magazine in accordance with Ocean Tomo PatentRatings. Ocean Tomo is a patent ratings company that specializes in assigning value to intellectual patents.

In an Associated Press article entitled, "Blagojevich takes the stand at corruption trial" Joel Levin discussed the likely impact and strategy involved in having Blagojevich testify in his corruption trial.

In January 2011, Bloomberg Law Reports published T. Markus Funk's Another Landmark Year: 2010 FCPA Year-In-Review and Enforcement Trends for 2011.  In May, the Bloomberg editors selected this article for inclusion and re-publication in its Bloomberg Law Quarterly.

Northwestern University student Christopher Wilmer is the first recipient of the Innovative Minds award, a process that started a few months ago and included dozens of submissions from Northwestern University students.

"T. Markus Funk, a white collar partner at Perkins Coie, said the new rules may also make companies more inclined to come forward to the SEC when confronted with internal wrongdoing. 'An increase in tips breeds an increase in self-reporting,' he said. 'If a problem is widely known within a company, that’s an additional reason to come forward rather than wait for the ax to drop.'"

Perkins Coie proudly announces that it has been ranked as the top corporate law firm in the Seattle market and among the top 3 in the Portland market by Corporate Board Member magazine.

The ABA Criminal Justice Section's "Leadership Connections"  highlighted the Global Anti-Corruption Task Force which Partner Markus Funk co-chairs, noted that the Task Force's website within two months of its launch has already been featured on over 5,000 other websites.

Perkins Coie is proud to announce the Madison office received the Seventh Circuit Bar Association's 2nd Annual Pro Bono and Public Service Award for outstanding pro bono work in the United States District Courts for the Western and Eastern Districts of Wisconsin.

Bobbie Wilson, Patent Litigation Partner in San Francisco, has just been named one of the Top Women Lawyers by the Daily Journal. Bobbie was among 75 California lawyers chosen for this year's list. Bobbie's years of intellectual property and complex litigation expertise, especially with Communications Decency Act, has helped her reel in a variety of desirable clients, and tackled a myriad of disputes.

Rick Oehler and Eric Aaserud co-authored an article in the ABA's The Procurement Lawyer (Spring 2011) titled "The Role of Intellectual Property in Stimulus: Lessons Learned From the Use of IP Provisions in Recovery Act Technical Assistance Agreements."

Paul B. Smyth authored the article "An Insider Perspective on Post-Gulf Oil Spill Changes at Interior" which appeared in the May 2011 ABA Environmental Impact Assessment Committee Newsletter.

Congratulations to the Boise office on winning the 2011 Pro Bono 6.1 Challenge Award from the Fourth Judicial District of the Idaho State Bar. This award is given each year to firms for outstanding service in the area of providing legal services to the poor, performing charitable work, and making efforts to improve the legal profession. This marks the fourth year in a row that our Boise office received the award!

Perkins Coie has been named one of the 2011 Top Ten Family Friendly Firms by Yale Law Women. This is the third time in the past four years that Perkins Coie has been included on this list. The list was created to celebrate firms that are leaders in facilitating work-life balance for attorneys.

Perkins Coie proudly announces that once again it has been ranked by Chambers & Partners, publishers of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, as a top law firm in the United States.

Perkins Coie partner, Martin E. Lybecker, was among three lawyers and the New York State Bar Association to be honored by the American Bar Association with its annual Grassroots Advocacy Award at a ceremony in the U.S. Supreme Court building on April 13.

Pravin Rao commented on the SEC's modest funding increase for fiscal year 2011 while funding for other federal agencies was cut by $38 billion. Pravin noted that even with the budget increase, the SEC's resources will still be stretched given their responsibilities and they will need to prioritize the cases they bring.

Perkins Coie has added three partners, one Of Counsel and one associate to its Environment, Energy & Resources practice.  Based in the San Francisco office, Julie Jones joins as partner, Marie Cooper joins as Of Counsel and Alan Murphy joins as associate. Robert Thibault joins Perkins Coie's Denver office as partner, and LeAnn Johnson Koch joins as partner in Washington, D.C.

James Pistorino, Palo Alto Patent Litigation partner, takes an investigative look at the number of patent cases filed in the Eastern District of Texas from 2009-2010 and analyzes the increase in filings over the years for ED Tex compared to other districts in the United States. His research article, "Concentration of Patent Cases in Eastern District of Texas Increases in 2010," recently ran in BNA's Patent, Trademark & Copyright Journal April 15, 2011 issue.

Chicago Hotels & Leisure partner Phil Gordon recently authored an article for Lodging Hospitality titled "An Owner’s Guide to the Chaotic World of Hotel Loan Restructuring." In this piece, he offers guidelines for hotel property owners trying to restructure debt that is too burdensome to pay or refinance. You can read his guide here.

Perkins Coie announced today that David Herbert has joined the firm as a partner in its Real Estate practice. He joins the firm in Dallas where he has practiced real estate law for nearly 30 years.

Law360 recently ran a piece highlighting new hires partner Jason Day, Of Counsel Amanda Tessar and associate Zane Gilmer in the Denver office. The feature goes on to detail Perkins Coie's recent Denver office growth with the recent office move and addition of five attorneys in the last year. Day and Tessar attribute Perkins Coie's commitment to growth as to why they were drawn to the firm. This piece ran in the Competition Law360, Corporate Finance Law360, Intellectual Property Law360 and Securities Law360 newsletters and can be found here.

John Schnurer, patent litigation partner in San Diego, was recently named to the Daily Journal's 4th Annual Top Intellectual Property Lawyers list.

Perkins Coie Partner Albert Gidari helped Google successfully negotiate a resolution of the FTC's investigation of the company's Buzz social networking service.  This is the first FTC Privacy and EU Safe Harbor settlement and includes a comprehensive privacy program to implement the decree.

Perkins Coie announced that three attorneys have joined the firm's Denver office.  Jason Day has joined the firm as a partner in its Business practice and Of Counsel Amanda Tessar and Associate Zane Gilmer joined the firm's Litigation practice.

Perkins Coie Partner Aaron Wininger was recently quoted in an article titled "Tort Law has an impact on IP matters" that appeared in the China Business Law Journal. The article discusses how the PRC Tort Law, which took effect on July 1st, 2010, has impacted intellectual property law, and how China's amended IP law will effect employers. Under the amended law, companies must pay employees compensation for inventions, either a default amount or one agreed upon by the employer and employee. "Besides the complexity in calculating what this royalty is, the default rule could lead to huge damages awards against employers," Wininger was noted as saying.

Perkins Coie is proud to announce that Denver partner, Karen Samuels Jones, is this year's recipient of the Joy S. Burns Women Of Enterprise Award.  This award, which is given by the Franklin L. Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver, is given to a professional woman in the real estate or construction industry who demonstrates the highest achievement in the industry, outstanding leadership, ethical standards and character in her industry and community, as well as giving her time and resources to promote the talents and accomplishments of other women within the industry.

Both Nightline and Fresh Air ran double segments examining the landmark 130-witness, 3-month racketeering trial for which the Attorney General presented Markus the US Department of Justice's highest trial distinction. The fourth book on the case is a Top 15 New York Times Best Seller.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that three partners in its Denver office have been named by their peers to the Colorado Super Lawyers list.

The article describes Funk as a "high-profile former federal prosecutor now working in Denver [at Perkins Coie]," and extensively quotes him on the Department of Justice's novel application of "anticipatory obstruction of justice" (18 USC Section 1519) in the context of a recent Chicago "honey laundering" indictment.

The ABA Global Anti-Corruption Task Force, co-chaired by Funk, is launching a new website "by practitioner and for practitioners."  Law Week Colorado profiled both the Task Force and the website.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Richard London has joined the firm’s Dallas office as of counsel in its Business practice.  He was formerly with Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.

Perkins Coie has added five land use attorneys to its Environment, Energy & Resources practice.  Partners Cecily Barclay, Matt Gray, Geoff Robinson and Barbara Schussman, along with Steve Kostka, joined the San Francisco office this week.

Arizona Republic details the role of Perkins Coie lawyer in the representation of Guantanamo detainee Noor Uthman Muhammed.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that James F. Valentine, Daniel T. Shvodian, Christopher L. Kelley, and James C. Pistorino will be joining the firm as partners in the Patent Litigation Practice in the firm’s Palo Alto office.

On March 3, in San Diego, Patrick Collins participated on a panel at the ABA National Institute on White Collar Crime's annual conference, one of the most well-attended white collar conferences in the nation. Participating with other nationally recognized attorneys, including DOJ's head of the Public Integrity unit, Patrick focused on recent developments in corruption cases. Over 100 attorneys attended Patrick's panel discussion.

Perkins Coie announced today that it has opened an office in New York City, New York. Former Arent Fox partner, Schuyler G. Carroll, has joined the firm and will be the partner in charge of the office. Carroll focuses his practice on complex restructuring, transactional, litigation and advisory work. His experience adds depth to the firm's national Bankruptcy & Restructuring practice.

Perkins Coie is proud to announce it has been ranked among the top 10 "Best Places to Work in Idaho" by the nationally recognized marketing research firm POPULUS, in conjunction with The Idaho Business Review, for the third year in a row!

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Viola Kung, Ph.D. has joined the firm’s Palo Alto office as a partner in its patent procurement practice.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Michael Garfinkel has joined the firm’s Los Angeles office as a partner in its litigation practice. He was formerly with Venable where he was the Head of California Litigation.

Perkins Coie will sponsor the Chicago Law Bulletin's Annual White Collar Crime + Corporate Governance Conference on April 12, 2011 at the Mid-America Club at 200 E. Randolph St., Chicago, IL.  Patrick Collins, a partner in the firm's Litigation practice and Executive Committee member, will moderate a panel on the Dodd-Frank Act.

The Guardian, a British national newspaper, comments on the plea bargain proceedings involving Perkins Coie's Gitmo client.

A cold case that has plagued Denver Managing Partner Bob Miller since he left his position as Greeley prosecutor was recently closed by none other than his own son, 33 years after the crime.  Miller's son, a prosecutor with the Weld County District Attorney's Office, was ultimately able to bring closure to the kidnapping and murder of Mary Pierce, who disappeared in 1977.  “It was pretty emotional,” Miller said of his son’s work on the case. “I teared up a little while watching his closing arguments. It was pretty exciting to have him close the loop.”  For full article, click here.

Esquire magazine reports on Noor's sentencing before military commission.

Esquire magazine reports on Noor's first day of trial.

The influential Main Justice website featured an in-depth article on the soon-to-be-launched ABA Global Anti-Corruption Task Force website.  Markus Funk is the Task Force's National Co-Chair, and was quoted extensively for the piece.

In what it hopes will be the first of many, Perkins Coie awarded a $10,000 "Innovative Minds" grant to Northwestern University student Christopher Wilmer.  Wilmer, a PhD candidate with the School of Chemical & Biological Engineering, proposed a plan for creating clean drinking water in developing countries using solar disinfection.  Wilmer, and two other finalists, presented "innovative ideas" aimed at solving a societal challenge to a panel of Perkins Coie and Northwestern judges on Tuesday, February 15th.

Markus Funk, a Perkins Coie Partner, was interviewed by the American Medical News concerning his take on the latest developments  and trends in the government's fight against health care fraud.   The American Medical News is the leading trade publication in the health care sector, as well as the official news source of the American Medical Association.

On February 1, Christine Williams, Rick Oehler, and Don Carney presented a panel on the topic of "Dealing with Increased Federal Scrutiny" at the National 8(a) Association's Winter Conference in Orlando, Florida.  Their panel was one of only two legal panels. The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce also co-sponsored the event. The term 8(a) refers to the Small Business Administration's Program to help minority and other small disadvantaged businesses to grow through a program of Federal contracting preferences and set-asides.  The conference included 300 participants including Alaska Native Corporations and Tribal, Native Hawaiian, and Minority organizations and businesses.

Perkins Coie's Government Contracts practice was named the "Government Contracts Group of The Year" by Law360 on Monday, February 01.  The group received the recognition based upon several client's successes.  The group consists of 13 attorneys, with 11 located in the Washington, D.C. office and two more in the Seattle office.

Perkins Coie has added attorneys John Iani and Paul Smyth to its Environment, Energy & Resources practice.  Iani joins the Seattle office as Partner.  Smyth joins the Washington, D.C. office as Of Counsel.  Iani and Smyth join more than 70 Perkins Coie attorneys focused on environmental, energy, and resource matters.

Perkins Coie announced today that Stephen F. English has joined its Portland office as a Partner in the firm's national Commercial Litigation Practice Group.  English will continue to focus his practice on complex business problems and high stakes "bet the company" litigation.  English was formerly with Bullivant Houser Bailey PC.

Perkins Coie Partner, Markus Funk was quoted throughout an article published in InsideCounsel on Tuesday February, 01.  The article, "U.S. FCPA Enforcement Receives International Praise," written by Steven Anderson, on the continuing effort to tackle foreign bribery by the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).  The article discusses the incredible increase in cases over the last several years. "In ’05, which was considered the banner year at that time, the FCPA folks prosecuted five individuals and collected something like $16 million," stated Funk "And then you contrast that with 2010, where if you look at the top eight cases alone, they collected more than $1.5 billion—that’s with a B."  Such dramatic increases are often met with criticism, particularly when they cross international borders, but this is one area where the world seems to be squarely behind the hardline U.S. stance. In October 2010, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) issued a glowing assessment on the state of U.S. anti-corruption enforcement. "The U.S. obviously is the world leader in this department," says Funk. "The U.S. historically has been responsible for 70 percent of the world’s foreign anti-bribery prosecution, second place being the U.K. with a little bit over 4 percent. So the U.S. is a world leader—it’s the poster child for robust foreign anti-corruption enforcement efforts."

The firm is pleased to announce that the Denver office has officially moved to a new space at 1900 Sixteenth Street, Suite 1400. The office has an entire floor of the 400,000 square foot building near Union Station in Lower Downtown.

Perkins Coie's Privacy & Security practice was ranked in the Best Privacy Advisers 2010 report prepared by Minnesota Privacy Consultants.  The firm was listed in the Best Privacy Adviser - Firm and Best Privacy Adviser Among Large Clients - Firm categories.  In addition, Perkins Coie received recognition as one of the best firms serving the Software & Hardware Technology industry, one of the best firms for giving practical advice and one of the best firms in the Western United States.  The group's work in breach responses and privacy program development was also noted.  Lawyers Albert Gidari and Susan Lyon also ranked among the best individual advisers in the privacy field.  The rankings were compiled through a survey sent for more than 4,000 professionals involved with data protection in their organizations.

For the ninth consecutive year, Perkins Coie is proud to announce that it has been named to FORTUNE magazine's "The 100 Best Places to Work For."  This year the firm was ranked 55th, an improvement over last year's ranking of 75.  The full list and any related stories appear in the February 7 issue of FORTUNE and at www.fortune.com/bestcompanies.

Perkins Coie Partner David Neff was quoted in an article in the New York Times on Wednesday, January 19th.  The article, "‘Bad Boy’ Guarantees Snarl Billions in Real Estate Debt," is about distressed debt in the commercial real estate market.  The "Bad Boy" guarantee refers to a provision in many loans that is said to be the cause of a large portion of the backlogged distressed debt plaguing the commercial real estate market.  In previous down cycles, when the market was readjusting after a boom, real estate companies would declare bankruptcy to extricate themselves from troubled deals. This time around, many commercial mortgages included provisions that held developers personally liable for the loan if their companies filed for bankruptcy. As a result, foreclosures, in which the competing interests of many parties often play out in lengthy court battles, are now typical. Neff is quoted commenting "because of the bad-boy guarantees, we have unquestionably had far fewer bankruptcies then we would have had, and then we saw in the 1990s."  The reduction in bankruptcies has been praised by some while many find the messy and often lengthy foreclosures to be an even greater burden.

Ivan Gold (POR) and Nidhi Thakar (WDC) have published:  "A Survey of State Renewable Portfolio Standards: Square Pegs for Round Climate Change Holes?" in the William and Mary Law School Environmental Law and Policy Review (vol. 35, Issue 1, 2010).   The 90 page article discusses renewable portfolio standards (RPS) in thirty states, how they work, whether they're effective tools to combat climate change, and how they relate to federal and international  carbon control programs.  The article should be interesting to any of our clients and friends involved in the energy industry, including  utilities, independent power producers, and policy makers.  

 
This material was obtained from Westlaw and is posted with permission.

Perkins Coie has announced that 18 attorneys have been named partner or of counsel effective January 1, 2011.

"SEC Enforces Reg FD on 'Winks and Nods'"

Pravin Rao commented on the SEC's investigation of California's Public Employees' Retirement System, known as CalPERS, and whether this signals a newfound intention to crack down on state and municipal bond offerings.

Perkins Coie has been ranked as the number one law firm for Interactive Entertainment in a national survey by Interactive Age, the global business journal of interactive entertainment.  According to the survey there are 530 attorneys practicing law in the area of video games, new media and interactive entertainment. Rapid development of a new field in law is the direct result of explosive growth from the business behind games, and the increasing number of transactions. The numbers indicate that while solo-practitioners have been considered experts in the field for years, the big firms are beginning to stake their claims in the field and operating significant video game practices. There were a total of 30 firms ranked with Perkins Coie topping the list.

Congratulations to Melanie Rubocki, Partner in the Boise office, who has been selected as one of 50 candidates for the Idaho Business Review Women of the Year award. Over 100 nominations were received this year. Since the inception of the WOY award in 2006, women throughout Idaho have been recognized for success not only in their professional life but also in personal achievements and community involvement. Melanie has undoubtedly demonstrated excellence in all of these areas, and, the recognition is well deserved.

Fred Rivera, Perkins Coie Partner and Co-chair of Financial Services Litigation & Investigations, was quoted on Marketplace Public Radio by David Gura on Tuesday. The story, which ran nationally on NPR stations, is titled on the Marketplace website as "SEC and Dodd-Frank face delays." It discusses the recent decision by congress to keep spending levels the same as in 2010 and the impact that decision has on the new whistleblower program the Securities Exchange Commission is required to implement under Dodd-Frank. The SEC is not getting the funding it needs to write new rules and hire new staff under the Dodd-Frank Act, delaying the process significantly. Fred Rivera was played on-air saying "I think it's probably the first announcement of delays related to Dodd-Frank that we're going to see over the coming months." The Dodd-Frank Act was very difficult to pass and is expected to be even more difficult to implement.

Perkins Coie announced today that it has moved its Washington, D.C. office to 700 13th Street, N.W. in D.C.'s East End.  Perkins Coie opened its first Washington, D.C. location in 1979.  In the past two years, the number of attorneys has nearly doubled to more than 65.

Perkins Coie announced today that Partner J. David Larsen has joined the firm's growing national Real Estate Workout practice in their Los Angeles office. 

"[I]mportant new book" . . . "fascinating overview" . . . "builds a fascinating case" . . . "well-reasoned criticism" . . . " For all of these reasons, T. Markus Funk‘s Victims’ Rights and Advocacy at the International Criminal Court is a valuable read and resource for those who care about international justice."
- Prof. Juliet Sorensen, Book Review, Northwestern University School of Law's Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology.

Perkins Coie announced today that Eric Wesenberg has joined the firm as a partner in its Patent Litigation practice.  He will be based in the firm's Palo Alto office.

Perkins Coie has announced that its Menlo Park office has moved to Palo Alto. Perkins Coie opened its Menlo Park office in 1998. Over the past decade, the office has grown to 40 attorneys supported by paralegals and other professional staff who serve a diverse mix of clients in the Silicon Valley, throughout the U.S. and internationally. Their clients range from start-ups to FORTUNE 100 companies. Working with the resources available firmwide, the office provides legal services in emerging companies, licensing and technology, patent prosecution, and intellectual property and commercial litigation.

Alameda County Superior Court Judge Steven A. Brick issued a final order on November 5, 2010 that denied the plaintiffs’ request for class certification in Sotelo v. MediaNews Group (Case No. HG06287184). In denying certification, the court held that: (1) the proposed class was not ascertainable; (2) common facts and issues did not predominate in the litigation; and (3) the plaintiffs failed to propose a workable case management plan for moving the case forward as a class action. Perkins Coie represents MediaNews Group and California Newspapers Partnership in this matter and successfully defeated the class certification request.

ABC 7 News "I-Team" investigative report features T. Markus Funk

The American Bar Association has invited Perkins Coie Partner T. Markus Funk to join its Litigation magazine editorial board. Funk will advise on the editorial direction of the magazine, which is considered to be the preeminent journal in the field. Published four times a year, Litigation offers practice information on common problems and interests for the lawyers who try cases and the judges who decide them. All members of the bar's Litigation Section received the publication.

T. Markus Funk was quoted in articles titled, "What's in a mob nickname?  What's it to you?"

The Ninth Circuit's affirmation of a lower court decision ordering the disclosure of the identities of three anonymous online speakers who made allegedly defamatory statements as part of a company's online “smear campaign” against a competitor is the focus of an article authored by Perkins Coie Associate Ryan Mrazik.  The article was published in the September 2010 edition of the E-Commerce Law Report. 

Markus Funk was interviewed on ABC7 news.

The Bureau of National Affairs (BNA), one of the World's leading publisher of print and electronic law-related news and information, has added T. Markus Funk, a partner in Perkins Coie’s Litigation practice and a member of the firm’s Investigations & White Collar Defense group, to its newly formed Criminal Law Reporter Advisory Board.  As a Board Member, Markus will, among other things, critique publication content, contribute analysis, and identify significant legal developments and trends.   

Perkins Coie Partner Albert Gidari was quoted this week in an article published in BNA's Privacy & Security Law Report titled "ISPs Allegedly Released Data Without Notice To Meet Flawed Law Enforcement Demands."  (Subscription required to view article.)  The article focuses on three recent class actions filed in Georgia, alleging internet service providers Windstream Corp., Yahoo! Inc., and Comcast Corp., violated federal privacy law when they released subscriber data in response to law enforcement requests without giving the subscribers a chance to object.  Gidari commented on the lack of the likelihood of success of the actions.

Perkins Coie is proud to announce that Lisa Schaures, an associate in the firm's Seattle office, has received the Washington State Bar Association's (WSBA) Thomas Neville Pro Bono Award.

Perkins Coie announced today that three attorneys have joined its Washington, D.C. office launching the firm's Investment Management group.  Partners Martin E. Lybecker, Mary C. (Molly) Moynihan, and Associate Gwendolyn A. Williamson will be part of the firm's Business practice.

PHOENIX (November 2, 2010)- Michael Liburdi, a senior associate at Perkins Coie Brown & Bain P.A., has been appointed to the governing commission for the Arizona Commission on the Arts.  Liburdi will serve a three-year term alongside 14 other board members, including one chairperson who is appointed by the Governor of Arizona.

Corporate Counsel released a 2010 Survey ranking the country's top performing patent litigation law firms. Rankings are based on the number of patent cases filed with qualifiers such as district cases had to be active for at least two months. Perkins Coie is listed 18th in the nation for the most Patent Litigation District court cases filed in 2010. More specifically, for Defense Patent Litigation, Perkins Coie was ranked as the 14th most hired firm with over 24 cases filed. We climbed seven spots from a year prior, having been ranked 25th in 2009.

The Seattle Post Intelligencer published an article by Joel Connelly, a long-time political reporter in Seattle, who described a recent book signing event in Perkins Coie's offices for the book "This is NOT Florida:  How Al Franken Won the Minnesota Senate Recount." The event, which featured Jay Weiner, the author of the book, underscored lessons for the current 2010 election cycle.  Perkins Coie partner Kevin Hamilton's and Weiner 's presentation is summarized by Connelly in the article.  Connelly frequently quotes both speakers, noting that Perkins Coie is a pioneering firm in election litigation.

BOISE (November 1, 2010) – Perkins Coie LLP was selected by the Leadership Committee to be honored at the 2010 Boise Young Professionals Annual Celebration as the Next-Generation Best Place to Work. "At Perkins Coie, we're proud of our efforts to create a culture where young professionals can build their careers while maintaining a healthy balance between their professional and personal lives," said Eric Bjorkman, Of Counsel in the firm's Boise office and a Boise Young Professionals member. Perkins Coie supports Boise Young Professionals and is the presenting sponsor for the "Lounging Series." Many Perkins Coie attorneys and staff are members of the organization and participate in events throughout the year. Boise Young Professionals began in 2006 and has more than 700 members from over 400 companies. Their goal is to "connect, empower and encourage" young professionals in the community. Other finalists for the award included CBH Homes and St. Luke's Regional Medical Center. 

"What's In A Name? Publicity rights lawyers are finding there's plenty of value in a growing practice."  By Eriq Gardner

SAN FRANCISCO (September 2010) –  Perkins Coie served as corporate counsel to TechCrunch in its recent acquisition by AOL. TechCrunch is a leading online technology media property. Founded in 2005, TechCrunch and its network of websites reach over 10 million unique visitors and draw more than 33 million page views per month.

A 2004 article written by Don Baur and Jena MacLean entitled, "The 'Degreening' of Wind Energy, Alternative Energy v. Ocean Governance," has been mentioned in the most recent issue of the ABA SEER section magazine.  It was one of several articles featured in a piece by Steve McKinney highlighting notable articles from the past 25 years. The article by Baur and MacLean evaluated the relationship between the development of offshore wind energy projects and the absence of a unifying set of principles for ocean governance.

The FCPA Professor Blog features a Q&A with T. Markus Funk on the global reach of the Dodd-Frank whistleblower bounty provisions.

Perkins Coie Partner Albert Gidari, a recognized authority on privacy and electronic surveillance issues, was quoted Monday on page one of The New York Times on efforts to revamp federal laws regarding wiretapping by law enforcement and terrorism authorities. Concerned that their ability to conduct wiretaps will be ineffective due to new services and upgrades and consequent technical problems caused by such changes, the officials are advocating increased legal inducements and penalties to ensure compliance. Mr. Gidari remarked that providers "were likely to object to increased government intervention in the design or launch of services," noting that such involvement "could have major repercussions for industry innovation, costs and competitiveness." He added that "Too many services develop too quickly, and that there are too many players in this now."

"Among the growing number of publications on the emerging legal status of victims in the international criminal justice system, this book is, to this reviewer’s best knowledge, the first to provide an in-depth analysis of the role and impact of victims and their advocates on the proceedings before the International Criminal Court (‘ICC’ or ‘the Court’). . . . [B]ecause of its clearness, pragmatism and facile structure, it is easy to imagine Funk’s book becoming very soon a ‘must-have’ on the desks of practitioners working on victims’ participation and victims’ rights at the international level."

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that it has been selected as a recipient of the National Legal Aid and Defender Association's 2010 Beacon of Justice Award. The firm was recognized for outstanding pro bono work in the area of immigration law, making certain that all people, regardless of citizenship, receive equal treatment under the law.  Attorneys and legal staff at Perkins Coie have donated considerable time and effort representing pro bono clients seeking asylum, fleeing religious, political and other forms of persecution, applying for visas based on being victims of domestic violence and human trafficking, seeking special status as juveniles and advocating for systemic immigration changes.

Perkins Coie Gets 100% in Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Seventh Annual Index For Third Year in a Row

SEATTLE (October 1, 2010) - Perkins Coie LLP is proud to announce that it has earned the top rating of 100 percent in the Corporate Equality Index (CEI) and Best Places to Work 2010, an annual survey administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.

Markus Funk was interviewed by Fox News Chicago about evidence revealed during the landmark "Family Secrets" mob-murder trial concerning an alleged mob bookmaker and loan shark. View video.

PHOENIX (September 23, 2010)-  Joel W. Nomkin, office managing partner of Perkins Coie Brown & Bain, was elected into the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers at the Academy’s recent meeting.

(SEATTLE) — The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) announced that Seattle attorney J. David Andrews will be presented with the 2010 President's Award. The President's Award is given annually in recognition of special accomplishment or service to the WSBA during the term of the current president. WSBA President Salvador A. Mungia will present the award at the President’s Dinner, to be held on September 22, 2010, at the Lake Union Cafe in Seattle.

SEATTLE (September 15, 2010) – Perkins Coie has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the law firms in the United States which is recognized nationally and in major metropolitan markets as "tier 1."  The firm's Biotechnology Law and Venture Capital Law practices were recognized nationally as tier 1. Thirty-six different areas of law were recognized as tier 1 practices in 8 different major metropolitan markets including Anchorage, Chicago, Denver, Madison, Phoenix, Portland, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

PORTLAND (September 16, 2010) – During a precedent-setting trip, the Advisory Board of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) will be visiting Portland from September 30–October 2, 2010.

Perkins Coie Partner Mike Warnecke was recently quoted in an article published by the Chicago Tribune. The article discusses the case, Riddell, Inc. v. Schutt Sports, Inc, a patent infringement case in which Warnecke represented Riddell in its suit against Schutt Sports for infringement on its patents on concussion-reduction technology in football helmets. The case was brought to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin where Warnecke obtained a nearly $30 million verdict for Riddell. Schutt Sports is now facing bankruptcy after the case put added strain on an already struggling business. Warnecke explains that they did not anticipate the damages would cause Schutt Sports to file for bankruptcy.

Mobile donations are not new.  But the unprecedented success of recent mobile fundraising efforts, such as the Red Cross Haiti earthquake mobile fundraising campaign that raised over $32 million, has increased activity and interest in all aspects of mobile donations - including security.
Perkins Coie Partner Dax Hansen published an article this week in Security Magazine's electronic newsletter that addresses this topic.

Perkins Coie is proud to announce the launch of a new blog, IP Litigation Update, located at www.iplitigationupdate.com.

Perkins Coie Partner Albert Gidari was quoted Thursday morning in a story on NPR's "Morning Edition" about this week's appeals court ruling regarding warrant requirements for cell phone records. The decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit stated judges have the right to require warrants before law enforcement officials can obtain records that may show a cell phone customer's location. A recognized authority on the Wiretap Act and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, Mr. Gidari is a frequent commentator on electronic surveillance issues. He testified before the House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, on May 5, 2010, regarding ECPA reform and digital due process.

Perkins Coie Partner Dax Hansen was quoted this week in an article published by Internet Retailer, "Changing Their Stripes." The article discusses initiatives recently launched by Visa and MasterCard Worldwide in response to an increase in e-commerce and the rise of online competitors like PayPal and Facebook Credits. One example is MasterCard's Open APIs, which according to the article "is designed to make it easier for mobile and web developers to integrate MasterCard payments into their applications." The author quoted Hansen as saying this "appears aimed at developers looking for ways to sell games, music and other digital content to mobile consumers." "Developers are looking for flexible, easy solutions that don't require customers to input their card numbers," Hansen says.

Perkins Coie Partner Barry Reingold was quoted this week in an article published by BNA entitled, "'Cloud' Customers Facing Contracts With Huge Liability Risks, Attorneys Say."  The article focuses on the risks companies face when they agree to store their data with third party providers. Reingold said companies in regulated industries like health care and banking need to be especially careful. "You may lose physical control over your data, but you never lose legal responsibility," he told BNA.

Los Angeles (August 29, 2010) – Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jane L. Johnson granted a motion filed by Perkins Coie to strike all class allegations in Romero v. Smart & Final (Superior Court, Case No. BC 393678). Judge Johnson also denied the plaintiffs' concurrent motion to certify a class of over 300 current and former California Smart & Final Store Managers.

Since 1965 Washington State has granted a retail sales tax exemption for purchases of goods for use outside the state by residents of states and provinces with a retail sales tax of less than 3%.

Joel Levin offered legal commentary on the verdict in former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's corruption trial.  Joel was a featured guest during segments on Fox News, MSNBC, ABC, NBC and CBS national networks.

Riddell Sports filed its three-count patent infringement complaint in the Western District of Wisconsin in December of 2008 against Schutt Sports, contending that Schutt had infringed Riddell's patented concussion reduction technologies featured on the Riddell Revolution family of football helmets and faceguards. Riddell is a leading manufacturer of football helmets and a division of Easton-Bell Sports. Schutt, Riddell's main competitor in the market, fiercely defended against the complaint and filed a counter- claim seeking $40M in damages for allegations of false advertising and unfair competition under the Lanham Act. Two weeks prior to trial, Riddell was granted summary judgment on the Lanham Act claims, and the trial team went on to win a verdict of patent infringement on all remaining claims, with the jury awarding $30M (over $24M in lost profits and $5M in reasonable royalties).

Perkins Coie is proud to announce that 143 of its attorneys throughout the country were selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2011 edition of The Best Lawyers in America (Copyright 2010 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, S.C.).

In last week's Wall Street Journal article, "Stalkers Exploit Cellphone GPS," Perkins Coie Partner Albert Gidari explained the challenges cellphone carriers face when police request location-tracking data.  "Police, [Gidari] says, often claim they need data immediately for an emergency like a kidnapping, and therefore don't have time to obtain a warrant, in which a judge must approve an information request."

Published in Risk & Insurance, written by Steve Tuckey

Perkins Coie is pleased to welcome Bing Zhou and Yanchen Shi. Both are consultants who will be based in the firm's Shanghai office.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Julia Markley has received the annual firmwide Perkins Coie Pro Bono Leadership Award. The award is given to a lawyer who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and commitment in the provision of pro bono services to our clients during the year. Markley was selected as a recipient of this award because of her extraordinary commitment to pro bono work, including her work to bring back to the United States an El Salvadorian national after the Ninth Circuit ruled that he had been wrongfully deported.

Perkins Coie's Product Liability group was nationally ranked by Chambers and Partners in the 2010 edition of Chambers USA. "This group is widely recognized for its preeminent reputation in aviation litigation," noted the publication in its review of the practice. "Intelligent, efficient and responsive attorneys who provide excellent value for money," sources were quoted as saying.

Perkins Coie announced today that Caryn Trombino is joining the firm's Investigations and White Collar Defense practice as a senior associate. She will be based in the firm's Chicago office.

Perkins Coie Partner Albert Gidari was quoted in an Associated Press article this week on a proposed change to federal law that would allow the FBI to obtain electronic records from Internet service providers - without a court order. The article, "FBI access to e-mail and Web records raises fears," says one controversial aspect of the change is that it is buried within an intelligence reauthorization bill. "This is a huge expansion" of the FBI's authority "and burying it this way in the intelligence authorization bill is really intended to bury it from scrutiny," Gidari said.

Privacy Partner Michael Sussmann was quoted In a front-page Washington Post story, "White House Proposal Would Ease FBI Access to Records of Internet Activity," regarding a proposal to make it easier for the FBI to obtain records of user's Internet activity through use of national security letters. "You're bringing a big category of data -- records reflecting who someone is communicating with in the digital world, Web browsing history and potentially location information -- outside of judicial review."

Perkins Coie announced today that T. Markus Funk, a high-profile Assistant U.S. Attorney in Chicago, will join the firm on October 1 as a partner. After a decade as an accomplished federal prosecutor, Funk will focus on corporate investigations, complex commercial litigation, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA") matters. He will be based in the firm's Denver office, but will also be assisting the white collar team in Chicago.

Joel Levin offered legal commentary on the federal corruption trial of  former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. Joel was a featured guest during a news segment on Chicago Tonight and was also quoted by the New York Times and the Chicago News Cooperative.

Pravin Rao provided legal commentary on the SEC's settlement with Goldman Sachs in various national news publications and outlets, including USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Fortune,  Reuters, Law360, and the Wall Street Journal.

In a New York Times article entitled, "Blagojevich Defense Team Scrambles After a Quick Prosecution" Joel Levin discussed the challenges facing the Blagojevich defense in the former Illinois Governor's federal corruption trial.

Markus Funk commented in an article titled, "A Special Report on Gambling." 

As a service to its partners, clients and friends, Perkins Coie client Live Gamer invited lawyers Dax Hansen, Kirk Soderquist and Ron Koo to present a webinar last month on the legal issues impacting electronic stored value systems and related IP-ownership matters.

In its 2010 edition of Chambers USA, Chambers and Partners ranked Perkins Coie's Retail & Consumer Products industry group in the #1 band nationally. The group has received this distinction each year since Chambers began ranking practices in this area. Noting the group's broad reach, Chambers described the group as "well equipped to advise on the full range of retail and consumer-related matters." "The firm is making real progress in this arena. It is quite possibly the leader of the e-commerce market at the moment," sources were quoted as saying in the listing.

Partner Michael Warnecke and Associate Brandy McMillon recently wrote an article published by Who's Who Legal: Patents 2010. The article concerned the use of "Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)" when resolving litigation disputes, particularly those of patents.

Denver managing partner, Bob Miller,  is regularly called upon for his opinion of both state and federal judicial nominees.

Perkins Coie is pleased to highlight that it was recognized by Corporate Counsel magazine for being one of the top 10 law firms with the most International Trade Commission cases in 2009.

In a LA Times article entitled "Supreme Court ruling to narrow anti-corruption law could aid former Enron chief Jeffrey Skilling" Partner Patrick Collins discussed the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to limit the scope of  the "honest services fraud" statute.  The Court redefined the statute to cover only bribes and kickbacks, instead of the range of illicit activities prosecutors have used in past cases to prosecute public corruption and corporate malfeasance.  "The court has clearly raised the bar," said Collins.  "The easy case is the official who takes $10,000 from a contractor and then awards him a contract.  But what about the guy who secretly goes on a vacation paid for by the contractor, and then several years later awards him a big contract," Collins said.  See full article.

Patrick Collins provided legal analysis on a Chicago Tonight news segment on the "Honest Services Statute." Patrick discussed how the impending decision by the U.S. Supreme Court could change how federal corruption cases are prosecuted.  View interview.

Perkins Coie proudly announces that once again it has been ranked by Chambers & Partners, publishers of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, as a top law firm in the United States. Perkins Coie was recognized in the annual directory as a leader, having obtained Band 1 placement in 17 practice areas with top rankings in ten key markets across the country, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin.

Pravin Rao commented on the Galleon Group insider trading case, which many defense attorneys claim highlights a potential growing collaboration between criminal prosecutors and civil agencies that could lead them to reconsider whether clients should cooperate with securities regulators.  "Lawyers may be less likely to tell clients to cooperate with regulators under the cooperation initiative – especially if it opens up the client to criminal liability because of the SEC's increased communication with prosecutors," said Rao.

Hartmann Young has been appointed 2010-2011 Co-Chair of the Aerospace and Defense Industries Committee of the ABA Section of International Law (effective August 1, 2010).

Ninety Perkins Coie attorneys have been honored by their peers as "Washington Super Lawyers" for 2010. Nine were named to the Top 100 list and four were named to the Top 50 Women list. The list of Super Lawyers is published in the June edition of Washington Law & Politics magazine.

Oregon's regional daily newspaper, The Oregonian, reported that Portland Partner Brent Bullock was selected by the Portland Development Commission to be part of a five-member team to help launch a seed fund for startups to help boost Portland's entrepreneurial community. The funding to be invested comes from the City of Portland's general fund which is earmarked for the PDC's economic development efforts.

Joel Levin was quoted in a recent New York Times article entitled "Passion and Success in U.S. Attorney's Office." Alumni of the Northern District of Illinois U.S. Attorney's office -- many of whom now work as high-profile defense lawyers -- say that when big cases arise the office takes a communal approach. Alumni Joel Levin, who helped prosecute former IL Governor George Ryan, said, "Anytime somebody is handling a high-profile case, all hands are on deck."

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce it has been recommended in the 2010 edition of The Legal 500 United States for its product liability litigation, real estate and mergers and acquisitions practices.

Perkins Coie announced today that three more attorneys have joined the firm's Insurance Coverage practice.  Joining the group are partners Koorosh (KT) Talieh and Peter Tracey, as well as of counsel Linda Powell.  This move helps solidify this Perkins group's position as one of the premier national and international practices enforcing policyholders' rights to coverage under all types of commercial insurance policy products.

Pravin Rao was quoted in a Law360 article entitled, "SEC Guidelines on Sanctions Unlikely to Ease Tension."  Pravin commented on the impact of the SEC creating uniform guidelines for its sanctions.  "Setting up a set of uniform sanctions and settlement guidelines could help establish thresholds for when bans from serving as an officer or director of a company and other nonmonetary penalties kick in," said Rao.

Perkins Coie announced today that it has opened an office in San Diego, California. Four new partners are joining the firm and will serve as the core of the new office. Partner Thane Bauz has joined the firm from Paul Hastings and partners John Schnurer, Brian Wacter and Bing Ai have joined from Fish & Richardson. Bauz and Schnurer will work in the patent litigation group and Ai and Wacter will join the patent prosecution group.

As a Presenting Sponsor of Pivotal Leaders 2010, Perkins Coie is proud to announce Pivotal Investments has revealed the top prospective clean technology business leaders with ties to the Northwest.  

While partnerships can facilitate deals that may otherwise be impossible, they also present an array of challenges for both the financial and strategic buyer. Perkins Coie Attorneys Ted Wern and Brett Miller co-authored an article, "Joining Forces: When To Consider Strategic Buyer Partnerships" in Buyouts discussing the pros and cons of a joint venture model for both strategic and financial buyers as well as what business strategies would likely best benefit from a partnership.

Perkins Coie Partner Gerry Alexis' reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court's denial of the National Football League's bid for expanded antitrust protection was used among other leading antitrust attorneys' comments in a recent Law360 article entitled "Antitrust Lawyers React to NFL's High Court Loss." "This appears to be the first of a long string of decisions over the last six years where the Supreme Court has not cut back substantially on existing antitrust precedent," said Alexis. "Visa and MasterCard must be quaking in their boots."

The mobile commerce industry is rapidly expanding. New commerce business models are being developed and their number is increasing. In this article published by E-Finance & Payments Law & Policy, Perkins Coie attorneys Dax Hansen and Matthew Senechal offer one approach to organizing and classifying the many different mobile commerce business models, assess the legal issues applicable to particular business models and summarize some of the core and emerging US legal issues applicable to mobile commerce solutions.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Bobbie Wilson has joined the firm as a Partner in its IP Litigation Practice. She will be based in the firm's San Francisco and Menlo Park offices.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce Perkins Coie Paralegal Jeanenne Rutherford has received the Washington State Paralegal Association's Paralegal Pro Bono Award.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that it has been named one of the top ten 2010 Top Trademark Firms by IP Today magazine.  Firms are ranked according to the number of trademark registrations issued in 2009 where the firm or individual is listed as the legal representative on the registration.

Pravin Rao was quoted in a National Law Journal article entitled, "After drought, SEC floods zone."  Pravin commented on the SEC's across-the-board rise in enforcement activity and fast-growing caseload.

Perkins Coie announced today that three attorneys are joining the firm's Denver office. Partners Nate Ford, Jeffrey Beuche, and Peter Kinsella will be part of the firm's Business Practice. The group joins Perkins Coie from Faegre & Benson.

Perkins Coie Partner Don Friedman has been chosen by The International Law Office (ILO) as a 2010 Client Choice Award recipient.

If any of the major Wall Street banks facing criminal probes are to turn into criminal lawsuits, prosecutors will have to find the securities fraud equivalent of a smoking gun. Perkins Coie Partner Pravin Rao commented on the burden prosecutors have in proving such cases in a recent Law360 article.

Perkins Coie announced that it has presented its $20,000 "Award for Discovery" to Gregory J. Morton, Ph.D., research assistant professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine and an investigator with the UW Medicine Diabetes and Obesity Center of Excellence. The award will fund his research project "Normalization of Blood Glucose Levels in Uncontrolled Diabetes without Insulin."

Two articles written by Perkins Coie attorneys  Dax Hansen, Kirk Soderquist and Andrew Grant were recently published in the Security Strategies Alert column in NetworkWorld. The articles, "Real legal issues with virtual currencies" and "Legal risks with virtual currencies in online games" provide a legal perspective on the increasing use of virtual currencies in online role-playing games and virtual worlds.

Perkins Coie is proud to announce that it has received the 2010 Pro Bono 6.1 Challenge Award from the Fourth Judicial District of the Idaho State Bar.

Perkins Coie announced today that Karen Samuels Jones was recognized as the Brian Vogt Community Leader of the Year, a distinguished award given by the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce.  The Community Leader of the Year award is given to an individual who has made an extraordinary contribution to the Chamber and the South Metro Community at large.

Congress should bring the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) into the twenty-first century.  That was the message from several witnesses, including Perkins Coie Partner Albert Gidari, to the Committee on the House of Representatives' Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on the Constittution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties at a hearing Wednesday and described in the PCWorld article, "Lawmakers Consider Changes to Wiretapping Law."

Perkins Coie Partner Albert Gidari testified today before the Committee on the House of Representatives' Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, on the need for reform of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA). Gidari noted that ECPA is 25 years old and its application to many new services like cloud computing, social networking and location-based services is unclear. He called for clear rules for service providers to disclose user content, communications and information and for more transparency about the amount of information collected by governmental agencies. Read written testimony.

Perkins Coie LLP is pleased to announce that it has been named one of the 2010 Top Ten Family Friendly Firms by Yale Law Women. This is the second time in the past three years that Perkins Coie has been included on this list. The list was created to celebrate firms that are leaders in facilitating work-life balance for attorneys.

Pravin Rao was featured in Legal Bisnow's monthly "Sound Bites" section.  This highly popular online newsletter for DC's legal industry includes a section where the publication gets a few experts to give their thoughts about a hot topic.  Pravin commented on the financial reform legislation, "Even if we agree financial reform is needed, does giving Wall Street cops more power, clamping down on debt, shifting responsibilities amongst regulators, and creating another agency to protect consumers become moot where 'too big to fail' mantra reigns supreme?" View "Sound Bites" section.

Pravin Rao provided commentary on developments in the SEC’s case against Goldman Sachs to CFOZone, an online publication that reports on news and developments affecting CFOs and other corporate finance leaders.

Pravin Rao appeared on First Business television new segments, which aired in over 150 TV markets, and provided legal analysis on the SEC's case against Goldman Sachs alleging fraud in the structuring and marketing of CDOs tied to subprime mortgages, subsequent criminal investigations and shareholder litigation, and the likelihood of the case being settled with the Government. 

Pravin Rao commented in multiple articles in Law360 on various aspects of the SEC's case against Goldman Sachs related to the marketing of CDOs, including the testimony of Goldman's officers before the Senate, the likelihood of settlement, and possible criminal exposure.

Perkins Coie announced that six attorneys and one paralegal have joined the firm's Insurance Coverage practice, solidifying Perkins position as having one of the premier national and international practices enforcing policyholders' rights to coverage under all types of commercial insurance policy products.

Perkins Coie is proud to announce that Perkins Coie Partner James Williams will be honored at the 11th Anniversary Burton Awards, which will be held at the Library of Congress on June 14, 2010.

Perkins Coie announced today that it has opened an office in Dallas, Texas. Former Greenberg Traurig shareholder, Steven R. Smith, has joined the firm and will be partner in charge of the office. Smith will focus his practice on real estate workouts and lending. His experience adds depth to the firm's growing national Real Estate Workouts practice. 

Virtual currency can be  used to purchase anything from a sword or armor in a game to a ring tone on a phone, Perkins Coie Partner Dax Hansen told Forbes in a recent article on "Regulating Virtual Currency." The trouble begins when virtual currency can be redeemed for cash, especially if the currency involves more than one company or moves internationally, Hansen said.  "There are laws that apply with real implications for liability."

Huffington Post reports on Perkins Coie lawyer argument on right to counsel for detainee client Noor Uthman Muhammed.

Perkins Coie is proud to be sponsoring the Israel Cleantech Showcase brought to you by the California Israel Chamber of Commerce.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Gavin Gray has started as Chief Information Officer. Gray has extensive law firm technology experience as well as practice office experience, and joins the firm from Baker & McKenzie.

Under the draft guidance released last month by the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), agencies will have to consider greenhouse gas emissions and climate effects when carrying out National Environmental Policy Act Reviews. Perkins Coie Partner Bill Malley was quoted in a recent Environmental Law Institute article on the matter.

Perkins Coie Partner Brian Jennings published an article entitled "New Value Defense Beginning to Look More Valuable" in Dow Jones' Daily Bankruptcy Review. The article discusses how the preference defenses, provided by Section 547(c), that are intended to encourage creditors to continue doing business with troubled companies is not always effective.

Perkins Coie's Chicago office is proud to announce that it has been named by Crain's Chicago Business magazine as one of the top 20 "Best Places to Work" in Chicago for the third year in a row. The full list of featured companies and the related stories appear in the March 29th issue of Crain's Chicago Business or can be accessed online on Crain's website.

Pravin Rao recently appeared on Bloomberg television to provide legal analysis on the prevalence of insider trading in the hedge fund industry and the enforcement tools used by the Government in such cases.

Partner Al Gidari was quoted in a post on CNET about how a coalition of companies, including Google and Microsoft, are partnering with advocacy groups in a push to reform federal privacy laws to protect mobile and cloud computing users.

The discovery of a secret compartment containing almost $730,000 in cash, 1,000 pieces of jewelry, loaded handguns and recording devices in mobster Frank Calabrese Sr.'s suburban home may help solve some mysteries about the Chicago Outfit. The newly found recording devices, "...could be important evidence for [the investigators], evidence against other people involved in some of the same activities" as Calabrese and others who were convicted last year in the massive Operation Family Secrets trial, commented former U.S. attorney and Perkins Coie Of Counsel Joel Levin in a recent article published by The Associated Press.

The recent complaint and consent order against Transitions Optical suggest greater scrutiny of exclusive dealing arrangements by the Federal Trade Commission, a trend that may affect the degree to which federal courts also scrutinize them, say antitrust attorneys Barry J. Reingold and Michael A. Sink in an article they authored entitled "Transition Optical – A Lens On Exclusive Dealing" published by Law360.

David Neff, Co-Chair of Perkins Coie's Hotels & Leisure practice, was quoted in a recent blog post entitled "No Quick Fix for ESA" appearing on HotelNewsNow.com.

Perkins Coie attorneys Barry Reingold, Ryan Mrazik and Miriam D'Jaen have written "Cloud Computing: Whose Law Governs the Cloud?" as the last of a three-part series looking at cloud computing from market and legal perspectives. Part I, "Cloud Computing: The Intersection of Massive Scalability, Data Security and Privacy," and part II, "Cloud Computing: Industry and Government Develoments," examine the capabilities of cloud computing, the associated privacy and data security concerns, and industry and policy developments. Part III focuses on key legal issues that will shape cloud computing: Whose law governs the cloud, especially if there is a security breach? Who has possession, custody or control over data in the cloud? Finally, how will courts resolve conflicts of law between overlapping jurisdictional claims?

Perkins Coie is proud to announce that, for the second consecutive year, it has been ranked among the top 10 "Best Places to Work in Idaho" by the nationally recognized marketing research firm POPULUS, in conjunction with the Idaho Business Review.

Last month, the Vietnamese American Bar Association, along with African American and Latino attorneys' groups, complained the Santa Clara County Bar Association's judicial vetting committee contained no Vietnamese Americans despite their large concentration in San Jose. No Asian American federal district judges preside in Chicago, Seattle, Washington, D.C. and Houston, areas where Asian Americans' demographic numbers are growing. "The lack of judges is pretty striking," said Perkins Coie Of Counsel Paul O. Hirose in a recent Daily Journal. "The fact you can name [Asian American judges] off the top of your head that's how small the numbers have been."

More and more businesses are launching mobile applications - and consumers can't seem to get enough of them. Even financial services firms that were initially hesitant to do anything with the technology are going mobile.

Chicago attorneys Patrick Collins and Joel Levin won a major victory for the State of Indiana in a civil Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) lawsuit. On March 11, federal district court Judge James Moody issued a lengthy opinion ordering former East Chicago Mayor Robert Pastrick  and his former aides to pay more than $108 million in damages for their role in a wide-ranging corruption scheme. The opinion follows a June 2009 damages hearing conducted by Collins and Levin in which they asked Judge Moody to impose the $108 million damages award based on Judge Moody's previous determination that Pastrick and others operated the city government as a corrupt enterprise under federal and state racketeering laws.  

Partners Judith Corley and Brian Svoboda published an article in Corporate Counsel Weekly on how the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Citizen United will impact corporate spending in advertising for federal elections. "For the first time in more than a century, corporations—whether for profits, non-profits, trade associations, or membership organizations—may now pay for advertisements that tell the audience to vote for or against a federal candidate," they wrote in the article "'Citizens United' Will Affect Corporate Spending—But How?"

In an article in the March/April edition of Deal Lawyer, Evelyn Cruz Sroufe, Scott Joachim and Brad Owens discuss lessons on competitive bidding in M&A transactions gleaned from NACCO Industries, Inc. v. Applica Incorporated. In NACCO, the Delaware Chancery Court refused to dismiss claims by NACCO, the unsuccessful bidder for Applica: (a) against Applica for breach of a merger agreement and (b) against a hedge fund buyer for common law fraud based on misstatements in its Section 13(d) filings. NACCO alleged that Applica management improperly favored a financial bidder over a strategic bidder in a competitive bidding war for Applica, that Applica management leaked confidential information to the competing hedge fund bidder, and that the competing bidder knowingly misstated its intention, in Section 13(d) filings reporting its accumulation of Applica shares, to amass a substantial stake in Applica at the pre-merger announcement price in order to achieve an insurmountable leg up in a bidding contest with NACCO. The article provides practical guidance both for boards of directors and officers of target companies and for competing bidders.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that three partners in its Denver office have been named by their peers to the Colorado Super Lawyers list.

On March 11, Karl Sandstrom, Of Counsel in the Washington, D.C. office of Perkins Coie, testified before the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises. During his testimony, Sandstrom addressed the corporate governance implications of the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v Federal Election Commission, which permits corporations to spend treasury funds to support candidates. As a result of the decision, corporations will no longer be limited to using funds voluntarily contributed by employees and shareholders to their political action committees to promote or oppose candidates.

Most hotel owners are uncertain how to deal with a hotel loan in distress, yet many neglect consulting anyone with real expertise in negotiating with lenders before attempting to work out their loan's problem with their lender. Perkins Coie Partner David Neff authored the article "10 Tips for Dealing with Distressed Hotel Debt" which provides 10 pointers hotel owners should consider before negotiating their troubled loan with their lender.

Perkins Coie is honored to be the only AmLaw 100 firm with a top 10 ranking in overall patent quality as listed by Intellectual Asset Management magazine.

Virtual currency has real value and companies that operate online games are rushing to cash-in on the virtual economy. Dax Hansen, a partner in Perkins Coie's Electronic Financial Services practice commented, in a recent Information Week article, that "points," "coins," "bucks," and other forms of virtual currency are becoming commonplace online. But new laws like the Credit Card Act of 2009 and existing state gift laws create hurdles for some virtual currency programs.  Under the new Act and proposed rules, federal laws will impose restrictions on expiring certain types of virtual currency in addition to traditional gift certificates.

As retailers deal with increasingly complex virtual currency systems and attempt to allocate responsibility between various players in the system, they should keep several key legal considerations in mind. Perkins Coie Electronic Financial Services Partner Dax Hansen authored an article discussing legal considerations and practical tips for retailers dealing with virtual currency. The article, entitled "Virtual Currencies: Real Legal Issues for Retailers," was published by RetailingToday.com.

Perkins Coie Partner Ted Wern and Associate Laurie Sakulich authored an article explaining the difference between pledge funds and committed funds, and highlighting each type's advantages as well as their drawbacks. The article, entitled "A Matter of Commitment," was published by The Deal magazine.

Perkins Coie Privacy & Security Partner Albert Gidari was quoted in Michael Isikoff's recent Newsweek article entitled "The Snitch in Your Pocket." The article addressed the growing number of law enforcement requests for cell-phone data without warrants. Telecommunication companies are getting "thousands of these requests per month," Gidari told Newsweek, and the amount has grown "exponentially" over the past few years.

San Francisco Of Counsel Philip Leider recently published an article in the ABA's Class Actions & Derivative Suits Newsletter.  The article analyzes the California Supreme Court's recent decision in In re Tobacco II, an important case interpreting new standing requirements imposed on plaintiffs in cases under the state's Unfair Competition Law and False Advertising Act. 

Perkins Coie Partners Tom Lindley and Associate Stephen Higgs authored an article published in Law360 entitled "The Open Valve on Clean Water Act Enforcement." The article provides an overview of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's plan to renew and embolden state and federal enforcement actions to protect water quality across the nation, and gives recommendations, for those regulated under the Clean Water Act, on how to prepare for and properly respond to federal and state enforcement actions.

We are pleased to announce that David Neff, a partner in the firm's Bankruptcy & Workouts practice as well as the national co-chair of Perkins Coie's Hotels & Leisure practice, has been inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy.

On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is to consider whether warrantless tracking of wireless devices is a violation of a citizen's Fourth Amendment right. Police have been using location tracking on a regular basis, yet the legal standards remain unclear. In a recent CNET News article, Perkins Coie Privacy & Security Partner Albert Gidari said such tracking is now "commonplace." "It's in every pen register order these days," he said. He went on to say the appeals court's decision could have far-reaching impact, even beyond the Third Circuit's jurisdiction.

The Chicago O'Hare Airport area may be the most distressed lodging markets in the U.S. according to Smith Travel Research. Perkins Coie David Neff represents one of the area's troubled properties, InterContinental Chicago O'Hare, who filed for bankruptcy last August. The lenders have allowed the property to continue operating, Neff commented on the bankruptcy in a recent article published by Lodging Hospitality, and while no deals are imminent, "a number of entities have signed confidentiality agreements and are conducting due diligence on the property." The property is doing relatively well, Changed link to orange go tohe added, it is gaining market share and getting high guest satisfaction ratings.

Perkins Coie Partner Bill Malley was recently interviewed on Progressive Railroading podcast entitled "Perkins Coie's Malley weighs in on HSR grant awards." During the podcast, Malley discusses the Obama administration's recent announcement to award $8 billion in high-speed stimulus funds, what the grant awards mean, next steps and how states can secure future high-speed funds.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce it has been selected by the Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) to receive their first Special Recognition: Advocate for Social Justice Award for its work on the behalf of Washington Families Standing Together (WFST) and the Approve 71 campaign. 

Susan Lyon and John Roche co-authored an article, published by SmartGridNews.com, entitled "Smart Grid Privacy Part 1: How to Keep Your Customer Data Protected — and Keep Your Customers." Lyon and Roche cover proactive tips smart grid companies can use to stay ahead of coming data protection regulations by building privacy into development now and avoiding costly retrofitting later.

Associate Brian Flock recently published an article in the American Bar Association's publication The Young Lawyer. Flock's article, entitled "How I Use Social Media to Enhance My Practice," discusses how attorneys can use social media to enhance their practices. "For me social media is a powerful tool with a dual purpose—it helps me stay connected in my personal life despite the demands of my profession, while also enhancing my legal practice," the article says.

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy (ARPA-E), which received $400 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, aims to foster research and development of highly experimental long-term energy technology, but a budget freeze put on by the Obama administration could put a damper on Energy Department spending on certain programs, including the ARPA-E, in 2011.

For businesses and dealmakers, possible changes to the 17-year-old Horizontal Merger Guidelines may align them with current agency practice and provide greater clarity for evaluating future transactions. This fall, the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission initiated a process to explore the possibility of updating the guidelines. Partner Gerry Alexis and Of Counsel Marta Miyar Palacios authored an article titled "Through the Looking Glass: Revising the Merger Guidelines to Achieve the Dealmaker's Need for Transparency" published by TheDeal.com. The article discusses needed Horizontal Merger Guidelines revisions in four areas critical to dealmakers: market concentration, customer-provided evidence, efficiencies and remedies, and it further recommends that the agencies' focus on the 26-year-old vertical merger guidelines, desperately in need of an update.

First Wind, a wind developer in Massachusetts, is seeking approval of an initial public offering – for the second time – with the Securities and Exchange Commission. “If they get it done, it might suggest that large-scale alternative energy projects may have renewed funding sources in the market,” said Perkins Coie Partner and Cleantech Practice Co-Chair Buddy Arnheim in a recent Electric Power Daily article. “Other companies will be watching to see if there is demand.”

Chicago Partner Pravin Rao was recently quoted in an article on law360.com about the financial crises from the past decade.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that the following lawyers have been elected to the partnership or of counsel, effective January 1, 2010.

Perkins Coie announced today that Christopher Kao has joined the firm as a partner in its Intellectual Property Litigation practice. He will be based in the firm's Menlo Park office.

For the eighth consecutive year, Perkins Coie is proud to announce that it has been named to FORTUNE magazine's "The 100 Best Places to Work For."  This year the firm was ranked 75, an improvement over last year's ranking of 82.  

Shaalu Mehra was named to the San Francisco Daily Journal's list of top 20 attorneys under the age of 40 in California. Every year, the Daily Journal highlights young attorneys who have made a significant impact in their practice area early in their careers. Shaalu was recognized for his transactional work in Outsourcing and Intellectual Property. The Journal noted specifically his work for Ingram Micro, one of the world's largest technology distributors, who has relied on Shaalu's legal expertise to guide the company through numerous technology and licensing transactions and legal issues related to outsourcing. Richard English, senior corporate counsel at Ingram Micro, commented that his company hires Mehra because of the quality of his work and his ability to leverage his technical background in his lawyering.

Perkins Coie Partner Bill Malley commented on the DOE's ARPA-E application process in a recent Environment & Energy Daily article. The first step in the application process is to submit a five-page concept paper, which requires applicants to generally outline their projects. During the first round of funding, DOE received more than 3,600 concept papers and whittled that number down to about 300 projects that were asked to submit more detailed proposals. From that pool, DOE chose the first 37 winners. The entire process occurred in just a few months. "We don't know how fast the next round will go, but we assume it's on a similar schedule," said Malley, who has represented clients that have applied for ARPA-E grants. "This stands out as a fast track."

With a 30-day “grace period” on enforcement by the Energy Department expiring Friday, appliance manufacturers are anxious to submit their forms in order to avoid a DOE probe into whether their products are as energy-efficient as claimed in their official certifications to the agency. Partner Bill Malley told The Energy Daily the takeaway message from DOE’s grace period for appliance manufacturers is that “DOE and EPA are now taking energy efficiency standards, both voluntary and mandatory, very seriously. “The deadline is a first step in a sustained push for more aggressive enforcement,” Malley was quoted in an article published by the daily. “DOE has not been vigorous in enforcing its requirements to date, which DOE itself has acknowledged. We’re looking at a sustained period of tougher enforcement.”

Jessica Berch, a new associate in the Phoenix office, recently published an article entitled "The Need for Enforcement of U.S. Punitive Damages Awards by the European Union" in the Minnesota Journal of International Law.  The article addresses the discrete problem of enforcing U.S. punitive damages awards in the courts of E.U. Member States.  After canvassing the state of the law regarding punitive damages in both the United States and Europe, the article suggests that the two powers do not have particularly divergent views about the propriety of punitive damages awards and urges the two sides to revise the Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements to allow for the more liberal enforcement of U.S. judgments containing punitive damages awards.

For the first time Perkins Coie earned an honorable mention in The American Lawyer's biannual "Litigation Department of the Year" competition. In its January issue the publication cited the firm's representation of "clients at both ends of the power spectrum.

Washington, D.C. attorney Maggie Greenlee successfully obtained a U-visa for her pro bono client on January 6, 2010.

Retailers and manufacturers are feeling the pressure to engage their customers through social media. But, many executives are concerned about legal risks and the conservative advice received from lawyers. Tom Bell addresses these risks and cautious counsel in "Social Savvy," an article authored by Bell and published by American Executive.

Perkins Coie Partner Pravin Rao was quoted extensively in an article entitled "Securities Cases to Watch in 2010." The coming year is expected to be full of high-profile cases brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The article, published by Law360, lists five cases securities professionals are sure to have their eyes on in 2010. SEC v. Rorech, the first-ever insider trading case listed to the default swaps, is among the cases mentioned. "The SEC is expanding its reach into an area where it's never really gone before," said Rao in regard to the case. Rao was also quoted on other cases listed in the article, including SEC v. Cuban and SEC v. Bank of America Corp.

Perkins Coie Partner Bill Malley and Associate Joanna Thies recently co-authored a report, "Guidelines on the Use of Tiered Environmental Impact Statements for Transportation Projects," which was published by the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Ann Koby and Jason Miles of Parsons Brinckerhoff, the engineering and consulting firm, also co-authored of the report. The report provides the first comprehensive study of tiered environmental impact statements prepared for highway, transit, and intercity passenger rail projects. It includes an in-depth discussion of the legal framework for preparing a tiered EIS; a summary of the state of the practice; key factors associated with successful tiered studies; potential strategies for anticipating and managing tiering-related risks; and an annotated checklist of issues to consider in deciding whether to undertake a tiered EIS for a transportation project. Perkins Coie lawyers have participated in preparing several high-profile tiered studies, including the tiered EIS for the I-69 highway project in Indiana.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced the availability of a second round of grant funding under the Advanced Research Projects-Energy (ARPA-E) grant program. The first round was highly competitive, with DOE awarding grants to approximately 1% of applicants. A recent article published by The New York Times and a sister publication Greenwire noted that, in the first round, DOE funded multiple projects in some sectors and only one project in others. The article quoted Perkins Coie Partner Bill Malley as saying he was not surprised by this result. He observed that "They're taking a portfolio approach that doesn't single out any particular technology or any sector but rather looks to the best ideas and promotes them.... Because this is a competitive process, there are not going to be multiple winners in every sector."

Jobs legislation that passed the House of Representatives on December 16 would restore $2 billion to a Department of Energy clean energy loan guarantee program and expand the program to make loan guarantees available for energy efficiency projects that use commercial technology. The proposed legislation also would make other significant changes to the DOE's loan guarantee program. These changes would allow applicants to pay a portion of the "credit subsidy cost," said Perkins Coie Partner Bill Malley in an article published by BNA Daily Environment Report, which is the cost to the federal government of assuming the risk of default on a loan. Malley also was quoted in a separate article published by BNA Daily Environment Report on proposed legislation to extend the Section 48C manufacturing tax credit program, which is available for manufacturers of equipment for renewable energy projects and other energy saving equipment.

On December 18, 2009, the United States Court of Federal Claims issued an opinion awarding more than $50 million to Perkins Coie's client, Wisconsin Electric Power Company, in its claim against the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for partial breach of a contract to accept and dispose of spent nuclear fuel from the Point Beach Nuclear Power Plant. Wisconsin Electric's case was presented by the Perkins Coie trial team during a Washington D.C. trial lasting more than five weeks; during which 27 witnesses testified and hundreds of exhibits were entered into evidence. The Court awarded Wisconsin Electric more than 96% of its claimed "nominal," or non-finance-related damages to mitigate the DOE's partial breach. The Perkins Coie trial team included Partners Rick Oehler, Don Carney and Mary Rose Hughes, Associates Emily Poulin and Jay Griffiths, and Paralegals Beverly Kershaw and Mary Lou Maag.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Partner Sarah Crooks has been chosen as a 2010 recipient of the Oregon Women Lawyers (OWLS) Justice Betty Roberts Award.

Representatives of landlords and tenants, as well as their counsel, should take care in negotiating the exclusive provisions in their leases in order to avoid litigation and other pitfalls. Mindy Sherman and Edward Wicks authored an article entitled "You May Not Be as Exclusive as You Think," published by the Retail Law Strategist. The article used the case RARE Hospitality Management, Inc. v. River Roads Restaurant Pad, LLC, to illustrate how important the exclusive right to operate provision is in achieving the intended result of a lease.

Fred Rivera and Javier Garcia authored an article published by ABA's Employment & Labor Relations Law Newsletter entitled "Increased Funding, Revamped SEC Procedures, and Disgruntled Workforce Create Perfect Storm," covering an anticipated increase in employee whistleblower matters, whistleblower incentives included in the Stimulus Package and recent SEC announcements about beefing up its whistleblower and tips review. In the article, Rivera and Garcia suggest that the economic downturn has resulted in increased vigilance over the financial system and on whistleblowers in the corporate and government compliance environment.

Perkins Coie proudly announces that it was named one of the best law firms in legal writing by the Burton Awards Foundation.

The Obama administration recently created the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to investigate and prosecute crimes linked to the past year's financial crisis. This mission of this task force appears to be more broad than the task force created by President George W. Bush in 2002.  Time will tell what impact the new task force has on white-collar practices, Perkins Coie Partner Pravin B. Rao recently said in an article published by the Law Bulletin.

Earlier this year Perkins Coie Associate Brian Flock was quoted in an Inside Counsel article focusing on the pitfalls of employer use of online resources and social media to research job applicants and check-up on employees. Brian’s commentary was highlighted in Inside Counsel’s December cover story: "Top 20 Stories of 2009 the In-House Bar Couldn't Afford to Miss."

Invest Idaho LLC, formerly known as I-Cubed, has won federal approval to channel money from qualified foreign investors into the local economy under the EB-5 visa program in an effort to help plug the gap in financing for startups. Perkins Coie Partner and counsel to Invest Idaho Melanie Rubocki was recently quoted in the Idaho Business Review on the company's federal approval. “The options out there now are you invest in a casino, hotel or ski resort,” said Rubocki. “The feedback we’re getting is that there is a whole population out there in the EB-5 program that will welcome this as refreshing compared to some of the other EB-5 options out there.”

In a prominent LA Times article (also republished in the Chicago Tribune) entitled "Supreme Court to take up anti-corruption law", Partner Patrick Collins discussed the U.S. Supreme Court's upcoming consideration of the "honest services fraud" statute.  The law is considered by many as the nation's most compelling law against public corruption that is often used to prosecute public officials who accept money, free tickets, or jobs for relatives when bribery cannot be proved.  In describing prosecutors' use of the honest services statute over the past decade, Collins, a former federal prosecutor, opined that prosecutors would have to consider "restructuring" the pending case against former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich if the Supreme Court "gutted" the honest services statute. 

Portland attorneys Scott Eads and Julia Markley authored an article entitled "The Sport of Kings: Promise and Perils of 21st Century Patent Litigation." The article was published in the Autumn 2009 edition of Insights, the quarterly journal of Willamette Management Associates, which has a circulation of approximately 20,000 business leaders. The article provides an overview of contemporary patent litigation and discusses important recent decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court and the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals.

Perkins Coie Partner Donald Baur recently co-edited a book entitled The Endangered Species Act: Law, Policy and Perspectives, published by the American Bar Association. The text describes ESA legal controversies and emerging case law, proposed agency reforms and the competing perspectives of interest groups. Erika Malmen and Patrick Ryan also contributed to the publication as chapter co-authors.

Perkins Coie Partner Gerry Alexis was recently quoted in an article published by Antitrust Litigation Reporter on the new Federal Trade Commission's rule on petroleum price manipulation. Companies will be more cautious in their dealings because the penalties are so stiff, said Alexis. She expects the FTC will enforce the rule through administrative proceedings, but it currently lacks guidelines meaning companies will have to operate without examples of what constitutes a violation.

Perkins Coie announced today Marc Elias will become the new chair of the firm's Political Law Group.  Elias succeeds Bob Bauer who was recently appointed White House Counsel.

Bob Bauer, a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Perkins Coie LLP and head of the firms' Political Law Practice, is leaving the firm to accept appointment as White House Counsel.

Perkins Coie successfully represented weapons incinerator Washington Demilitarization Company in a dispute over incineration of 12 percent of the U.S. chemical weapons stockpile.

For the second year in a row, Perkins Coie is proud to co-sponsor the Fifth Annual Applied Materials "Silicon Valley Turkey Trot" in downtown San Jose. The "Trot" is a 5-K Run (or Walk) or a 10-K Run to benefit three great local charities: Second Harvest Food Bank, Children's Health Initiative and the Housing Trust.

Green policies offer organizations many benefits, including enhancement of public image, increase in marketability, reduction of operating costs, and improvement in employee morale. However, adopting green policies may impose risks on your organization if the policies are not properly followed or false or misleading statements are made about those policies. Bruce Dick, Barry Reingold and Eric DeJong authored an article published by Bloomberg Law Reports entitled "Green Policies: Understanding and Addressing Compliance Risks," addressing some of these risks and providing practical tips to manage and make an organization's green policies work for the company.

In a recent National Law Journal/Legal Times blog posting discussing the new Federal Trade Commission gas price rule, Partner Gerry Alexis was quoted as saying that the new rule will go beyond federal enforcement. The crackdown by the FTC is intended to bar "fraudulent or deceptive conduct that could harm wholesale petroleum markets," as noted in the posting. However, Alexis pointed out that the door is now open for lawsuits to arise under "little FTC Acts" – state consumer protection laws that authorize private causes of action. 
 

 

Brian Flock authored an article published by Law360 entitled "What Employers Need to Know About Social Media," covering employee and corporate use of social networking tools and how to avoid common pitfalls and mistakes. In the article, Flock suggests that the key to avoiding these issues is to work to develop policies and practices that will foster professional and proper use of social networking tools by both employees and the organization.

Perkins Coie Partner Gerry Alexis was quoted in a recent Reuters article on the new U.S. Federal Trade Commission rule that will fine companies up to $1 million a day if they manipulate the oil markets. The rule may force oil companies to think twice about revealing their cash oil transactions to price reporting companies like Platts, said Alexis. "That could of course be an unintended consequence of the rule. There will be less price transparency and somebody could have an even greater impact if they get in and report prices that are not correct."