Notable Successes

Tuhin Ganguly

Goutam Patnaik

David J. Shaw

Three partners have joined Desmarais LLP to help launch the firm’s office in Washington, D.C. and to expand its International Trade Commission (ITC) and Appellate Practices. The new office is the firm’s third since it was founded in 2010.
 
Justin Wilcox, who has been at Desmarais LLP since 2012, will lead the new office. He relocated to the Washington, D.C. area during mid-2020 and was previously based out of the firm’s New York City headquarters. The Washington, D.C. office will be virtual initially, but the firm plans to secure physical office space once the coronavirus pandemic is under control and it is safe for in-person work to resume. 
 
In addition to Mr. Wilcox’s relocation to D.C., the office’s patent-litigation-focused ITC Practice will be led by Goutam “Gooch” Patnaik who along with Tuhin Ganguly and David Shaw have started as partners at Desmarais LLP. They were previously partners in Troutman Pepper’s ITC Litigation Practice in Washington, D.C.
 
The expansion into D.C. represents fresh territory for Desmarais LLP. The firm was founded in New York City more than a decade ago by John Desmarais, who previously led the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice at Kirkland & Ellis. The expansion of the ITC and Appellate Practices in Washington, D.C. is the latest step in a series of expansions at the firm in recent years, which include adding to its existing Life Sciences and Medical Device Practice in 2018, opening a second office in San Francisco in 2019, and augmenting its Patent Trial and Appeal Board Practice in 2020. 
 
“We sought to create a Washington, D.C. office, anchored by a team of attorneys with extensive ITC litigation experience, and we found an ideal match,” said John Desmarais, founding partner of Desmarais LLP. “These three attorneys have excellent track records before the ITC and a level of knowledge that’s on par with anyone in the industry. We’re looking forward to watching them grow the practice and helping us build out the new office.”
 
Mr. Patnaik has led a variety of technology-related patent cases – including ones involving digital scanners, imaging and audio processing equipment, and wireless technology – with a focus on Section 337 investigations before the ITC, as well as handling litigation in district courts and before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. He was the president of the International Trade Commission Trial Lawyers Association from 2019-2020, and now serves on its executive committee. Mr. Patnaik received his law degree from George Mason University in 1998 and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia in 1994.
 
Mr. Ganguly is a technology-focused patent litigator who practices before the ITC and in the district courts. Prior to starting his legal career, Mr. Ganguly was a protein biochemist at an agricultural company and also served as intellectual property administrator for a therapeutics start-up during law school. He received his law degree and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Washington University in 2008 and 2001, respectively.
 
Mr. Shaw is a patent litigator with experience handling tech-related cases before the ITC and in the district courts. He has technical experience in microbiology and protein biochemistry and worked for pharmaceutical companies on protein purification and pharmaceutical manufacturing prior to entering law school. He received his law degree from George Washington University in 2011, his master’s degree in tumor biology from Georgetown University in 2007, and his bachelor’s degree in biology from Johns Hopkins University in 2002.
 
Mr. Wilcox, in addition to leading the D.C. office and helping to expand the firm’s ITC Practice, will continue to focus on his patent and trade secret litigation practice, representing clients in tech disputes in district court and further developing the firm’s appellate capabilities. Prior to joining Desmarais LLP’s New York City office in 2012, Mr. Wilcox spent about 10 years working in the D.C. area, first, as a law clerk under now-Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and then, in private practice. Before entering law school, Mr. Wilcox was an airborne combat engineer officer, achieving the rank of captain in the U.S. Army. He received his law degree from George Washington University in 2003, and his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1995.
 
“Launching this new office represents an important step forward for the firm. It provides us with the opportunity to establish a critical presence within the nation’s capital and to further develop practice areas that are natural extensions of the firm’s technology-driven patent litigation work,” Mr. Wilcox said. “The D.C. office and its practice areas will position the firm and our clients for optimal success as we continue to grow.”

National Law Journal – “Desmarais Expands to Washington, Beefs Up ITC Practice”
Reuters – “Desmarais Expands Again, Launching in D.C. as ITC Work Stays Hot”
Law360 – “Desmarais Nabs Ex-Troutman Patent Trio To Grow ITC Group” (subscription required)

Tuhin Ganguly

Goutam Patnaik

David J. Shaw