WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Richard A. Sterba has been named the office managing principal of Fish & Richardson’s Washington, D.C. office. He succeeds Lauren Degnan, who is transitioning out of the position to focus on her new role as co-leader of the firm’s Appellate Group. The Washington, D.C. office houses more than 80 intellectual property attorneys and technology specialists.
"I am delighted Rich is assuming the role of office managing principal," said John C. Adkisson, president and CEO of Fish. "Rich has a proven track record of success with clients and in the courtroom but just as important, he is seen as a thoughtful and natural leader among his colleagues in Washington D.C. and in the firm more broadly. I am grateful to Lauren for her leadership over the last six years, and I know she’ll continue to accomplish great things in our newly-formalized Appellate Group.”
“I am excited to step into the role of leading our Washington, D.C. office,” said Sterba. “As the home of the International Trade Commission, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, D.C. is an often-visited city and maintaining a vibrant office here furthers the firm’s goals. The D.C. market affords us the unique opportunity to host many of our colleagues who come for hearings, trials, and client meetings. Lauren set a high bar for both leadership and hospitality, and I look forward to continuing and building upon those traditions.”
Sterba’s practice focuses on leading complex patent cases in the ITC and District Courts. He has worked on nearly 50 Section 337 investigations at the ITC, including more than a dozen trials. He also successfully argued at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. With a background in physics and mathematics, Sterba handles cases spanning a range of technologies, including mobile phones, telecommunications, semiconductors, and medical devices.
Sterba is active in several professional organizations and has served as an Inn president of both the Giles S. Rich American Inn of Court, the largest and oldest Intellectual Property Inn of Court in the United States and the Pauline Newman IP American Inn of Court, which he also helped to found. Beyond his work at Fish, Sterba is an adjunct professor at the George Washington University Law School, where he teaches the first law school class in the country dedicated to Section 337 investigations at the ITC.
About Fish & Richardson
Fish & Richardson is a premier global intellectual property law firm that the world’s most innovative brands and influential technology leaders trust with their IP. Our deep bench of attorneys with first-chair trial experience in every technology makes us the go-to firm for the most technically complex cases. We have an established reputation as a top-tier firm for patent portfolio planning, strategy, and prosecution, as well as post-grant proceedings at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Fish was established in 1878, and now has more than 400 attorneys and technology specialists in the U.S., Europe, and China. Our success is rooted in our creative and inclusive culture, which values the diversity of people, experiences, and perspectives. For more information, visit fr.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X, formerly known as Twitter.
