Five Intellectual Property Attorneys Join Dickinson Wright PLLC

Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that Attorneys Catherine Hoffman, Gregory Mayback, Julie Dahlgard, James Stepan and Rebecca Tie have joined the firm’s Ft. Lauderdale and Silicon Valley offices.

Catherine Hoffman joins Dickinson Wright as a Member in the firm’s Ft. Lauderdale office. She has 28 years of experience representing domestic and foreign clients in a wide variety of complex commercial litigation matters in federal and state courts and appeals, in both the public and private sectors. Her current practice includes all aspects of trademark (international and domestic) and copyright law as well as portfolio management, including trademark clearance and prosecution, opposition and cancellation proceedings, enforcement, domain name and e-commerce issues. Ms. Hoffman has extensive litigation experience, including proceedings involving trademarks, unfair competition, design patent and utility patent disputes before the U.S. Federal Courts and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Ms. Hoffman is a member of the International Trademark Association (INTA), where she serves as subcommittee chair to the Advocacy division under the Unfair Competition committee. She is also a member of the Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy, the Florida Bar Association’s Intellectual Property Committee, and the Broward County Bar Association’s Intellectual Property Committee. She is recognized as a leader in her field by Florida Super Lawyers. Ms. Hoffman received her B.B.A. from Emory University and her J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law.

Gregory Mayback joins Dickinson Wright as a Member in the firm’s Ft. Lauderdale office. He is a Registered Patent Attorney and procures patents in a variety of technology areas with a particular focus on medical devices. During his 26 year career, Mr. Mayback has participated in the issuance of over 1,575 patents. His qualifications extend past his electrical engineering training to include diverse technical areas including medicine, semiconductors, computer hardware and software, automotive power and security systems, power generation (nuclear and fossil fuel), and telecommunications. In addition to his patent practice, Mr. Mayback provides advice to clients on all intellectual property matters including trademark prosecution and litigation, due diligence studies, opinion drafting, and intellectual property portfolio management.

Mr. Mayback is a member of AIPLA and INTA. He is recognized as a leader in his field by Florida Super Lawyers and the Florida Legal Elite. In 2010, Mr. Mayback was selected by the editorial staff of the Daily Business Review as the “2010 Most Effective Lawyers” for Intellectual Property related to a $24+ million verdict in a patent infringement litigation. Mr. Mayback received his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law and his B.E. in Electrical Engineering from Vanderbilt University.

James Stepan joins Dickinson Wright as Of Counsel in the firm’s Ft. Lauderdale office. He has 19 years of experience in intellectual property, including trademarks (litigation and prosecution), trade secrets, patent infringement, false advertising, licensing, copyrights, restrictive covenants, as well as commercial litigation, including breach of contract, fraud, insurance, and racketeering (RICO), and business transactions. Mr. Stepan has significant experience in jury and bench trials, intellectual property portfolio management, trademark opposition and cancellation proceedings, and management of foreign associates.

Mr. Stepan is Board Certified as a Specialist in Intellectual Property as Accredited by the Florida Bar. He is recognized as a leader in his field by Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, Florida Super Lawyers and the South Florida Legal Guide. He currently serves on the Emerging Issues committee of the International Trademark Association and on the Florida Bar’s Standing Committee on Professionalism. Mr. Stepan received his B.A. from Johns Hopkins University and his J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law.

Julie Dahlgard joins Dickinson Wright as Of Counsel in the firm’s Ft. Lauderdale office. Her practice focuses on trademark law, with a special emphasis on prosecution, enforcement and maintenance of U.S. and international trademarks. Ms. Dahlgard also provides support for intellectual property litigation, including enforcement of trademarks against infringement and counterfeiting. She is a mechanical engineer and is knowledgeable in several technology areas, including mechanisms, manufacturing, industrial design, medical devices and aerospace. She is a member of the International Trademark Association. Ms. Dahlgard received her B.S. from the University of Miami; her M.S. in Engineering, Product Design from Stanford University; and her J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law.

Rebecca Tie joins Dickinson Wright as Of Counsel in the firm’s Silicon Valley office. She has over 12 years of experience as a registered patent attorney who concentrates her practice on intellectual property law, with a special emphasis on the prosecution, enforcement and maintenance of large-scale patent portfolios comprising U.S. and international patents dealing with the biomedical and electrical arts. She is an electrical engineer and is knowledgeable in the areas of power generation, telecommunications, systems and control, microelectronics, and biomechanics. Ms. Tie is a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the Silicon Valley Intellectual Property Law Association, and the Society of Women Engineers. She is recognized as a leader in her field by Florida Super Lawyers Rising Stars. Ms. Tie received her B.S. from the University of California at Los Angeles Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science and her J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law.