Akerman attorneys have once again been recognized by Managing IP in the publication's annual IP Stars guide. Intellectual Property Practice Group Chair Brian Bianco, as well as IP Partners Jeffrey Armstrong, Timothy Sendek, and Alejandro Fernandez were all named “Patent Stars” in the guide. Fernandez was also named a “Trademark Star.”
Managing IP has assessed and ranked law firms and practitioners from around the world for more than 30 years. It is a trusted guide for companies or individuals looking for experienced legal practitioners to deal with contentious and non-contentious intellectual property issues.
In addition to his leadership role, Bianco is a registered patent lawyer and intellectual property litigator. He has represented clients in U.S. federal courts across the country in complex patent, trademark, and trade dress disputes. With a degree and extensive background in electrical engineering, he has successfully represented clients in cases involving a range of technologies, including semiconductor processing, medical devices, fiber optic telecommunications, wireless communications, GPS technology, mechanical and electrical systems, electronics, computer hardware, software, and internet protocols.
Armstrong prepares and prosecutes patent applications at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), litigates patent matters in federal district courts, and represents clients in ex parte reexaminations at the USPTO and inter partes reviews at the Patent Trial and Appeals Board (PTAB). He uses his litigation experience to help clients obtain high value, litigation-worthy patents that are drafted to withstand validity challenges in district court and post-grant proceedings at the USPTO while still covering desired technical features and functionality. He also relies on insight gained from patent prosecution to help clients develop successful legal and technical strategies during district court litigation and before the PTAB.
Fernandez is Board Certified by the Florida Bar as an expert in Intellectual Property Law, a distinction he has held for 20 years. He counsels clients in the protection of their patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and copyrights, representing them in every stage of litigation nationwide and internationally. He has been named included in the “Top 100 Lawyers in Florida” and “Top 50 Lawyers in Hillsborough County” by Super Lawyers Magazine. In 2022, The Best Lawyers in America awarded Fernandez with “Lawyer of the Year” for his work in trade secrets law.
An experienced trial lawyer and registered patent lawyer, Sendek focuses his work on patent, trademark, and copyright disputes in U.S. District Courts, the International Trade Commission (ITC), and at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board. His experience includes numerous Section 337 trials at the ITC, jury and bench trials in district court, and patent office litigation, including over 60 inter partes review (IPR) proceedings. In addition to his litigation experience, Sendek also advises clients on IP compliance, risk management, and patent prosecution.