Sughrue Mion to Host Mock Trial Seminar in Korea

15 February 2006

Sughrue Mion PLLC, a leading global intellectual property law firm, announced today that they will sponsor a two- day mock trial seminar at Kangnam GS Tower in Seoul in conjunction with the Korean Patent Attorneys Association (KPAA). The program will highlight the difficult and unique challenges that Korean companies face when confronted with patent litigation in U.S. federal courts and before the International Trade Commission (ITC).

"As a firm that has been active in the U.S. and Asia for decades, we've seen a trend as Asian companies become more aggressive in enforcing their own patents," Bill Mandir, a Sughrue Mion partner who led the design of this program, said. "These battles often get played out with U.S. patents in U.S. district courts and the ITC because of the enormous market the U.S. offers. After the success of our Japanese mock trial events, we recognized the importance of reaching an even greater breadth of our Asian clients."

The mock trial will be presented to an American-style jury and presided over by the Honorable James F. Stiven, a retired U.S. Magistrate for the Southern District of California with more than 35 years of trial experience. The 250 Korean in-house counsel and corporate managers expected to attend the event will be able to see exactly how a jury deliberates and the issues that are of paramount concern to them.

The trial itself will center on a mock case where a U.S. plaintiff has alleged that a Korean defendant has infringed on patented technology for golf club grips. The courtroom will be modeled after a U.S. courtroom, and all aspects of the litigation and deliberation will be filmed so that participants can see what happens during the trial and in the jury room.

"The ITC continues to be an increasingly popular venue for patent litigation, so it was important to add this element to the mock trials in Korea," John Rabena, a Sughrue Mion partner, said. "Through this mock trial we will help explain the differences between U.S. and Korean courts -- and the differences between district courts and the ITC -- and help our clients develop a winning strategy if they are called into a case. And, as a result of this experience, we expect companies will see how to better build their patent portfolios to avoid litigation altogether."

Sughrue partners Steve Gruskin, Carl Pellegrini, and John Scherling, all of whom have extensive litigation experience, have also been involved in planning the mock trial.

To register for the event, please download the registration form at http://www.kpaa.or.kr, call the Korean Patent Attorneys Association at 822-8486-8486, or email gn@kpaa.or.kr.

About Sughrue Mion, PLLC

Sughrue Mion, PLLC, is one of the largest law firms practicing exclusively in the field of intellectual property law. Based in Washington, D.C. with offices in Silicon Valley, San Diego, and Tokyo, Sughrue specializes in litigating intellectual property matters in federal district court and before the International Trade Commission. Sughrue has obtained more patents than any other firm in the country. For more information please visit http://www.sughrue.com.

Source: prnewswire

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