“Barnes & Thornburg Expands with Addition of 17 Legal Professionals and New Offices in Research Triangle and Other Locations”

Barnes & Thornburg, a leading law firm, has announced the addition of a highly experienced life sciences patent group to its team. The group, comprised of 17 lawyers, patent agents, IP technical analysts, and paralegals, hails from the boutique IP firm Brinks Gilson & Lione. The move has led to the establishment of three new offices in Raleigh, North Carolina, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Salt Lake City, Utah, further expanding the firm’s national footprint.

The group is led by Allen Baum, a respected intellectual property attorney based in Raleigh-Durham for over 20 years, and William R. Boudreaux, a leading IP attorney in Ann Arbor. The team brings several decades of combined experience and advanced degrees in fields such as organic chemistry, molecular biology, chemistry, and biotechnology.

The addition of this group aligns with Barnes & Thornburg’s strategic focus on growing its patent practice and overall intellectual property offerings. The firm already boasts a nationally recognized life sciences practice that includes 35 life sciences attorneys, patent agents, and legal professionals.

Robert T. Grand, firm managing partner, expressed excitement about the new additions, noting that the team’s technical backgrounds, strong reputations, and presence across four different markets continue Barnes & Thornburg’s growth story of the past decade.

The new offices are strategically located in areas known for innovation and patent work. The Research Triangle in North Carolina, home to three major research universities, is a leading hub of innovation and patent work. The Raleigh-based team of Baum, Bashir Ali, Amy Fix, Aisha Hasan, and Mark Jenkins have practiced in the region for decades, providing Barnes & Thornburg with an established presence in an important market.

The Ann Arbor office, the firm’s third in Michigan, will be staffed by Boudreaux and Joshua Ney, a Ph.D. chemist. This follows the firm’s expansion in Michigan in July 2019 with the opening of a Detroit Metro office.

The Salt Lake City office will be home to Eric Babych and Ryan Marshall, while Heidi Dare joins Barnes & Thornburg’s Chicago office.

Julia Spoor Gard, chair of Barnes & Thornburg’s Intellectual Property Department, believes that the new team will further the firm’s ability to help clients cultivate and nourish their most valuable innovations.

The new team members bring a wealth of experience and expertise in their respective fields. Allen Baum, for instance, has extensive experience in chemistry, pharmaceuticals, biochemistry, biotechnology, and medical devices. Bashir M. Ali, a partner in Raleigh, holds a Ph.D. in chemistry and has worked with companies to obtain hundreds of U.S. patents.

Barnes & Thornburg, with more than 600 attorneys and other legal professionals, is one of the largest law firms in the country. The firm serves clients worldwide from offices in Atlanta, California, Chicago, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minneapolis, Ohio, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, Texas, and Washington, D.C. The addition of the new team members and the opening of the new offices mark a significant milestone in the firm’s growth trajectory.