The firm intends for the new practice, christened AI + Finnegan, to provide "comprehensive, coordinated AI counsel across all industries" through both its team of legal professionals and its "deep bench" of engineers and scientists, it said in a news release. The firm said it has been advising clients on how AI interacts with intellectual property law since 2018, but this new practice formalizes these offerings.
"Formalizing our AI practice was intended to increase the visibility of this unique practice for existing and potential clients," James R. Barney, managing partner at Finnegan said in an email to Law360. "It also coincides with the tremendous demand we are now seeing for legal services in the AI space, consistent with what is being reported globally. The scale at which we can deploy expert talent to address our clients' AI IP needs is in high demand, and this practice launch is simply a formal acknowledgement of that demand."
The overall AI + Finnegan practice is co-led by partners Frank A. DeCosta and Karthik Kumar, both based in the firm's Washington, D.C., office and both of whom hold doctorates in electrical engineering. DeCosta in particular conducted his Ph.D. research in neural network-based AI algorithms, the firm said.
"Our team combines deep legal experience across the AI lifecycle with strong technical backgrounds in science and engineering," DeCosta said in the release. "This allows us to tailor our approach to the needs of each client, whether they're building algorithms, training models or deploying intelligent systems."
DeCosta and Kumar both serve as litigators for Finnegan while also providing other counseling services, according to their firm bios.
DeCosta and Kumar, along with partner Aaron Capron, lead the AI + Patent team, the firm said. This team is focused on patents for algorithms, intelligent systems and machine learning applications — particularly, a "triage process" for using patent and trade secrets protections to protect IP assets, the firm said.
Capron is based in Finnegan's Palo Alto office, according to his bio. He also leads the general patent office practice and co-leads Finnegan's AI tech tools committee, according to his bio.
Washington, D.C.-based partner Anna Chauvet leads the AI + Copyright team, which will help clients protect and register copyrights for AI-generated clients and provide advice in such areas like fair use and licensing, Finnegan said.
Chauvet is a former associate general counsel at the U.S. Copyright Office, according to the firm, and she leads the firm's general copyright practice.
The AI + Privacy team is led by another Washington, D.C., partner, Lynn Parker Dupree, and will help clients make sure their internal governance is aligned with global privacy laws and AI regulations, Finnegan said.
Parker Dupree previously worked as chief privacy officer for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security before entering the private sector. She currently serves as the head of Finnegan's general privacy practice, according to her bio.
"Lynn and Anna help support Finnegan's AI practice with their unique expertise in privacy and copyright law," Barney said. "They round out Finnegan's consistent approach of being a full-service IP firm, focusing on all aspects of IP."
The final team, AI + Trade Secrets, is led by partner and Silicon Valley office manager Erik Puknys. This team will help clients protect proprietary models, training data and algorithms with a focus on security practices, nondisclosure agreements and employee training, Finnegan said.
Puknys began his IP career in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a patent examiner over 25 years ago, according to his bio.
Firm attorneys have litigated in courts spanning from district courts to the U.S. Supreme Court and the International Trade Commission, while also handling suits in the U.K. and Germany, Karthik said.
"Not only do we understand the technical nuances of AI, we also bring a deep bench of trial and appellate expertise to every case," Karthik said in the release.
Along with this new practice, Finnegan released a "library of thought leadership" that contains various articles and other reference materials.
Finnegan is the latest mid-law firm to open an AI-centric practice, joining the likes of Constangy Brooks Smith & Prophete LLP, which launched its practice in April, and Weiss Serota Helfman Cole & Bierman PL, which did so in May.
--Additional reporting by Adrian Cruz and Corey Rothauser. Editing by Emma Brauer.
Update: This story has been updated to add comments from managing partner James R. Barney.
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