Taft is pleased to announce the expansion of its Intellectual Property (IP) practice group with the addition of eight patent attorneys. Since April, Taft has added 12 IP attorneys between its Indianapolis and Chicago offices.

• John H. Allie, Partner, Indianapolis office (originally announced on April 27)
• Douglas A. Collier, Partner, Indianapolis office (originally announced on April 27)
• Gregory B. Coy, Partner, Indianapolis office
• William B. Gont, Partner, Chicago office
• Jason A. Houdek, Partner, Indianapolis office (originally announced on April 27)
• Brad A. Schepers, Partner, Indianapolis office
• Mark T. Stephenson, Partner, Indianapolis office (originally announced on April 27)
• Manisha Chakrabarti, Of Counsel, Chicago office
• Matthew D. Fair, Of Counsel, Indianapolis office
• Jonathan F. Yates, Of Counsel, Indianapolis office
• Brian P. Murray, Associate, Chicago office
• Gregory D. Sturm, Associate, Indianapolis office

“Taft’s focus on client service, quality and depth of resources impressed us immediately. We could not ask for a better fit for our clients or ourselves and are excited and energized to be joining the firm,” said John Allie, a new Taft partner.

From a firm-wide perspective, Taft’s strategic plan places significant emphasis on multi-faceted growth: laterals, mergers and organic. The firm’s strategic plan was debuted during Taft’s Partners Retreat, held in Indianapolis on March 13-14, 2015.

“The growth in Taft’s Indianapolis office echoes the expansion taking place in other Taft markets. For instance, Taft’s Chicago office has grown by more than 20% in the last 18 months. Our regional platform, inclusive management structure and partner compensation structure make us a compelling choice for laterals as well as for up-and-coming attorneys,” said Robert J. Hicks, partner-in-charge of Taft’s Indianapolis office.

Gregory B. Coy, partner, has more than 19 years of experience and concentrates his practice in the areas of patent preparation and prosecution, trademark protection, patent and trademark portfolio management, intellectual property transactions and intellectual property counseling and enforcement. He provides intellectual property services to individuals, universities, research institutions and companies of all sizes ranging from start-up companies and small local concerns to large established international firms. Coy received a J.D. from Indiana University Maurer School of Law and a B.A. in biology from Wabash College.

William B. Gont, partner, concentrates his practice on patent and trademark prosecution, portfolio management, product clearances, non-infringement and validity opinions, licensing and the enforcement of client’s intellectual property rights against third parties. He has prepared and prosecuted numerous U.S. and foreign patent applications in a diverse array of technologies, including medical devices, packaging for medical products, electronic gaming machines, automotive, steel making, power tools and waste gasification. Gont received a J.D., cum laude, from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago and a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University.

Brad A. Schepers, partner, has more than 17 years of intellectual property experience and concentrates his practice in the area of patent preparation and prosecution, particularly in the electro-mechanical arts field. Prior to private practice, he obtained over six years of technical experience as a mechanical engineer at a major tier-one supplier of automotive electrostatic paint application equipment and robotics systems. Schepers received a J.D., summa cum laude, from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law where he was first in his law school class. He earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering, magna cum laude, from the University of Southern Indiana.

Manisha Chakrabarti, of counsel, concentrates her practice in the area of patent prosecution. She provides comprehensive intellectual property law services to a diverse group of clients from individuals and start-up companies to leading U.S. and international corporations. Chakrabarti received a J.D. from the Vermont Law School and a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. She earned an M.B.A. from the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

Matthew D. Fair, of counsel, has more than 15 years of legal experience in the intellectual property field and concentrates his practice in the area of patent preparation and prosecution in U.S. and foreign jurisdictions along with other areas of intellectual property protection. Prior to private practice, he spent a combined 11 years as an engineer at major aerospace and automotive corporations. Fair received a J.D. from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and a B.S. in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from Purdue University.

Jonathan F. Yates, of counsel, concentrates his practice in the areas of patent and trademark prosecution and general intellectual property and related business consulting. He has significant experience in patent matters related to medical devices, complex machinery, electro-mechanical systems and the life sciences. Prior to joining Taft, Yates served as a private practice intellectual property attorney for nearly 14 years at intellectual property firms in the Detroit, Mich., Bloomington, Ind., and Indianapolis areas and continues to serve clients in those communities and throughout the world. He received a J.D. from Indiana University Maurer School of Law and a B.S. in biology from Indiana University.

Brian P. Murray, associate, focuses his practice on pharmaceutical and life sciences litigation. He has experience with a wide range of patents and technologies, such as pharmaceutical formulations including solid oral dosage formulations, ophthalmic formulations, inhalation aerosol formulations, parenteral formulations, and sustained-release technologies; medical devices including those for inhalation drug delivery; and polymorph characterization. Prior to private practice, Murray worked at Caraco Pharmaceuticals Laboratories, Ltd. and Fabbrica Italiana Sintetici S.p.A. He received a J.D. from DePaul University College of Law and a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan.

Gregory D. Sturm, associate, concentrates his practice in the area of patent preparation and prosecution. He received a J.D. from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and a B.A. from Purdue University. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science in electrical and computer engineering from Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis.