Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP is pleased to announce that, effective January 1, 2025, Lachlan S. Campbell-Verduyn, Clinton W. Morrison, and Julie A. Simeone will become partners of the firm, and Dakotah M. Burns, James R. Parks, and Jonah Rizzo-Bleichman will become counsel.

 Lachlan S. Campbell-Verduyn, Ph.D., practices in the firm’s Litigation department, with significant experience in intellectual property litigation and complex commercial disputes.  She represents clients in patent litigations across a variety of technologies and has extensive experience representing and advising biotech and pharmaceutical companies in disputes involving small molecules, biologics, and medical devices.  Ms. Campbell-Verduyn also represents plaintiffs and defendants in trademark and unfair competition disputes.  From 2019 to 2020, Ms. Campbell-Verduyn served as a law clerk to the Hon. Sharon L. Gleason of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska.  Ms. Campbell-Verduyn received her J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School.  She also has a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Rijksuniversiteit Groningen in the Netherlands, where she completed her doctoral research in the group of Nobel Prize winner, Ben Feringa.  She received her B.Sc., with honors and distinction, from Mount Allison University in Canada.

 Clinton (“Clint”) W. Morrison practices in the firm’s Litigation department and has extensive trial experience in federal and state courts and arbitrations throughout the country.  Mr. Morrison focuses on complex commercial litigation and litigates cases involving trade secrets and intellectual property disputes, contractual and business disputes, advertising litigation and unfair competition claims, and defending against whistleblower claims under the False Claims Act.  Mr. Morrison currently serves as the Co-Chair of the New York City Bar Association’s Presidential Task Force Subcommittee on Liabilities and Remedies Related to the Use of Artificial Intelligence, and previously served as Secretary of the Federal Bar Council’s Public Service Committee.  From 2014 to 2015, Mr. Morrison served as a law clerk to the Hon. Amalya Kearse of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.  Prior to his legal career, Mr. Morrison worked at a government relations and public affairs firm in Washington, D.C., after a stint as an actor in Los Angeles.  Mr. Morrison received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School and B.A., magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Georgetown University.

 Julie A. Simeone practices in the firm’s Litigation department, where she focuses on law firm defense and intellectual property matters—including copyright law, patent litigation, and trademark and trade secrets litigation—as well as advertising litigation and unfair competition matters. Ms. Simeone has represented law firms, media companies, book publishers, software companies, and medical device companies in state and federal court. She is a member of the Emerging Leaders with the World Services Group and a recipient of the New York County Lawyer Association’s Pro Bono Service Award. From 2016 to 2017, Ms. Simeone served as a law clerk to the Hon. Eric N. Vitaliano of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Ms. Simeone received her J.D., cum laude, from the New York University School of Law, M.A. from Columbia University, and B.A., magna cum laude, from Boston University.

 Dakotah M. Burns practices in the firm’s Litigation department, where he focuses on advertising litigation, complex commercial litigation, art and museum law, and white collar defense and investigations. From 2018 to 2019, Mr. Burns served as a law clerk to the Hon. Jane B. Stranch of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. From 2015 to 2016, he served as a law clerk to the Hon. Gregory Van Tatenhove of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Mr. Burns received his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School and B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Louisville.

 James R. Parks practices in the firm’s Corporate department, where he advises public and private companies, private equity firms, non-profits, and family offices on mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, venture capital investments, joint ventures, and other strategic transactions. He represents clients across a broad range of industries, including print and digital media, financial services, medical devices, manufacturing, and insurance services. Mr. Parks received his J.D. from Columbia Law School and A.B., summa cum laude, from Washington University in St. Louis.

 Jonah Rizzo-Bleichman practices in the firm’s Corporate department, where he advises clients on merger and acquisition transactions, private placements, commercial contracts, fund investments, private debt investments, depositary receipt facilities and securities law. Mr. Rizzo-Bleichman received his J.D. from New York University School of Law and B.A. from McGill University.