Pillsbury Winthrop Litigation Partner William P. Atkins Elected to Head The Bar Association of The District of Columbia

Northern Virginia based litigation partner only the 2^nd patent lawyer to be president of the BADC

McLean, Virginia – The Bar Association of the District of Columbia has elected Pillsbury Winthrop LLP partner William P. Atkins as its president-elect. Atkins will serve as president-elect for a year, and will take the helm of the association as its 118^th president for a one-year term beginning in June 2005. He is only the second patent attorney ever selected to head the BADC.

"My years of membership and involvement have been very rewarding, and I’m looking forward to serving the membership as president," said Atkins, who previously served as treasurer of the BADC and chair of its Patent, Trademark, and Copyright section. Atkins also serves as a member of the BADC’s executive committee.

"I’m committed to this voluntary association because I’m passionate about the law," said Atkins. "I’m excited about leading an organization that has such a solid commitment to pro bono work, and that often helps advance the law through legislative efforts and even amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court."

"Bill Atkins represents the kind of dedication that we need in the legal community," said Mary Eva Candon, Executive Vice President of the BADC. "He has already given so much to the BADC, and we’re delighted that his proven leadership will continue to benefit us as president-elect, and then as president."

Atkins is a partner resident in Pillsbury’s Northern Virginia office, a member of the firm’s Managing Board,and co-chair of the firm’s Global Intellectual Property Section. He has a national litigation and patent practice focusing on complex commercial matters relating to infringement, ownership, misappropriation, breaches, and abuses of intellectual property.

He is a frequent lecturer on intellectual property and antitrust topics, and the author of several treatise chapters and articles on intellectual property law. He received his J.D. from the University of Baltimore in 1992 and an LL.M. in Intellectual Property and Antitrust Law from George Washington University in 1996.

A photo of Bill Atkins is available upon request. To speak to him, please contact Crystal Rockwood at 1-800-729-9830.

Together, Pillsbury Winthrop’s Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. offices have over 80 lawyers in the region, focusing on intellectual property, international trade, corporate transactions and project finance, antitrust, litigation, aviation, government contracts, employment and labor, space law and the travel industry. Attorneys in Pillsbury Winthrop's Northern Virginia office provide experience in a broad range of intellectual property matters, including both patent and trademark litigation, prosecution and counseling and the exclusive rights associated with all aspects of the Internet, new media, biotech and other technology markets. The firm’s Northern Virginia office also represents local and national employers in all aspects of employment and labor law.