Michelle A. Cooke Joins IP Practice as Partner

For more information, contact Jamie Moss, newsPRos, 201-493-1027

(January 4, 2007, Century City, CA)—Steptoe & Johnson LLP, a leading international law firm, announces another expansion of its Century City office with the addition of Michelle A. Cooke as a partner in the firm’s growing Intellectual Property Group. Michelle is the 10th attorney to join Steptoe’s west coast IP group since the firm opened the office six months ago.

Michelle will focus on expanding the trademark and other legal work for clients she is bringing to Steptoe, as well as leading Steptoe’s California trademark licensing and prosecution practice. 

In particular, Michelle will support and broaden Steptoe’s extensive apparel industry client base. In addition to clients in the apparel and fashion industries, she serves those in the education, entertainment, and food and beverage industries.

Ms. Cooke is an intellectual property law attorney with particular experience in domestic and international issues involving licensing, distribution, trademarks, copyrights, technology-focused transactions, and infringement and domain name disputes, as well as developing and protecting intellectual property portfolios and brand development. She handles work under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, as well as personal data protection work, client counseling, and client audits across the range of non-patent intellectual property disciplines.

Steptoe opened the Century City office in July as the first step in a series of expansions that included launching a new office in Chicago this week and the addition of a top legal and government relations group in the flagship DC office. 

“Michelle brings all the skills we were looking for in a trademark partner to support the growing needs of the clients in Century City, particularly for our many clients in apparel-related businesses,” said Michael Heimbold, an IP partner in the Century City office. “Between her own trademark clients and the trademark demands of our existing Century City clients, we expect her to have a thriving practice.”

A 1992 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, Ms. Cooke joins Steptoe from Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger LLP, Los Angeles, where she was a partner and head of the firm’s Trademark Group. 

Ms. Cooke is a member of the California Bar Association as well as the International Trademark Association and the Fashion Group International. She currently is serving on the Board of Directors for Jack Daniel's Properties, Inc., and Southern Comfort Properties, Inc., as well as for the California Black Women's Health Project. 

Ms. Cooke has presented seminars on intellectual property in the apparel industry and attorney advertising in cyberspace, as well as authored articles on the international protection of personal data.