Verrill Dana Elects Six New Partners
(January 24, 2019) - Verrill Dana is pleased to announce that six of the firm's attorneys have been elected to partner, including Seth Coburn, Eugene Ho, Brian O'Rourke, John Powell, Sarah Trautz and Geoffrey Why.
Seth Coburn represents companies in intellectual property disputes across a range of high-tech fields and industries, including electronics, LED lighting, semiconductors, and software. Coburn has complaint-to-trial experience, including experience briefing and arguing Markman hearings, in courts across the country. Coburn also represents clients in post-grant proceedings before the United States Patent and Trademark Office as well as Section 337 investigations before the International Trade Commission. He also represents clients in complex licensing negotiations and provides strategic, pre-litigation, IP risk-management counseling. Coburn received his bachelor's degree from Hamilton College,magna cum laude, and his law degree from Boston College Law School, cum laude.
Eugene Ho counsels companies in all stages of their development from start-up through acquisition. Over his years of practice, Ho has gained significant transactional experience in all aspects of mergers and acquisitions, sales and divestitures, joint venture arrangements, commercial loan transactions, and private offerings. He also advises startups and entrepreneurs on entity formation matters, founder issues, and business planning and strategy. In addition, Ho frequently serves as outside general counsel to businesses in a wide variety of industries, including telecommunications, manufacturing, software, health care, and technology. An active member in the community, Ho is the immediate past president of the Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts and is a current member of the Board of Directors of Asian Community Development Corporation. He received his bachelor's degree from Amherst College and his law degree from American University Washington College of Law, magna cum laude.
Brian O'Rourke focuses his practice on the representation of owners, construction managers and contractors in the building, energy and infrastructure construction industries. His practice includes contract negotiation, civil litigation, claims management and analysis, arbitration, and public and private procurement. O'Rourke has served as lead counsel in construction-related litigation and arbitration, and participated in numerous mediations and dispute resolution sessions. He is a registered professional engineer in Massachusetts and a LEEP AP (New Construction), and worked for six years as a civil engineer prior to his legal career. O'Rourke regularly lectures on various construction law topics and serves as an Adjunct Instructor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He received his bachelor's degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, with high distinction; his master's degree from Cornell University; and his law degree from Boston College Law School.
John Powell has provided clients with IP counseling, patent strategy, opinions, due diligence, and hands-on patent prosecution over the course of his more than 20 years of practice. He has also advised clients on a broad range of commercial and intellectual property based transactions, including negotiating and drafting patent, software and technology license agreements, commercial and government contracts, development agreements, and non-disclosure agreements. Prior to reentering private practice, Powell served as VP, General Counsel and Secretary of a publicly traded global energy technologies company, during which he successfully led a process of asserting the company's intellectual property rights on an international basis for the theft of critical software by a Chinese company. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of New Hampshire and his law degree from the University of New Hampshire School of Law.
Sarah Trautz provides a broad range of transactional and regulatory advice for clients in the health care industry, with a focus on issues affecting academic medical centers, large health systems, and community hospitals. Trautz advises hospitals and universities on a variety of regulatory matters, including the Stark law and anti-kickback statute, HIPAA, state and federal licensure issues, human subjects research, and federal grants compliance. She also frequently assists clients with a wide variety of contract negotiations with a focus on clinical trial agreements, academic affiliation agreements, and international research collaborations. Prior to entering private practice, Trautz worked in research compliance at a large hospital. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania, magna cum laude, and her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law, Order of the Coif.
Geoffrey Why has substantial experience in prominent policy and legislative issues affecting the cable, broadband, wireline, and wireless industries. Before entering private practice, Why served as the Commissioner and General Counsel of the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable (DTC). In his role as Commissioner, Why directed all administrative, legal, and policy priorities for the department. Drawing on this extensive industry experience, he represents clients before state public utilities commissions and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Prior to his positions at the DTC, Why served as an assistant attorney general in the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection and Antitrust Division, was co-chair of the Attorney General's Diversity Committee, and in 2006, was presented the Edward J. McCormack Jr. Award for Excellence by the Attorney General for his work on behalf of Massachusetts consumers. He received his bachelor's degree from Boston College and his law degree from Boston College Law School.
