February 15, 2008

SAN DIEGO, February 15, 2008 - Duane Morris welcomes Vicki Norton, Ph.D., formerly a partner with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, and Douglas Olson, formerly a partner with Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, as partners in the firm's San Diego office. Both join the Intellectual Property Practice Group, which now consists of more than 80 lawyers firmwide. With the addition of Norton and Olson, the firm's IP practice continues its rapid expansion. The Intellectual Property Practice Group has added 15 attorneys across five offices since September 2007 alone.

Vicki Norton, Ph.D., focuses her practice on intellectual property litigation and counseling, life sciences and patent matters, particularly in the areas of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and nanotechnology. She also advises clients on intellectual property strategy, including portfolio development and identifying IP coverage issues. She is experienced in drafting, preparing and supervising patent prosecution in a wide array of fields and industries related to life sciences.

Norton is admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the U.S. Supreme Court, and the Ninth Circuit and the Federal Circuit courts of appeals, and several federal district courts in California. She has served as president of the San Diego Intellectual Property Law Association.

Norton received her J.D. from UCLA Law School, where she was a member of the Order of the Coif. She holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Biophysics and graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of California, Davis.

Douglas Olson focuses his practice on litigation as well as on patent law, prosecution and licensing. He also counsels clients in trademark matters and regulatory compliance. His clients include businesses in the IT, e-commerce, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. He has represented clients in more than 50 trials. Approximately one-third of these have been jury trials. He has acted as counsel before numerous federal district courts across the country as well as the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals and other federal appellate courts. In addition, Olson has handled patent prosecution matters in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the European Patent Office.

Olson was voted one of "The Best Lawyers in America" and was named a California Rainmaker by the statewide Daily Journal. He writes and lectures frequently on issues in intellectual property law.

Olson earned his LL.B. from The George Washington University Law School, where he was an editor of The George Washington Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif. He holds an M.S. in Chemical Engineering and graduated with a B.S. from the University of Wisconsin.

About Duane Morris

Duane Morris LLP, one of the 100 largest law firms in the world, is a full-service firm of more than 650 lawyers, including more than 80 attorneys practicing in all aspects of patent, trademark and copyright law. In addition to legal services, Duane Morris has independent affiliates employing approximately 100 professionals engaged in other disciplines. With offices in major markets in the United States and internationally, Duane Morris represents clients across the U.S. and around the world.