Eckert Seamans expands IP practice with addition of member Noland Cheung and team

PITTSBURGH (June 6, 2024) – National law firm Eckert Seamans has welcomed an experienced team of intellectual property attorneys to its Pittsburgh office, including Member Noland J Cheung, Special Counsel Gary F Matz, Associates Mark A Mazza and Cody J Madison, and Patent Agent Lisa E Geary, Ph.D. The group joins Eckert Seamans from Dentons Cohen & Grigsby, where Cheung served as Chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property practice.

“Noland joins our firm as a leading attorney in the Intellectual Property field,” said Scott D Cessar, Chief Executive Officer of Eckert Seamans. “We are thrilled to have him bring his unparalleled experience, along with a first-class team including Gary, Mark, Cody, and Lisa, to Eckert Seamans, and we look forward to them helping us continue to advance our client offerings in this space.”

Cheung focuses his practice on intellectual property protection and enforcement, including patent, trademark, and copyright law. He has extensive experience assisting clients with developing strategies focused on business goals to achieve the economic benefits of their intellectual property rights. Additionally, he counsels on procuring patents, e-commerce, and social media implementation, as well as due diligence projects for clients merging or investing in companies with significant IP portfolios. In addition to leading Dentons Cohen & Grigsby’s intellectual property group, he served as the US Co-Chair of Dentons’ Intellectual Property Group and as the Dentons US Region Sector Co-Leader for Life Sciences & Healthcare. Prior to joining Dentons Cohen & Grigsby, Cheung served as Vice President and Chief Patent Counsel at Bayer MaterialScience LLC, where he was responsible for the Patents and Licensing Department.

Cheung commented: “I am thrilled about joining Eckert Seamans. The firm is in a strategic growth mindset complemented by its historic commitment to client success. This move, along with my team joining, provides an exciting opportunity to continue to work alongside my current clients and allows me to put my own experience in motion for the firm and our clients.”

Matz’s unique background allows him to work closely with clients, particularly inventors, to identify and protect the innovative aspects of their technological developments. Matz’s background and extensive experience also allow him to advise business leaders on how to optimize the value of their technologies. He previously served as Vice President and Chief Patent Counsel at NOVA Chemicals, where he was responsible for the Intellectual Property Group providing support to the various business units within NOVA. Prior to serving as Chief Patent Counsel, Gary served as Senior IP Attorney, focusing primarily on the Styrenics business unit. Throughout his time at NOVA, Gary managed several litigation matters ranging from trade secret violations and IP contract interpretation to patent infringement.

With a strong background in biology and chemistry, Mazza advises clients on a wide variety of intellectual property issues, including patents, trademarks, and copyrights. He also has experience counseling newly formed businesses and entities, including technology start-ups, on a range of intellectual property matters.

Madison concentrates his practice on intellectual property prosecution, protection, and enforcement, including managing patent portfolios in the areas of pharmaceuticals, life sciences, chemistry, and computer software. He also has experience advising clients on copyright issues in the areas of education, professional sports, and computer software, among others.

Geary focuses on patent prosecution and IP due diligence, including drafting and prosecuting domestic and foreign patent applications, invalidity and non-infringement opinions, and due diligence and freedom to operate analyses. She holds a Ph.D. in Molecular and Structural Biophysics from the University of Pittsburgh.

In addition to their extensive intellectual property law practices, the group also counsels clients with respect to a wide range of multidisciplinary corporate and litigation matters. 

Grant E Coffield, Chair of the firm’s Business Division, commented: “The group’s team-oriented, client service-focused approach is a perfect match for Eckert Seamans’ culture, and we could not be more thrilled to welcome such an amazing group of attorneys, and people, to the firm during an exciting period of renewed growth and success for the firm.”

“The strength of this team’s addition brings exceptional potential to our IP group across all our firm offices,” said Mark L Reardon, Chair of Eckert Seamans’ Executive Committee. “We are excited to welcome them to the firm and look forward to them bringing their valuable knowledge and innovative mindset to an already well-established practice.”

Eckert Seamans’ Intellectual Property practice advises clients on the full spectrum of IP matters, including U.S. and foreign patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and unfair competition laws. The group practices in many forums, including state and federal courts, the US Patent and Trademark Office, the US Copyright Office, and the International Trade Commission. The practice was nationally ranked for Litigation – Intellectual Property and Trademark Law in the 2024 edition of Best Law Firms®. 

Philip E Levy, Chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property practice group, commented: “The arrival of Noland, Gary, Mark, Cody, and Lisa significantly boosts our already strong intellectual property team, and their backgrounds and extensive experience make them a great fit to continue growing our client base across all aspects of IP.”

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