Leading international law firm Proskauer is pleased to welcome Joseph (Joe) Drayton as a partner in its Intellectual Property (IP) Group. A first-chair trial lawyer, Joe has represented some of the nation’s most prominent companies on all facets of IP litigation before both state and federal courts, as well as the International Trade Commission.
Joe has more than two decades of experience specializing in IP and complex commercial matters, including patent litigation, copyright, trademark and trade dress and false advertising across diverse industries. He also counsels clients in all aspects of IP acquisition, transfer, protection and enforcement.
Joe will be based in the Firm’s New York office, which in October also welcomed Commercial Litigation partners and first-chair trial lawyers Grant Esposito and David Fioccola.
“Joe’s expertise in patent litigation will strengthen our standing as a key player in the intellectual property arena – a growing area of importance for many of our clients,” said Steven M. Ellis, Chairman of Proskauer. “As clients’ needs evolve and the issues become more complex, our Firm will continue to invest and grow to support those needs on a global scale.”
“As we continue to deepen our bench of first-chair trial lawyers, I am thrilled to welcome Joe to Proskauer. His successful track record and well-earned reputation in complex IP and patent litigation matters will undoubtedly be a benefit to clients,” said Bart Williams, Chair of the Firm’s Litigation Department. “I look forward to working closely with Joe as we help companies across different industries solve for their most sophisticated IP issues.”
Joe is a trusted advisor for several corporate executives and a national leader in the legal community. He is regularly recognized as one of the top lawyers in the U.S., having consistently been named to the IAM Patent 1000 list. Most recently, Joe received the C. Francis Stadford Award by the National Bar Association, the highest award bestowed by the association that is given to a member whose leadership, integrity, legal skills and devotion have inspired colleagues and contributed greatly to the legal profession. A longtime bar leader, Joe served as the 76th president of the National Bar Association and is also a former vice president and Board chair of the New York Bar Association.
“I am delighted to join Proskauer. They have a forward-thinking mindset and as IP and tech issues continue to increase in scope and complexity, this trait can make the difference in the success of a matter. I am eager to start working with this highly regarded team of litigators to counsel clients and develop outcome-aligned resolution strategies on their behalf,” said Joe.
The Firm has announced 17 partners this year, six of which have been in the Litigation Department. In addition to Joe, Grant and David, Proskauer welcomed partners Robert Pommer (Securities Litigation, Washington, D.C.), Stephen Hibbard (Securities Litigation, Los Angeles) and Erik Milch (Patent Litigation, Washington, D.C.).
Joe received his B.S. from University of Maryland and J.D. from University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law. He joins from Cooley LLP.
