Holland & Knight Tampa Partners Awarded Intellectual Property Certification in Inaugural Class by Florida Bar
November 27, 2007
Michael Colitz - Tampa
William F. "Bill" Hamilton- Tampa
Stefan V. "Steve" Stein- Tampa
TAMPA, Fla. – Holland & Knight is pleased to announce that Stefan V. "Steve" Stein, William F. "Bill" Hamilton and Michael J. "Mike" Colitz, III have been Board Certified in Intellectual Property Law by The Florida Bar in its inaugural class for IP certification.
According to the Florida Bar, the purpose of the certification standards is to identify those lawyers who practice intellectual property law and have the special knowledge, skills and proficiency, as well as the character, ethics and reputation for professionalism, to be properly identified to the public as certified intellectual property lawyers. The Bar had instituted certification for IP attorneys after significant deliberation and input from its members, who saw a distinct need to recognize the specialized knowledge and experience required to effectively counsel clients in IP matters.
The certification process included a rigorous exam focusing on trademark law, copyright law, patent infringement litigation, patent prosecution and ethics. Florida is the first state in the country to certify attorneys in Intellectual Property Law.
Stein is also Board Certified in Business Litigation and Civil Trial by The Florida Bar. He has specialized in Intellectual Property for the entirety of his 27 year legal career. He was appointed by The Florida Bar President to serve as a member of the inaugural Intellectual Property Certification Committee, which was responsible for drafting the certification examination and reviewing the applications of each applicant to verify that they met the standards for certification.
Hamilton is also Board Certified in Business Litigation by The Florida Bar and is a member of the Florida Bar's Business Litigation Certification Committee. He has specialized in complex commercial litigation including Intellectual Property for the past 25 years.
Colitz is a registered patent attorney who focuses his practice on patent infringement litigation as well as patent application preparation and prosecution.
Stein, Hamilton and Colitz, all partners in Holland & Knight''s Tampa office, work closely together on many IP matters throughout the United States.
Contact: Susan Bass (813) 769-4326