February 19, 2002
THE CALIFORNIA LAW BUSINESS JOURNAL
By John Ryan
LOS ANGELES – Lyon & Lyon: EX-MANAGING PARTNER, RAINMAKER LEAVE SHOP
Nearly 60 years of history and experience walked out the door at Los Angeles-based Lyon & Lyon when the firm’s former managing partner and biggest rainmaker resigned.
Robert Dickerson, 51, left the 110-attorney intellectual property boutique for a partner position across the street at Jones Day Reavis & Pogue. He started Feb. 5.
Headquartered in Cleveland, the 1,500-attorney firm also offered veteran patent litigator Robert Weiss a partner position in the Los Angeles office, but as of press time, he had not accepted.
Weiss, 61, could not be reached for comment. Dickerson declined to comment. A member of Lyon & Lyon’s executive committee, Michael Wise, says the firm will feel the loss of Dickerson, who served as the managing partner for two years, and Weiss, whose book of business exceeds $5 million a year. But Lyon & Lyon will endure, he says.
While Weiss mulls his options, Dickerson is hard at work at Jones Day.
By bringing aboard the longtime litigator, Jones Day continues to beef up its intellectual property practice, says Rick McKnight, partner in charge of the Los Angeles office. Jones Day has six intellectual property partners in Los Angeles and two in Irvine. There are 100 attorneys firm wide practicing intellectual property full time, he says.
“Rob is a terrific lawyer for whom I have a very high regard. We’re thrilled to have him here,” McKnight said.
Dickerson had worked at Lyon & Lyon since 1979. His former colleague, Weiss, started at the boutique in 1967.
Aside from Los Angeles, Lyon & Lyon has offices in Irvine, San Diego, Silicon Valley, Washington, D.C., and New York. Jones Day has offices in 26 cities including Irvine and Menlo Park.