Apple adds lawyers ahead of patent legal battles

Apple has added to its legal team ahead of key legal battles with rival companies Nokia, HTC, and Motorola. Bloomberg Businessweek reports that Apple and Nokia are squaring off before the International Trade Commission this week, with each side alleging intellectual property violations. “These are very well-known, deep-pocketed, high-end manufacturers,” said Lyle Vander Schaaf, an attorney at Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione in Washington, who handles cases before the ITC. “Usually you have one 800-pound gorilla going after a new entrant. Here you’ve got 800-pound gorillas fighting each other.” According to the report, Apple has been the most-sued technology company since 2008, and has hired some of the country’s top patent lawyers as outside counsel, with experience representing companies such as Creative Technology, Broadcom, and Merck & Co. Apple also added an in-house attorney to its ranks this year, hiring former Sun Microsystems head of IP counsel Noreen Krall; Krall now focuses on intellectual property litigation for Apple.