Leadership from Dallas-based FBFK law firm today announced that the firm will be opening an Austin office and bringing on board well-known Intellectual Property (IP) attorney Kirby Cronin of Cronin PLLC to lead market efforts and bolster FBFK’s strong IP practice. Also joining FBFK from Cronin PLLC are long-standing IP attorneys Allison Copeland and Jill Cronin.

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Kirby Cronin, IP Attorney/Shareholder, FBFK (Photo: Business Wire)

“We’ve been looking for the right Austin-based partner to expand our already strong IP and technology practice and found that partner in Kirby,” said FBFK CEO and Founder Kyle Ferguson. “He’s the whole package – well-respected, entrepreneurial, and committed to relationships and service, which is evident in his strong relationships with corporate leaders and the attorney team he brings with him.”

Cronin, a 25-year attorney with expertise in intellectual property transactions, litigation, and counseling as well as extensive experience representing financial institutions’ technology-related matters, will join FBFK as a shareholder. He brings with him long-term IP clients Whataburger, Frost Bank, C.H. Guenther & Son, and many others.

He also maintains an active trademark practice and has expertise with a variety of copyright, trade secret, domain name, social media, and other intellectual property needs. Cronin also has significant legal experience in a variety of other areas, such as commercial litigation, commercial and business transactions, and employment matters.

“Coupling Cronin PLLC’s highly successful intellectual property and technology transaction specialties with FBFK’s full-service capabilities will allow us to ensure that our clients continue to receive the highest quality representation possible and with lawyers that they trust as much as their own in-house team,” said Cronin. “I look forward to growing FBFK’s IP practice and enhancing the services provided to my existing clients.”

Cronin’s legal background includes both private law firm and in-house counsel experience, most notably serving as in-house counsel for Computer Sciences Corporation. He also has led – and routinely leads – in negotiations opposite Fortune 100 U.S. companies, such as ExxonMobil, AT&T, Dell, HP, Hewlett Packard Enterprises, J.P. Morgan Chase, IBM, Capital One, Microsoft and Dow Chemical.

Cronin has both bachelor’s and juris doctorate degrees from the University of Texas and continues to teach Transactional Drafting within the University of Texas School of Law.

Austin IP Attorney Team

Also joining Cronin as part of the new FBFK Austin team are fellow IP attorneys Allison Copeland and Jill Cronin. They will collaborate with FBFK’s existing IP team in Dallas and Houston.

Allison Copeland

Copeland, a veteran intellectual property attorney with more than 20 years of experience in private law firms and as in-house corporate counsel, focuses on intellectual property transactions and counseling, including software licensing, open-source compliance, joint marketing, reseller and OEM agreements, and other intellectual property needs. Copeland received her bachelor’s and juris doctorate degrees from the University of Texas.

Jill Cronin

Cronin, who is also a tenured commercial litigation and insurance coverage law attorney, brings a wide range of IP experience to FBFK – from trademark prosecution, clearance, and enforcement matters to social media issues and matters involving contests and promotions. She also touts extensive experience with insurance coverage law and assists clients with crisis response and insurance coverage reviews. Cronin has served on the governing council of the Insurance Law Section of the State Bar of Texas and as a Co-Chair of both the Ethics and Advertising Injury/Intellectual Property Subcommittees of the ABA Insurance Coverage Litigation Section. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas and juris doctorate degree (with honors) from the University of Houston Law Center.

FBFK’s current intellectual property and technology practice is comprised of 14 attorneys in Dallas, Houston and Silicon Valley with deep expertise in patent infringement, copyright infringement, trademark infringement and unfair competition, technology contract disputes, domain name disputes, e-commerce disputes and license disputes. With the new additions, the team will now total 17 attorneys.

“We’re thrilled to increase our existing IP bench strength with Kirby, Allison and Jill and to bring our expertise to Austin,” added Ferguson.

The FBFK Austin office will be located at: 4301 Westbank Drive, Building B, Ste. 270, Austin, TX 78746.

Phone: 512.703.1400.

About FBFK

Celebrating 20 years of legal expertise and success across Texas and the U.S., Dallas-based FBFK is an entrepreneurial-minded, full-service business law firm with offices in Plano, Houston and Austin, Texas, as well as in Silicon Valley. Driven by a commitment to creating lasting client relationships grounded in high-quality representation and client service, FBFK represents clients nationwide in nearly 40 practice areas related to business structures and transactions, intellectual property protection and dispute resolution. www.fbfk.law.

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