BakerHostetlerannounced the addition of Troy M. Schmelzer as a partner in its Intellectual Property Group. Resident in the firm’s Los Angeles office, Schmelzer will be part of the electrical, mechanical and computer science prosecution team. He was previously with Norton Rose Fulbright.

Schmelzer focuses his practice on patent and trademark prosecution, portfolio management, and strategic counseling. He represents numerous companies in a wide variety of technologies including mobile devices and software applications, communication systems and equipment, imaging products, semiconductor devices, augmented and virtual reality applications, 3-D printing devices, and medical devices. In addition to his U.S.-based clients, Schmelzer represents an extensive roster of Japanese and Israeli technology companies.

“While the firm has long had a stellar reputation in the IP world, we continue to grow and strengthen our practice, across multiple disciplines and for clients around the globe. Troy Schmelzer is a great addition to our patent prosecution team and overall IP practice,” said Mark Tidman, firmwide chair of BakerHostetler’s Intellectual Property Group.

“Troy is a welcome addition to our growing IP team in Los Angeles,” said John Cermak, managing partner of BakerHostetler’s Los Angeles office. “He has outstanding credentials in patent prosecution and portfolio management work on behalf of technology firms, and our clients on the West Coast, across the U.S. and overseas will benefit from his experience.”

Schmelzer is admitted to the state bars of California, Illinois and Arizona, and is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He received his J.D. and B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a member of the American and Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law associations.

“Not only can technological innovations have a profound impact on everyday life, but safeguarding patents is important for the survival of many emerging as well as established companies. It is exciting to work with cutting-edge companies on next-generation technology,” said Schmelzer. “BakerHostetler’s deep IP bench provides a good fit for my practice, and I look forward to working with my new BakerHostetler colleagues and continuing to grow my practice here.”

Over the past year, BakerHostetler has significantly bolstered its Intellectual Property Group with the addition of 22 attorneys nationwide who are highly specialized in a multitude of scientific fields. They join a team of more than 170 IP attorneys and more than 100 lawyers and patent agents registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. More than 50 of BakerHostetler’s IP attorneys hold advanced degrees across a spectrum of disciplines.