Lemley and friends starting new law firm

AmericanLawyer reported: The San Francisco litigation boutique of Keker & Van Nest is best known for two practices: criminal defense, which is the bailiwick of ex-Marine name partner John Keker; and intellectual property, in which the firm has long represented such blue-chip clients as Google and Comcast. As of yesterday, Keker's 60-lawyer firm had better hope for a big boom in white-collar crime prosecution. The core of its IP group, including star partner Daralyn Durie and academic bigwig Mark Lemley, announced that they are breaking off to start up their own six-lawyer firm, Durie Tangri Lemley Roberts & Kent.

Meanwhile IV is funding a study to be done by Lemley:

While Intellectual Ventures has yet to assert its patents in court, it also maintains that litigation "is possible in any business," according to its Web site.
That is why some are skeptical of the forthcoming study, which is being undertaken in collaboration with Stanford University Law Professor Mark Lemley. If the study finds that non-practicing entities have played a relatively minor role in the rise of litigation, it is likely to raise questions, given the involvement of Intellectual Ventures.

from MarketWatch