As if Google wasn’t already powerful enough, now it has taken to poaching other company’s executives to beef up its own legal team. Adding some heft to Google’s team of in-house patent experts, Allen Lo, the former vice president and deputy general counsel at Juniper Networks, will be joining the online giant as deputy GC. In his new role, Lo will be responsible for patent licensing and litigation.
In reality, though, Google could use the help. They’re facing legal action from Oracle, which claims that Google’s Android smartphone infringes on Java, and from Apple, which is suing Android phone makers Samsung and HTC.
And those are just the two most-publicized cases. At an IP event at Stanford Law School on Wednesday, where Lo’s move was announced, he said that Google has around 100 active patent litigation matters. So Lo will certainly have plenty to do when he starts his new job next week.
