John Fitzgerald of Fulwider Patton LLP Elected to Whittier College Board of Trustees

To serve a two-year term as representative of Whittier College School of Law

LOS ANGELES (Oct. 27, 2011) – Fulwider Patton LLP is pleased to announce that firm partner John K. Fitzgerald has been elected as the Alumni Representative to the Whittier College Board of Trustees.

The 29-member Board of Trustees elected Mr. Fitzgerald as the alumni at-large representative from the Law School. Mr. Fitzgerald is a 1993 graduate of the Whittier College School of Law where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review from 1992 to 1993. Alumni representatives are full voting members of the Board of Trustees and are nominated by the Committee on Trustees and with the advice of the respective Alumni Boards or advisory councils. Alumni-at-large representatives serve one two-year term.

Mr. Fitzgerald’s practice at Fulwider Patton LLP focuses on the prosecution and litigation of patents, trademarks, copyright, licensing and trade secrets. His wide-range of clients come from the fields of mechanical, analytical, biomedical, optical, e-commerce, network, software and material technology.

Mr. Fitzgerald joined Fulwider Patton in 1993 as an associate and became a partner in 2000. Prior to joining the firm, he was employed by the Dow Corning Corporation for twelve years as a material science and process-engineering specialist.

As a member of the Whittier College Board of Trustees, Mr. Fitzgerald’s duties will include appointing, supporting, and assessing the president and other officers of the College, as well as authorizing the granting of tenure to faculty, and approving earned and honorary degrees. Additionally, trustees lead planning initiatives, assess outcomes, and monitor progress against goals. They ensure that the College has adequate resources to fulfill its mission by approving and monitoring the annual budget, protecting financial and capital assets, and prudently investing restricted and unrestricted funds.

Founded by Quakers in 1887, Whittier College is an independent, four-year college offering a traditional liberal arts program integrated with both professional and pre-professional courses of study. With an emphasis on diversity, community, and curricular innovation, the College’s primary mission is to endow students with the education, skills, and values appropriate for global leadership and service. Whittier College is a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).

Whittier Law School, which is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools, is located on a separate campus in Orange County.

Fulwider Patton LLP is one of the oldest and most respected independent intellectual property law firms in Southern California, serving clients in all areas of intellectual property including patents, trademarks, copyrights, Internet domain name disputes, trade secrets and unfair competition. With offices in Los Angeles, California, Fulwider Patton LLP represents clients throughout California, the United States, Europe and the Pacific Rim.