ATLANTA, Feb. 14, 2005
Needle & Rosenberg, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the Southeast with 34 professionals, has opened an office in Charleston, S.C.

Chip Hood has joined Needle & Rosenberg as resident officer in the Charleston office. The firm's new office is located at 180 Meeting St., Suite 210. The telephone number is 843-720-2144. Hood can be reached at chood@needlerosenberg.com.

A native of Varnville, S.C., Hood was previously employed as legal counsel for the MUSC Foundation for Research Development, the technology transfer organization for the Medical University of South Carolina. Prior to that, he was in private practice in Charleston, focusing on litigation, including technology-related cases.

For approximately 15 years, Hood has been a member of the S.C. Bar. He is a registered patent attorney with experience in the technology areas of electronics, computers, software and biotechnology. Hood received his bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Clemson University, and his juris doctor from the University of South Carolina where he graduated cum laude. Following law school, he was an engineer in Charleston for the Department of Defense. He is currently enrolled in the bioinformatics doctoral program at MUSC.

"We are excited about our first expansion opportunity outside of Atlanta," states Bill Needle, founder of Needle & Rosenberg. "Chip Hood exemplifies the culture of our firm and will be an excellent ambassador for us throughout the state of South Carolina. Because of our firm's substantial experience and depth in patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and associated litigation, we can be a valuable asset for South Carolina's rapidly growing IP market."

For instance, among Needle & Rosenberg's IP professionals, there are 12 Ph.D's, one M.D. and one D.V.M. Needle, who grew up in Charleston and resides in Atlanta, has a second home near Charleston. The Needle family has a long history in Charleston including, for a long period of time, the family-owned retail clothing store, J. Needle's.

Hood added, "'I'm proud to join such a prestigious firm and to serve in a pivotal and important role to the state's growth in the intellectual property arena."

Founded in 1983, Needle & Rosenberg is one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the Southeast, with its headquarters in Atlanta. The firm's patent practice areas include biotechnology, chemical, pharmaceutical, nanotechnology, electronics, software and mechanical. As an intellectual property boutique, the firm's professionals are not only attorneys, but are also engineers and scientists.

For more information, call 678-420-9300 or visit www.needlerosenberg.com