CHICAGO, Aug. 10, 2010—Stephen S. Wu, a partner in the Silicon Valley law firm of Cooke Kobrick Wu LLP, today became chair of the American Bar Association Section of Science and Technology Law.

“I hope to start a national dialogue about science and technology law with state, local and specialty bar associations.  The goal is to help prepare our profession for rapid and sweeping changes in technology and science so that lawyers can handle legal issues that have developed and will continue to arise from technology and scientific advances,” said Wu upon taking office at the close of the 2010 ABA Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

Wu served on the section’s governing council from 2004 to 2007, and was co-chair of the section’s Information Security Committee from 2001 to 2004.

Wu handles trade secrets, copyright, and trademark cases, as well as disputes relating to computer and Internet technology.  In addition, Wu serves as outside general counsel for Silicon Valley startup and technology companies, handling licensing, marketing agreements and other technology transactions.  He advises clients concerning issues of e-discovery, electronic records retention, digital evidence and legal matters relating to information security, privacy and e-commerce.  He also advises clients concerning cutting-edge areas of law, providing counseling in areas such as video games, virtual worlds, artificial intelligence, and robotics.

Before establishing his private practice, Wu was an in-house lawyer at VeriSign Inc., in charge of the company’s worldwide security and legal policies and practices governing digital certification information security services, while also being responsible for other more general corporate legal matters.  He previously practiced intellectual property and commercial law, and handled products liability cases, general litigation, and technology licensing and transactions in two other large private firms.

He lectures on technology law at Santa Clara University School of Law, and regularly presents at legal and information security profession educational programs.  He has written several books in his area of expertise.

Wu is a 1988 cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School, and a 1985 summa cum laude graduate, with a Bachelor of Arts, from the University of Pittsburgh.

The ABA Section of Science Technology Law provides leadership on emerging issues at the intersection of law, science, and technology; promotes sound policy and public understanding on such issues; and enhances the professional development of its members.  The Section has over 13,000 members, with diverse backgrounds in areas such as e-commerce law, Internet law, computer law, communications law, and law relating to engineering, physics, biology, and medicine. It works through 26 substantive committees to explore the legal implications of topics such as e-commerce, information security, homeland security, privacy, the Internet, electronic discovery and digital evidence, animal law, rights and responsibilities of scientists, nanotechnology, and biotechnology.

With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world.  As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

- 30 -