Sorey & Gilliland is pleased to congratulate Partner Derek Gilliland on his selection to serve as the second U.S. magistrate judge for the Waco division of the Western District of Texas.
U.S. District Judge Alan Albright selected Mr. Gilliland from dozens of applicants and a group of 10 finalists recommended by a search committee. A veteran trial lawyer, Mr. Gilliland has not only handled numerous cases in the Western District, but he and Judge Albright also successfully tried a 2013 patent infringement case together.
“I anticipate Derek will quickly become an invaluable asset,” Judge Albright told the Waco Tribune-Herald shortly after the announcement. “Derek has enormous experience in the courtroom both with patent and non-IP cases and he already enjoys the respect of lawyers who will be appearing in front of him.”
Mr. Gilliland currently leads Sorey & Gilliland’s intellectual property litigation practice from the firm’s Longview and Waco offices. He has decades of experience representing clients in disputes involving patent infringement, trademark and copyright violations, trade secret infringement and other areas of patent law. He also handles other types of civil litigation, including personal injury, products liability, and contract disputes.
“I am incredibly honored to have been given this opportunity and am very much looking forward to working with Judge Albright in this capacity,” said Mr. Gilliland. “While I will miss working on behalf of our clients, I know that when I move to Waco, I can do so with the utmost confidence they remain in great hands.”
Mr. Gilliland already has deep ties to Waco. He worked as an engineer at CTAS (now L3 Harris) after graduating from Texas A&M and then attended law school at Baylor University School of Law. He previously practiced law in Waco for several years. He also facilitated Sorey & Gilliland’s expansion into Waco during a time when the Western District became the busiest patent litigation docket in the U.S.
“Derek is a fantastic choice to take on this incredible new opportunity. We could not be more pleased and excited for him,” said Sorey & Gilliland Partner Dan Sorey. “We are truly appreciative of all Derek has done to grow our firm’s IP practice. It is stronger now than it has ever been and, before he takes the bench, Derek and I will work together to ensure that growth will only continue.”
Mr. Gilliland, who takes the bench in April 2022, will remain with Sorey & Gilliland through spring 2022. An announcement regarding a new addition to the firm’s IP practice will come over the next few weeks.