An attorney with nearly 20 years of experience in patent law has moved his practice from DLA Piper to Duane Morris LLP's Philadelphia office, the firm announced Wednesday.

Richard L. Cruz has been added as a partner to Duane Morris' intellectual property practice group in Philadelphia. Cruz told Law360 he took his practice across the street after more than 18 years with DLA Piper to grow his practice on Duane Morris' platform.

"Every three to five years, I evaluate myself and my practice to make sure I am on the right trajectory," Cruz said. "Moving to Duane Morris was an opportunity that materialized during this self-assessment, and as I explored the possibility, it made perfect sense to make the move."

Cruz said he was impressed with Duane Morris' collegial and collaborative culture, finding the personalities at the firm aligned well with his personal philosophy. He also saw Duane Morris' platform as the best place to strengthen his own practice.

Cruz concentrates on intellectual property and patent matters primarily in the technology sector, particularly software and devices — or, as he refers to it, electrical and mechanical arts.

"Those terms come to mind when I'm dealing with products such as intelligent medical devices," Cruz said. "It's a device run by a software component, which is the electrical arts piece, and then there is the mechanical instrument itself, the tool that is touched and manipulated."

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