SAN FRANCISCO — Silicon Valley’s most powerful lawyers crowded into Symantec Corp. CEO John Thompson’s tony Woodside home on Feb. 17 for a fundraiser for a Vermont senator — and it wasn’t because they’ve suddenly become interested in maple syrup.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is expected to reintroduce a patent reform bill as early as today, according to people familiar with the matter. So it’s no surprise that a who’s who of tech general counsel — Cisco Systems’ Mark Chandler, Intel’s Bruce Sewell, Google’s Kent Walker — and a phalanx of patent litigators paid $1,000 to down wine and hors d’oeuvres with the senator. A small group, committed to raising $10,000 each for Leahy, got to stay for dinner.
