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The Womble Bond Dickinson family mourns the passing of Roger Blakely, an IP partner in the firm’s Orange County office and an instrumental figure in the rise of California’s tech economy.
Mr. Blakely was a founding partner of Blakely Sokoloff Taylor & Zafman LLP, an intellectual property/patent firm he helped form in 1975. Blakely Sokoloff focused on software and electrical engineering, making it a favored firm among California’s leading tech companies.
In January 2018, Blakely Sokoloff joined Womble Bond Dickinson, bringing Los Angeles and Orange County offices into the Womble Bond Dickinson footprint and greatly expanding the firm’s capabilities in Silicon Valley.
“I consider it an honor to have been able to get to know and work with Roger over the past year and will forever cherish his friendship, as well as his humor, candor and intellect,” said Mike Gencarella, Managing Partner of Womble Bond Dickinson’s California offices. “Roger, and the firm he started, had a profound impact on many, especially those in the intellectual property arena.”
Mr. Blakely initially worked as an engineer after graduating from Cornell University. His engineering work included electromechanical instrument design and development. He earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California. He began his legal career in 1969, after graduating from the Loyola School of Law.
We at Womble Bond Dickinson extend our deepest sympathies to his wife, Tokiko, as well as Roger’s family and friends.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time. We will share more information as it becomes available.
