New Federal Judge Sworn In

Alexander F. MacKinnon was sworn in today as one of two-dozen full-time magistrate judges on the federal bench in Los Angeles.

MacKinnon succeeds retired Judge Victor B. Kenton.

Before his appointment, MacKinnon was a partner for more than 20 years at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where he concentrated on patent infringement cases as well as other areas of federal trial and appellate practice.

During his career, he was selected as one of the state’s top intellectual property litigators. He previously served as a law clerk to late Judge Albert J. Engel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

MacKinnon graduated with honors from the University of Michigan Law School in 1981. Prior to going to law school, MacKinnon was a civil engineer.

The Central District of California includes the counties of Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside. It is the most populous federal judicial district, with more than 18 million residents spread across 40,000 square miles.

--City News Service