Summary: JD Journal has identified the top IP litigation boutiques in Washington, D.C.
Note: These are BCG Attorney Search’s favorite IP litigation boutiques in Washington, D.C.
IP litigation attorneys must defend or enforce their clients’ trademarks, patents, or copyrights; and a few years ago, the practice was thriving. However, after the Supreme Court’s ruling in Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank International in 2014, the amount of work from patent trolls dropped significantly, causing the practice to slow. Despite this setback, as long as ideas need protecting, IP litigation law firms will still have business, which is why JD Journal has identified the top IP litigation boutiques in one of the largest markets in the United States, Washington, D.C. The following list is ranked by size.
Knobbe Martens is a full-service intellectual property boutique with offices in Washington, D.C., California, and Washington state. The firm has 300 attorneys total and 100 IP litigators. It devotes almost half of its human resources to IP litigation, which includes litigation concerning medical devices, trade secrets, and consumer electronics.
“Our litigation practice spans consumer brands to computer software; microchips to medical devices; logos to life sciences,” the company’s website states. “Calling upon our wide-ranging experience and focused IP perspective, we fashion cutting-edge litigation strategies to be dynamic and effective.”
2. Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox
Established in 1978, Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox is a full-service IP boutique with 170 attorneys. Their diverse client base includes startups and established companies, venture capital firms, individuals, and universities.
“We have unbridled passion for exploring the bounds of technology and the law to help you succeed. We like what happens, every day, when 170+ IP professionals come to work in a firm that combines the focus of a boutique with the resources of a major IP practice,” its website states.
Located in Arlington, Virginia, Nixon-Vanderhye serves the Washington, D.C. area for all of its intellectual property litigation needs. This includes enforcing their client’s IP rights as well as protecting their clients from infringement accusations. Clients include Nintendo and Sharp.
“Nixon & Vanderhye is dedicated to cost-effective, uncompromising and aggressive advocacy of our clients’s intellectual property rights,” the website states.