The Patent 1000 focuses exclusively on patent practice and has firmly established itself as the definitive 'go-to' resource for those seeking world-class legal patent expertise.
Bronze - Individuals: litigation
A top player in both patent prosecution and litigation, Fish & Richardson is an unmissable name on the market, providing a dedicated service to intellectual property that is tough to match. Its roster of trial attorneys continues to represent clientele in some of the most significant patent cases across the United States, while the patent prosecution attorneys prosecute thousands of patents across the world each year. Leading from the front, John Hayden heads the IP group, alongside maintaining an active practice maximising and managing his clients’ global portfolios. Leveraging three decades in the field, Phyllis Kristal is a former engineer whose industry experience allows her unique insight into the businesses behind the patents and makes her a trusted partner to clients and engineers. Also with experience as an engineer, Thomas Rozylowicz offers expertise in software patents, helping patrons build some of the strongest portfolios in that industry; likewise, David Jordan has obtained more than 1,000 software patents on behalf of his following. For post-grant proceeding matters, the names to note include Karl Renner, David Holt and Nick Jepsen. As former president of the PTAB Bar Association, Renner knows the intricacies of what it takes to be successful before the board, while Holt is a USPTO guru, having appeared in more than 140 post-grant trials. Jepsen’s talents are wide ranging; he advises on subject matters across a wide variety of technologies, as a patent prosecutor, due diligence strategist and post-grant proceedings counsel. Possessing an array of expertise, Timothy Riffe is a dextrous patent attorney, both in and out of the courtroom, with particular insight into many IP disciplines. A distinct name in patent litigation across all arenas, Ruffin Cordell continues to shine before the courts, recently obtaining a major victory for the Chamberlain Group, in which the company was awarded $43.4 million in damages. Cordell also teams up with fellow stellar trial attorney Michael McKeon, and a number of other colleagues, to defend Samsung in a case involving patents related to secure electronic transactions. The ITC is Joseph Colaianni’s arena of expertise; he has tried 10 hearings there over the course of his career and possesses unique insight into the forum’s processes. Christian Chu is another noteworthy name for ITC matters and is recognised for his abilities in international patent litigation. Also appearing before the ITC on occasion are Linhong Zhang and Adam Shartzer. Zhang is the top choice for patrons from Taiwan, China, Korea and the United States looking for representation at all stages of litigation; Shartzer draws on his judicial clerking experience and years before the courts to support players across a range of technologies. Leveraging their impressive backgrounds to offer high-level representation in the most complex cases are Ahmed Davis, whose chemistry background makes him a sure pick for players in the life sciences; Rich Sterba, whose capabilities in physics and maths make him well suited to represent clients across a range of technical industries; and Lauren Degnan, a mechanical engineer, whose staunch representation of her following in their most high-stakes cases sets her apart as a leader in the field.