Fish & Richardson Named Top Patent Litigation Defense Firm

Fish & Richardsonannounced that it has been named the top patent litigation defense firm in the U.S. in 2015, according to Lex Machina's recent Patent Litigation Year in Review analysis. The report showed that Fish "had a dominating lead in 2015, representing defendants in 287 new cases," compared to 88 cases for its nearest competitor.

"Defendants turn to Fish because of our unmatched trial experience in patent and intellectual property matters, in every industry imaginable," said Kurt Glitzenstein, the Litigation Practice Group Leader at Fish. "We are also a leader in Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) proceedings, which are often a central component of mounting an effective patent defense."

Fish was recently named a top law firm at the PTAB in a separate Lex Machina report and by Managing Intellectual Property magazine. "Post-grant proceedings in the PTAB are routinely considered in developing defensive patent strategies," said Glitzenstein. "We seamlessly meld key litigation and patent office strategies in order to mount a comprehensive defense to help our clients win."

In 2015, Fish completed nine patent trials in federal district courts and three patent trials at the International Trade Commission (ITC). In addition to that blistering schedule of patent trials, Fish appeared for oral arguments before the Federal Circuit 14 times and before the PTAB 25 times. Fish was also one of the most active law firms at the PTAB for 2015 with 153 petitions including 103 for petitioners, which far exceeded other law firms.

The Lex Machina report also noted that the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas continues to lead the country by number of new cases filed in 2015 with 1,427 cases (43.7% of all patent cases filed in 2015), which represents a 78% increase over the 2014 total.

"We have a particular expertise in the Eastern District of Texas, where many national patent infringement cases are filed and tried, and our vast experience in this court is invaluable," added Glitzenstein. "Plus, we are very fortunate to have Judge Leonard Davis, former Chief Judge of the Eastern District of Texas, at our firm to advise on strategy and counseling for our top-notch trial lawyers and clients."

Judge Davis joined Fish in May 2015 after 13 years on the bench, where he handled more than 1,700 cases involving intellectual property law.

Lex Machina's 2015 Patent Litigation Year in Review surveys and summarizes the key trends that have emerged over the last year, with a focus on district courts, the PTAB, and the ITC. The report examines filing trends, case timing, motions, judges, top law firms, patent trends, parties, and damages. The report draws upon Lex Machina's platform that combines data from PACER, the PTAB, the ITC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Orange Book on Abbreviated New Drug Applications, and more.