Fish Receives Top Tier 1 National Rankings in Patent Prosecution and Patent Litigation from The Legal 500

Fish & Richardson announced that both its Patent Prosecution and Patent Litigation practices received a top Tier 1 national ranking from The Legal 500 guide to the most preeminent U.S. law firms. Fish also received top national rankings for its Patent Litigation: International Trade Commission (ITC) and Trademark and Copyright practices.

The Legal 500 noted that Fish's Tier 1 Patent Prosecution practice leveraged "its strong patent litigation capabilities," and that "its dedicated full-service post-grant team handled 147 post-grant proceedings, including a number of high-profile matters," in 2015. Fish "also has a strong reputation for patent prosecution and providing opinions and strategic advice. Areas of particular expertise include IT, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, and media." Legal 500 highlighted the work of Karl Renner andAndrew Patrick, and recommended Jeffrey Barclay and Christopher Bowley. Fish's patent portfolio management and licensing services, led by Kevin Gray, "handles all types of IP licensing, as well as due diligence, portfolio management and strategic counseling."

Fish's Tier 1 Patent Litigation practice was recognized for its "notable expertise in the life sciences field, with a particular focus on pharmaceutical, medical device and Hatch-Waxman cases" and "has strong capabilities in the tech sector." Singled out were litigators Juanita Brooks, Ruffin Cordell, Frank Scherkenbach, and Jonathan Singer.

Fish was also among a select group of firms whose ITC practices merited inclusion in The Legal 500 for its "deep familiarity with the ITC's rules and procedures." Principals Ruffin Cordell and Michael McKeon were two of only nine attorneys in the country named to Legal 500's elite "Leading ITC Lawyers" list. The "highly regarded Ruffin Cordell has handled numerous patent and trade secret cases before the ITC, and hi-tech expert Michael McKeon has strong experience in telecoms, semiconductors and various consumer electronics." Legal 500 also noted the work of Andrew Kopsidas.

Fish's Trademark and Copyright "team has extensive experience in federal and state court as well as Trademark Trial and Appeal Board proceedings" and "is best known for representing technology companies in disputes with content owners, especially regarding fair use issues … and regularly advises various clients on the protection of copyright works and infringement matters." Kristen McCallion was commended for her experience in copyright and trademark matters.

The Legal 500 conducts extensive research to analyze and assess the capabilities and strengths of law firms. The resulting rankings provide buyers of legal services with an objective analysis of the U.S. market. Research includes in-depth interviews with law firms, clients, and lawyers across the country. Inclusion in The Legal 500 is based solely on merit and the guides are widely regarded as offering the definitive judgment of law firm capabilities.