Overview
Competition lies at the core of intellectual property and technology law. Businesses count on us to secure, leverage and defend their intellectual property and technology rights and to help them navigate through the thicket of potentially competitive intellectual property. Our seasoned lawyers have tried some of the most complex patent cases nationwide, fighting to get our clients into different markets and protecting their property rights.
Our clients span from Fortune 500 companies, to mid- and small- cap enterprises, to Internet start-ups. They include businesses in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, entertainment, media and broadcasting, manufacturing, merchandizing, consumer product, software, franchising, consulting and accounting industries, as well as educational institutions throughout the country.
Our IP trial attorneys have a longstanding record in all aspects of protecting intellectual assets against infringement. We represent plaintiffs and defendants before federal district and appellate courts across the country, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the U.S. Supreme Court and even international courts. More than half of our IP team is admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Our attorneys have worked in unfair competition, trade secret and deceptive trade practices litigation. Internationally, we are experienced with filing and prosecuting trademark applications under the European Community Trademark Convention through associate firms in Europe. Working with them, we obtain legal advice for clients involving infringement, validity and title questions under the laws of most foreign countries.
Locke Lord's trial lawyers are experienced in every type of IP litigation, from retail and manufacturing issues to biotechnology and entertainment cases. We have represented a large manufacturer of orthodontic products against patent infringement allegations and a major computer company accused of copyright infringement. We represented a Plant Variety Protection holder in litigation involving certificates for two cotton varieties and also reclaimed domain names for an entertainment company and a television film star.
Many of our attorneys previously worked as engineers for the industries we serve, such as chemical, petroleum and aerospace companies and chemical and mechanical engineering firms. We have attorneys who were former patent or general counsel to software makers, universities and global multinationals; others were examiners for the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Our attorneys have diverse educational backgrounds and degrees in a variety of fields, including biochemistry and molecular genetics, biology, biomedical science, cellular biology, civil and electrical engineering, neurosciences and organic chemistry. A number of our attorneys have PhD’s in their field of study, including biogeochemistry and molecular biology.
Locke Lord's intellectual property lawyers are members of all major professional associations, including the Licensing Executives Society, International Trademark Association, Computer Law Association and American Arbitration Association’s Panel of Arbiters (AIPLA). Our team of intellectual property attorneys includes many recognized among The Best Lawyers in America.