Sterne Kessler Goldstein & Fox

Founded in 1978 and based in Washington, D.C., Sterne Kessler is a premier law firm dedicated exclusively to the protection, transfer, and enforcement of intellectual property rights. The firm has more than 160 lawyers, registered patent agents, students, and technical specialists number over 170 and include some of the country’s most respected practitioners of IP law. Most of these professionals hold an advanced level degree, including more than 50 masters degrees and more than 50 doctorate degrees in science or engineering -- credentials wide and deep enough to fill the faculty of a science oriented university.

Patent Prosecution:

For over 40 years, the patent prosecution group has been preparing and prosecuting patent applications. This renowned group prosecutes and enforces utility and design patents for Fortune 500 companies with extensive, active patent portfolios, as well as small startup companies that rely on the patent system to obtain funding and to head off competition.

Patent Litigation:

The trial & appellate group practices before Federal District Courts throughout the United States in complex IP cases involving software, biotech products, medical devises, pharmaceuticals, electronics, and consumer products. With more than 50 PhDs on staff, the group seamlessly blends disciplines to ensure the right team is handling the legal and technical challenges specific to the IP dispute at hand. The group provides counsel across a broad spectrum of IP issues, including patent infringement actions, trademark and copyright issues, licensing disputes, breach of contract, trade secrets and Lanham Act matters to name a few.

PTO Litigation:

Since the inception of the U.S. America Invents Act (AIA) in 2012, the patent office litigation practice has worked on more AIA reviews than any other law firm at the United States Patent and Trademark Office Patent Trial and Appeal Board -- the PTAB. The group has handled more than 1000 IPRs and other post-grant reviews on behalf of both patent owners and third party requesters. The PTO litigation group represents both petitioners and patent owners, in a wide range of the PTAB’s technology centers-- biotech and chemical, electrical, and mechanical.

Appellate Litigation:

The appellate litigation practice handles appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, as well as circuit courts around the U.S. The practice handles appeals from district courts, the U.S. International Trade Commission, and the PTAB.

International Trade Commission:

The ITC Section 337 investigations team represents complainants and respondents of international companies before the US International Trade Commission (ITC). The team uses its technical expertise and proximity to the ITC headquartersin Washington, DC to assist clients in navigating the multifaceted process related to Section 337 investigations. These complex, fast-paced matters require a unique and essential blend of skills in litigation, administrative law, and patent law, as well as technical skills. The team’s clients include commercial manufacturers and importers, in addition to retailers of accused products. The team is highly experienced in managing the fast track nature of the ITC proceedings, the complex issues involved in accused technologies, and following the precise agency rules associated with investigations. Sterne Kessler has more experience at the ITC than 95% of firms appearing there since 2015, and the firm successfully took 5 investigations through trial throughout 2018-19.

Trademark & Brand Protection:

The Trademark & Brand Protection Practice draws on more than 30 years of experience meeting the intellectual property needs of companies developing and maintaining strong brands around the world. Comprehensive and strategic IP protection and enforcement helps businesses both differentiate their product and service offerings from those of competitors, and helps them achieve their full market potential.

The practice’s well-thought-out IP strategies guard against patent, trademark, and copyright infringers, knock-offs and counterfeiting, online fraud, and idea theft by competitors, insiders, partners, and manufacturers – all of which can harm the reputation and brand of companies large and small.