Minnesota Patent & IP Law Firms

Executive summary:

The primary goal of most law firm web sites is to show you, the potential client, that they are forward-thinking firms in touch with modern technology. Law firm web pages usually provide some biographical information about the attorneys of those firms and describe the practice of the firm in general. In selecting firms for this listing, I have tried to concentrate on those firms providing legal services in the areas of copyright, patent, trademark, and trade secret laws (the so-called "intellectual property" fields). Because of my Minnesota connections, I have focused this listing on Minnesota lawyers and law firms. However, some national firms are also included in this list. A special emphasis is placed on patent attorneys, with one of my (unobtainable) goals being to create a list of all patent attorney web sites in Minnesota.

You may wish to skip directly to one of the following subheadings:

Minnesota Intellectual Property Law Firms
Minnesota General Practice Law Firms (with Significant Intellectual Property Law Groups)
U.S. Intellectual Property Law Firms
Search for a Particular Lawyer/Law Firm

Minnesota Intellectual Property Law Firms:

Beck & Tysver: This firm is the author of BitLaw and this listing of legal links. We concentrate in providing legal counseling to computer, medical device, and other technology companies who seek to protect their intellectual property. Specialists in patent prosecution, attorneys at Beck & Tysver also assist clients in protecting their trademarks and copyrights, and in negotiating and drafting licensing agreements.
Angenehm Law Firm, Ltd.: N. Paul Friederichs practices as a solo patent attorney working primarily with individual inventors and small companies.
Campbell Nelson Whipps: This three attorney patent firm specializes in biotechnology, chemical, pharmaceutical, and medical device patents.
Cardle Patent Law, CHTD.: James Cardle, Ph.D., is a solo patent attorney practicing in the Brainerd area. James works with clients nationally helping with inventions in the mechanical arts, medical devices, software, and other technical areas.
Clise, Billion & Cyr: This six attorney firm writes and prosecutes patents on inventions in the areas of electronics, medical devices, chemical and pharmaceutical technology, biotechnology, software, and green technology for clients ranging from solo inventors to Fortune 500 companies. The firm also provides services in the areas of patent infringement analysis, licensing, opinions, trademarks, and related matters.
Crawford Maunu: The eight patent professionals of this St. Paul law firm practice in the area of patent prosecution, opinion work, expert witness testimony, and patent litigation.

Dicke, Billig & Czaja: This firm of sixteen attorneys focuses primarily on "computer hardware and software, business method, Internet and e-commerce, electronic, electro-mechanical, mechanical, process, and medical device inventions."
Fish & Richardson: Fish & Richardson is one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the United States, with seven offices across the U.S. Their web site includes several useful articles on intellectual property, including articles discussing I.P. litigation.
Fogg & Associates: This eight attorney firm helps clients make the most of their technological innovations, ranging from telecommunications and electronics to computer hardware and software
Hagens Berman Sobol & Shapiro LLP: Nicholas Boebel is a Twin Cities patent litigator, who is now Of Counsel with the Seattle based firm of Hagens Berman. Previously, Mr. Boebel was a founding partner of Myers, Boeble & MacLeod of Minneapolis.
Hamre, Schumann, Mueller & Larson: Hamre, Schumann, Mueller & Larson is a twelve attorney "international law firm" located in downtown Minneapolis, representing companies primarily from Asia and North America.
Haugen Law Firm: The Haugen Law Firm is a three attorney law firm that handles patent and trademark prosecution matters for its clients. In addition, the firm works on matters relating to advertising law, antitrust, Internet law, and licensing.
Hollingsworth & Funk: This seven attorney firm focuses on domestic and foreign patent preparation and prosecution, opinions, and portfolio management in various technology areas including electrical, medical, mechanical, and software.
Kagan Binder: The thirteen attorneys and patent agents at Kagan Binder provide a full range of intellectual property legal services. The firm is known for its strong chemical technology practice.
Kinney & Lange: For over twenty years, Kinney & Lange has provided patent legal services to clients in the Twin Cities. With approximately seventeen attorneys, Kinney & Lange is able to represent clients in a variety of technologies.
Kunkle Law: Kenneth Kunkle is a solo attorney who focuses on the technology, graphic and fine arts, and entertainment industries. Mr. Kunkle provides contract and license review and drafting services, as well as trademark and copyright registrations.
Leffert Jay & Polglaze: The nine attorneys at Leffert Jay & Polglaze provide a broad range of intellectual property services to their clients, ranging from patent prosecution to litigation and licensing.
Lemaire Patent Law Firm: The attorneys at the Lemaire firm provide patent prosecution services on technologies relating to electronics, software, magnetic and optical technologies.
Merchant, Gould, Smith, Edell, Welter & Schmidt: Merchant, Gould, Smith, Edell, Welter & Schmidt is one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the United States with over one hundred practicing attorneys. The Merchant and Gould web site contains a great deal of information on intellectual property law.
Moore & Hansen: The nine patent attorneys and agents at Moore, Hansen & Sumner handle litigation, patent prosecution, and other licensing work for their clients.
Mueting, Raasch & Gebhardt: This law firm has a well-established reputation for prosecuting chemical and biotechnology patent applications. In addition several of the firms' dozen or so attorneys focus exclusively on electrical and mechanical inventions as well.
Nikolai & Mersereau: The attorneys at Nikolai & Mersereau have a broad technology background and are capable of handling patent matters in a variety of technical areas. The firm also handles licensing, advertising, and antitrust matters.
Patterson Thuente: Patterson Thuente has approximately thirty IP professionals and provides a full range of intellectual property services for a broad spectrum of clients, from emerging businesses to established companies, from individual inventors to publicly held corporations.
Pauly, DeVries Smith and Deffner: This firm provides intellectual property law services focusing on patent prosecution, patent infringement analysis, trade secret counseling, licensing, portfolio management, opinions, and related matters.
Schwegman Lundberg Woessner: Schwegman Lundberg Woessner is a national patent prosecution firm headquartered in Minneapolis. The firm writes and prosecutes patents on inventions in the areas of electronics, biotechnology, computers, new drugs, medical technology, and material science. This web site also includes an introduction to patent law, and many in depth intellectual property articles.
Sherrill Law Offices: This firm was started by Michael Sherrill over ten years ago and provides patent prosecution and other business legal services to individuals and small businesses.
Shewchuk IP Services: Jeff Shewchuk established his firm in December 2003 and provides patent and other IP services to a variety of businesses.
Shumaker & Sieffert: The sixteen attorneys at Shumaker & Sieffert concentrate in the areas of patent protection, patent infringement and validity counseling, and licensing. Their works focuses on the areas of electronics, software, and medical devices.
Underwood & Associates: This Twin Cities patent prosecution firm provides services in a variety of technical areas, but currently specializes in medical devices, lasers, optics, spectroscopy and similar fields.
Vidas, Arrett & Steinkraus: The fifteen IP attorneys at Vidas, Arrett & Steinkraus provide patent and trademark prosecution services as well as intellectual property litigation services to their clients.
Westman, Champlin & Kelly: The more than twenty attorneys at Westman, Champlin & Kelly have a variety of backgrounds in electrical, mechanical and chemical disciplines including digital systems and controls, communications, software and computers. The firm concentrates on patent, trademark and copyright law, licensing and related matters.

Other Minnesota Law Firms Providing IP Services:

Briggs and Morgan, P.A.: A large twin cities firm with offices in both Minneapolis and St. Paul. The firm provides a full ranges of intellectual property legal services including patent prosecution.
Dorsey & Whitney: The largest firm headquartered in Minnesota, Dorsey provides a broad range of intellectual property services ranges from patent prosecution to litigation.
Faegre & Benson: Faegre's intellectual property group is one of the largest in the central United States, with experience handling complex litigation and transactions for clients ranging from multi-national corporations to high-technology entrepreneurs.
Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.: Fredrikson is a large firm based in Minneapolis with an office in London. The firm provides many intellectual property legal services including patent prosecution.
Fulbright & Jaworski: An international law firm with a significant Twin Cities presence, Fulbright & Jaworski handles all areas of intellectual property prosecution and litigation. The firm has been named as a top twenty trademark firm in the country, one of the ten most active firms in IP litigation, and a top patent defense firm.
Gray, Plant, Mooty, Mooty & Bennett: The Gray Plant Mooty IP practice group represents clients in a variety of industries, including software, manufacturing, franchising, restaurant services, publishing and printing, machine tools, museums, craft and hobby, and medical technology.
Larkin Hoffman: Larkin Hoffman's IP group is a comprehensive intellectual property practice that includes core services for patent, trademark and copyright prosecution; clearance and infringement opinions; litigation; trade secret and trade dress protection; protecting character and artistic rights and rights of publicity; licensing and technology transfer and Internet and e-commerce.
Leonard, Street and Deinard: The intellectual property and information technology practice group of Leonard Street provides an array of transactional, counseling and litigation services in the patent, copyright, trade secret and trademark areas.
Lindquist & Vennum: Lindquist & Vennum's IP practice includes copyrights, trademarks, trade names, domain names, advertising compliance, trade secret protection and intellectual property litigation.
Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand: Maslon offers business counseling and transactional capabilities in all aspects of patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret, unfair competition, advertising, internet and computer law and litigation.
Moss & Barnett: Moss & Barnett is a full service, 70 attorney law firm with approximately four attorneys specializing in intellectual property protection. The firm handles patent and trademark prosecution as well as intellectual property litigation.
Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly Law Firm: Oppenheimer has a large patent prosecution and litigation practice section, and assists clients in obtaining patent and trademark protection, and in litigation intellectual property disputes.
Rider Bennett: This general practice firm provides a wide variety of services in connection with patents, trademarks, service marks, copyrights and trade secret information.
Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi: This large firm is one of the best known patent litigation firm in the country, and was recently named the national "IP Litigation Department of the Year."
Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A.: Winthrop & Weinstine is a fast growing firm with offices in Minneapolis and St. Paul providing litigation and trademark counseling services to their clients.

U.S. Intellectual Property Firms:


Banner & Witcoff, Ltd.: This large I.P. firm headquartered in Chicago has created a web page with up-to-date information on I.P. legal cases.
Fish & Richardson: Fish & Richardson is one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the United States, with seven offices across the U.S. Their web site includes several useful articles on intellectual property, including articles discussing I.P. litigation.
Gordon & Glickson P.C.: A Chicago-based law firm specializing in communication and computer technologies. This page includes a discussion on many recent developments in computer and Internet law.
Ladas & Parry: Ladas & Parry is one of the largest intellectual property firms in the United States, with over seventy attorneys practicing in its New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, and Munich offices. This web page is one of the most useful sources of intellectual property information on the Internet.

Search for a Particular Lawyer/Law Firm:

Martindale-Hubbell: Martindale-Hubbell provides this free web version of their famous attorney directory. Its searching facilities allow you to search for an individual or firm by name, practice area, or location.
Pipers' World Wide Directory of Patent Attorneys: The best world wide listing of patent attorneys on the web.
Findlaw/West's Attorney Directory: A large database of U.S. attorneys who have paid to be listed on the site.
Patent Attorneys and Agents Registered to Practice before the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office: A searchable index of attorneys and agents maintained by the USPTO.