From appellate guru to anti-counterfeiting strategist all through the varied spectrum of IP these winners are distinguished by their sheer brainpower, legal smarts, creativity and hard work.
Copyright Revolt in Academia
The disruption of the Internet reaches the hallowed halls of scientific publishing.
High Stakes at the Second Circuit
Google turns to Michael Page of Keker & Van Nest to establish an important trademark precedent for triggered ads.
Protecting the American Way of Suing
The patent bar is trying to lessen the backlog of patent cases in East Texas. But it won't be easy.
Open Source Software Flexes its Muscle
A philosophical debate is quickly turning into a dangerous real-world business dispute.
A Haier Power
How the Chinese appliance giant is harnessing its own trademarks and patents to go global.
How to Become Invaluable to a Chinese Multinational
Haier looks to law firms that can help teach the company's own lawyers.
State AG says Bilski Method Is Bilking
The business method being considered by the Federal Circuit is also under attack by Minnesota state regulators.
Amateur Hour
User-generated contents transforms the Web --and throws punchy questions about who will control and profit from the IP.
Taming Texas
It took six years, but the defense bar finally learned how to win in the Eastern District.
Animal Planet
Kelly Slavitt takes care of IP for those who speak for pets.
An Inside Job at Affymetrix
A maverick GC relies on in-house litigators to protect the biotech pioneer's IP.
The Peacemakers
Only about 20 people in the U.S. have experience mediating high-stakes patent conflicts. The requirements: legal, business, and technology savvy - and the ability to butt heads.
Lord of the Public Domain
Digital activist Carl Malamud wants to pry U.S. case law from the copyright grip of Thomson West.
All-Around Champion
IP Litigation Department of the Year: Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
Winner: An All-Around Champion
Wilmer shines at every level of the justice system-and it's not just Bill Lee's show.
Finalist: "A Class of One"
Irell & Manella's string of victories is astounding. But could master litigator Morgan Chu be spread too thin?
Finalist: Young and Hungry
Kirkland had an outstanding year-even though its record-setting $1.5 billion jury award for Lucent was set aside.
Finalist: Ready for Primetime
With high-profile wins for EchoStar and Novell, California-based Morrison & Foerster is gaining clout on the East Coast.
Circle of Friends
Clerking for a judge of the Federal Circuit give patent lawyers entrée to a lifelong network.
The Art of Patience and Payoff
Landing Asian clients requires tremendous amounts of time and money. But how else to participate in the boom if Asian plaintiffs.
A Court Off Balance?
A Q&A with Paul Michel, chief justice of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
A Bounty of $5,000 To Name Troll Tracker
Ray Niro wants to know who is saying all those nasty things about him.
Back From the Dead
After high-profile setbacks, gene therapy companies are reviving. Convoluted patent claims will spawn plenty of work for IP lawyers.
Who Protects Innovation in America 2007
Which law firms prosecute U.S. patents for Korea's LG Electronics? Who handles IP litigation here for Google? Our list of lawyers for the world's most inventive companies tells all.
Get Used to It
With Glivec, Novartis had found a breakthrough cancer treatment, and it hoped India's new patent laws would protect its innovative drug. Here's how a poorly waged patent battle metastasized into an international controversy.
The Road to Innovation
By allowing product patents on pharmaceuticals, India not only opened itself to investment from multinational drug companies, it realigned business plans for its own thriving generics industry.
Not Invented Here
"Radical" and "Procter & Gamble" didn't used to go together. But how else to describe the culture shift that led P&G to develop blockbuster products from the technology of others?
Pulling Together
Through seven years and 964 patent applications, Finnegan, Henderson and Caterpillar have engineered a unique partnership.
The Art of the Micro-Boutique
By focusing on a niche, tiny IP firms can flourish. Challenging drug patents or trademarking wine labels, more lawyers are giving small-firm life a try.
Patent Politics
The patent bar is not happy with the management of the Patent and Trademark Office. But how much better could anyone else do?
Courting a Jury
Advice from top patent litigators on how to sell a high-tech case.
Plenty of Work
The total volume of patent litigation resumed its upward climb in 2006. Will recent Supreme Court decisions weakening patents send future totals through the roof?
Policing the Internet
Helping trademark owners to fight counterfeiters on the Internet is a growth business for law firms and consultants alike.
International Savoir Faire
Knowing the ropes at the ITC has boosted the practice of boutique Adduci, Mastriani & Schaumberg. Other firms also prosper.
Looking for Deep Pockets
Brand owners look to shift enforcement burden to third parties.
Fast Footwork: Hunting for Fakes
The in-house IP lawyer for Adidas in China has managed to score some goals against counterfeiters.
The Patent Killer
Generic manufacturers take aim at biotech drugs, with Bruce Downey of Barr Pharmaceuticals leading the way.
Hedge Fund Spies in the Courtroom
Betting on high stakes patent trials is the latest way to make a buck.
Nothing Cash Can't Cure
A new patent reform bill was introduced in Congress on April 18. High-tech companies are spending more than ever to convince legislators that change is good. What is needed depends on who you ask.
Buyout Brainstorm
A new patent reform bill was introduced in Congress on April 18. High-tech companies are spending more than ever to convince legislators that change is good. What is needed depends on who you ask.
Point Of View: We Must Stop The Race To The Bottom
The man in charge of managing IBM's intellectual property suggests that
corporations need to police their own aggressive patent moves.
Inside the Microsoft Warroom
Help wanted: Anyone want a job as a patent litigator at the world's biggest software company?
Salary Increases? No Problem
Specialty firms have an advantage over general practice firms in hiring top candidates.
Seeing Green
Alternative energy and clean tech are fueling another Silicon Valley IP boom.
Good measure?
Patent analytics offers a new tool for evaluating a company's intangible assets. But will it produce tangible results for investors?
Brave New World
Linden Lab promises players IP rights in its virtual universe, Second Life. Are those rights for real?
Hurry Up...And Wait
Patent cases zip through the International Trade Commission. But when Customs takes the reins, things can really slow down.
Shanghai Surprise
3M took on a patent infringer in Chinese courtroom--and won.
Bitter Pills
Counterfeit drugs manufactured in China are landing in some of the poorest areas in the world, killing those most desperate for medical attention.
The Hard Cell
Nokia and several other cell phone companies are battling Qualcomm over patent royalties for next-generation technology.
Who Protects IP America 2006
Our annual survey of the firms that safeguard Corporate America's crown jewels.
Philadelphia Freedom
Despite some serious courting from larger firms, Woodcock Washburn has chosen to grow on its own.
Lemley's Big Switch
Vaunted legal scholar switches sides in Supreme Court patent case.
Yahoo Reboots
As Yahoo's first IP guru, Joseph Siino is weaving intellectual assets into the company's corporate fabric.
New Kind of Blue
Open source software does have a price at IBM: Licensing income is on the decline. But with a new IP team in place, the patent behemoth is hardly losing its edge.
Trial Tips: Behind the Music
A sound producer tries to claim credit for The White Stripes' first two albums.
Smart Pills: IP Isn't the Issue
Patents are part of the solution for improving health in developing nations; they're not part of the problem.
Billion-Dollar Babies
How Big Pharma keeps its blockbuster drugs safe.
Pay Backfire: Bristol-Myers's tactic for ending the Plavix patent fight falls apart.
Up the Dosage: With Prilosec going off patent, AstraZeneca created Nexium, a stronger--and nearly as profitable--heartburn drug.
Taking the Deal Route: To hang on to Zocor, Merck skipped the litigation, authorized a
generic, and cut deals with insurers.
We Dare You: Will Mylan risk selling generic Norvasc? The billion-dollar stakes may be too high.
No Repeats: Lilly tries to avoid a Prozac sequel with Zyprexa.
Time-Out: To hold on to Effexor, Wyeth had to chop a few years off its patent.
Double Vision
In a world of "trolls" and dubious patents, four inventor/lawyer pairs serve as a reminder of how the system is supposed to work.
Focus on Europe
Goal Tending
At the World Cup, FIFA was willing to do just about anything to protect its sponsors from ambush marketing, even asking fans to take off their pants. Has the soccer organization gone too far?
Fashion Victims
Italy's top fashion houses are besieged by high-quality knockoffs that, so far, are virtually impossible to stop.
Quick Draw
Raymond Niro sues first, settles fast, and collects millions. But as his enemies and imitators pile up, can the good times last?
Stop the Music (Regulation)
New satellite radio devices are making waves in the recording industry. Instead of trying to legislate away these problems, let the market find the answer
The Boom Goes Bust
The number of patent cases filed in the U.S. declined in 2005, but the firms in our survey aren't feeling the pain--yet.
Small Steps
Nearly a decade after Simpson Thacher kicked off a race for patent work, most Wall Street firms are nowhere near the finish line.
Bringing Back The Dead
Brim coffee, Rival pet food, and Soho Natural Soda had disappeared into the vanished trademark ether--until RiverWestBrands revived them. Inside a dead-brand thrift store.
Mind Games
Intellectual Ventures happily "invests in invention," while the tech world trembles in fear. An inside look at Nathan Myhrvold's $400 million IP experiment.
Settling for More
Cephalon is one of a number of pharma companies taking a new approach to patent litigation.
Patently Good Publicity
This third-year associate may not know any CEOs or GCs, but Dennis Crouch uses his blog, Patently-O, to make rain.
A House Divided Cannot Merge
Behind Merchant & Gould's failed wedding to Welsh & Katz lies a tale of inner turmoil.
First Bill, Now Steve
Richard Lang believes he holds key patents for online video delivery. Now, after making Microsoft pay $60 million, he wants a piece of Apple.
Who Protects Biotech America
Our first survey of public biotechnology companies: What firms are getting the work?
Alpha Males
Behind AlphaMed's $78 million victory in a trade secrets case lies a bizarre story of betrayal. How a rift between business partners has kept a potential wonder drug off the market.
Judging Trial Judges
Despite what Professor Kimberly Moore told Congress in October, there is no need for specialized patent judges.
Delaware Rules
Puffed up with a big victory for Pfizer, Connolly Bove wants to bring its Wilmington ways to Los Angeles and beyond.
The Best Intentions
EBay wants judges to distinguish good patent holders from bad. If the Supreme Court agrees, it could weaken patent rights for all.
Digital Pull
Google is dragging the book world online. Will the publishing industry make the leap with its copyrights intact?
Meet the dotCommunist
This Columbia law professor believes all intellectual property should be abolished. So, how did he get the backing of some of the biggest IT companies in the world?
Litigation Department of the Year
Finnegan specializes in IP--and winning.
Big Pharma's Big Leap
The drug industry has figured out a way to beat back generic competition. And unless the FTC halts the practice, pharmaceutical patent litigation could free-fall.
The Reexamination Gamble
