Practice/Organization Description
At McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP ("MBHB"), we provide creative, pragmatic business solutions through a variety of intellectual property services, including litigation, prosecution, and general client counseling.
With offices in Chicago, North Carolina and Washington state, MBHB provides comprehensive legal services to obtain and enforce our clients' intellectual property rights, from navigating patent office procedures to litigating complex infringement actions. We prosecute patent and trademark applications in both the U.S. and abroad, handle intellectual property litigation matters in trial and appellate courts across the country, and counsel clients nationwide and worldwide on the enforcement and defense of their intellectual property rights.
Our attorneys are experienced in the procurement, licensing, enforcement, and defense of patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and unfair competition actions in a number of technological disciplines and product categories including biotechnology, business methods, chemical, electrical, mechanical and materials, pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, software and telecommunications.
As we provide effective and service-oriented representation on a case-by-case basis, we undertake each challenge with a full understanding of our client's business plan and the ways in which our services help our clients reach their goals. Regardless of our role, we never lose sight of our clients' business objectives.
Our clients know they have trusted their legal issues and plans for the future with knowledgeable, principled professionals who have their best business interests in mind.
Practices:
- Copyright
- Counseling
- Litigation
- Patent
- Prosecution
- Trademark and Unfair Competition
Technologies:
- Biotechnology
- Business Methods
- Chemical
- Electrical
- Mechanical and Materials
- Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostic
- Software
- Telecommunications
Honors and Awards
MBHB is highly ranked in three distinct intellectual property-related practice areas within the 2013 edition of U.S.News-Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” at the national and metropolitan levels. Overall rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their relevant practice area(s), and a review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process. Rankings are presented in tiers one through three both nationally and by metropolitan area or by state (with Tier 1 being the highest level). MBHB is ranked as follows:
National Level
- Patent Law (Tier 2)
- Litigation – Intellectual Property (Tier 2)
- Litigation – Patent (Tier 2)
Chicago-Metro Level
- Patent Law (Tier 1)
- Litigation – Patent (Tier 1)
- Litigation – Intellectual Property (Tier 1)
Chambers USA, in its annual surveys of the legal market, has favorably ranked MBHB among top law firms. Chambers USA determined that MBHB is composed of “outstanding and consistently excellent patent lawyers,” ranking the firm above four large, general practice firms. MBHB was recognized as “doing a good job in biotechnology and chemicals with some fine lawyers.
MBHB and several of its partners have been favorably ranked in the IAM Patent 1000—The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners 2012 guide, as published by Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) magazine. MBHB was recognized within Illinois in the IAM Patent 1000 guide-designated categories of “Prosecution,” “Litigation,” and “Licensing.”
Four MBHB partners were selected by their peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2013 edition within the Best Lawyers-designated specialty areas of: Biotechnology Law; Litigation - Intellectual Property; Litigation – Patent; Patent Law; and Trademark Law.
Three MBHB partners were selected by their peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2012 edition within the Best Lawyers-designated specialty areas of: Biotechnology Law; Litigation - Intellectual Property; Litigation – Patent; and Patent Law.
MBHB was named a 2012 “Go-To Law Firm for the Top 500 Companies” in the area of “Intellectual Property.” To select Go-To Law Firms, American Lawyer Media surveys general counsel at Fortune 500 companies and asks them which law firms they rely on in various practice areas.
IP Law + Business’s “Who Protects Innovation in America 2009” names MBHB as a top patent prosecution firm. IP Law + Business recently polled some of the country’s largest companies and found that MBHB ranked among the top go-to intellectual property firms.
A recent Corporate Counsel survey ranked MBHB in the top ten firms representing the Fortune 250 in intellectual property, with MBHB outranking a number of general practice firms.
MBHB is highly ranked in the “Vault Law Firm Rankings 2013: Best Law Firms in Each Practice Area: Intellectual Property Boutiques.”
The Legal 500 directory ranks MBHB in the top ten firms in life science/chemical patent litigation.
