Patent Attorneys in High Demand
Intellectual property litigation is hot… and getting hotter. Last year there were an unprecedented number of international patent filings, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). WIPO receives on average more than 400 Patent Cooperation Treaty applications every day, according to Francis Gurry, Deputy Director General. In total, a record 156,100 applications were filed in 2007, representing a 4.7% jump from the year before. The United States led the pack, accounting for 33.5% of all filings. Rounding out the top five is Japan, Germany, Korea and France. And for the fourth year running, WIPO says the most notable growth rates came from countries in Northeast Asia.
Demand for IP legal assistance has exploded in the past decade as more companies relying on new ideas, technologies and processes. That has led to a boom in the number of IP attorneys. Membership in the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) has grown to more than 17,000 professionals, according to the Arlington-based association. Amid the trend, executive search firm, A.E. Feldman, says law firms are expanding their Intellectual Property (IP) practices. Emerging technologies are creating opportunities for attorneys, who are increasingly responding to IP issues, or matters of trademark law, copyright law and property rights law. A.E. Feldman says top tier law firms with booming Intellectual Property practices are currently seeking patent attorneys. The firm adds, however, that while demand is high, competition in this practice area remains fierce.
Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the mind: inventions, works of art and literature, symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce, according to WIPO. Intellectual property is divided into two categories: industrial property, which includes patents, trademarks and industrial designs as well as copyright, which includes literary and artistic works.
The Washington Business Journal quotes Brian Ferguson, a D.C. partner at McDermott, Will & Emery LLP and deputy head of the firm’s IP, media and technology department as saying, “IP is considered to be one of the most sought-after practices” for law firms. The report also contends that big law firms are swallowing up local boutiques, poaching their talent to expand into the IP arena or boost existing practices.
Law Firms Expanding IP Practices
Rutan & Tucker is growing its intellectual property practice. The firm recently added three intellectual property attorneys to two of its offices. The Orange County Business Journal quotes to L. Ski Harrison, a hiring partner in the firm’s executive committee as saying the firm could add five or more lawyers to its intellectual property practice this year. “We’re really focused on developing this as a practice area within the firm,” Harrison said. “We’ve been focusing on looking for the right mix of personalities with professional expertise.”
Rutan wants to recruit lawyers on the partner level since these attorneys typically have established practices and clients, according to the Orange County Business Journal.
Gallop, Johnson & Neuman’s Intellectual Property Practice Group also continues to expand its IP practice. The firm says the addition of two new partners was needed to meet client demand since IP law is the fastest-growing area of the legal profession.
“Our firm is serving an increasing number of business clients who are dealing with a variety of IP matters, and our growing IP Practice certainly reflects this,” says Thomas J. Campbell, Managing Partner at Gallop, Johnson & Neuman.
John Kepler III, Chair of the Intellectual Property Practice Group at Gallop says, “More biotechnology, pharmaceutical, chemical, computer and other high-tech industries, as well as companies in virtually every industry sector, are dealing with needs to protect and leverage their IP assets in a changing global business world.”
Washington Business Journal also reports that a number of firms have plans to expand their IP practices in the foreseeable future: Crowell & Moring has hired seven patent prosecutors and litigators. Covington & Burling plans to add 10 attorneys to its IP group over the next two years. The report also states that Dickstein Shapiro, which started its IP group in 1986, plans to add 15 to 20 more over the next two years. McDermott Will & Emery also expects to grow its IP practice by 14 attorneys by the end of next year.
