Boston, MA
If intellectual property litigation is your calling, Fish & Richardson is the gold standard. The firm earned Band 1 rankings from Chambers USA for nationwide IP and ITC practices, Gold Band recognition from IAM Patent 1000, and Vault's number-one ranking for Best Law Firm for Intellectual Property, a level of dominance across every major IP ranking that no competitor can match. With approximately 400 attorneys in offices including Boston, Washington DC, Silicon Valley, and other key markets, Fish is the largest dedicated IP firm in the country.
Fish & Richardson handles the full spectrum of intellectual property work, patent prosecution, patent litigation, trademark, trade secret, ITC Section 337 proceedings, and PTAB post-grant proceedings, at the highest level. The firm's patent litigation trial record is exceptional, and its appellate practice before the Federal Circuit is among the most active in the country. Fish also maintains strong practices in commercial litigation and regulatory counseling for life sciences and technology clients.
The culture at Fish is deeply technical and collegantly competitive. Many attorneys hold advanced degrees in engineering, computer science, and the hard sciences. The firm uses a free-market system and summer associates work on real IP matters from day one, gaining exposure to both prosecution and litigation. The atmosphere is described as intellectually rigorous but collaborative.
To stand out in recruiting, highlight any technical background, a STEM degree is a significant advantage here. Be prepared to discuss patent law developments and show that you understand how IP litigation actually works in practice. Fish values candidates who combine legal acumen with genuine scientific curiosity.
Summer Class Size
41 associates
Data sources: Financial data from AmLaw 200, FY2025. Practice area rankings from Chambers USA 2026. Summer program data from Chambers Associate 2026. Office locations from firm websites. Last verified: March 27, 2026. View our data methodology
Billable Hours
2,000 hours
Source: Chambers USA 2026 Rankings
| Practice Area | Band | Jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Government Regulatory / Public Policy | Band 1 | Nationwide |
| Intellectual Property (General / Trademark) | Band 1 | Nationwide, Delaware, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Minnesota |
| Intellectual Property (General / Trademark) | Band 2 | Texas |
| Intellectual Property (Patent) | Band 2 | Nationwide, California |
| Intellectual Property (General / Trademark) | Band 3 | Georgia |
| Intellectual Property (Patent) | Band 3 | District of Columbia |
| Life Sciences / FDA | Band 3 | California |
| Intellectual Property (Patent) | Band 5 | New York |
Vault Rank (2026)
#84
Founded
1878
Chair / Managing Partner
John Adkisson
Attorneys
~400
Partnership Track
8 years
Billable Hours Target
2,000 hours
Summer Class Size (2025)
~40
Revenue per Lawyer (FY2025)
$950K
1st-Year Total Comp (2026)
$245,000+