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Top BigLaw Firms for Intellectual Property (Patent)

Patent litigation (technical fact work, expert prep, claim construction briefing) or patent prosecution, depending on the group. Technical understanding drives the work. Chambers USA 2026 ranks 26 firms in our directory nationwide for patent law, 6 of them in Band 1. Pick a city for the local tables.

Ranked nationwide
26
Cities with 3+ ranked firms
7

Intellectual Property (Patent) by city

Ranked nationwide, Chambers USA 2026

  1. 1.Fish & Richardson P.C.First-year base $225,000+Band 1 · Intellectual Property: Patent Trial and Appeal Board; Band 1 · International Trade: Intellectual Property (Section 337)
  2. 2.Kirkland & Ellis LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 1 · Intellectual Property: Appellate; Band 1 · International Trade: Intellectual Property (Section 337)
  3. 3.Latham & Watkins LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 1 · International Trade: Intellectual Property (Section 337); Band 2 · Intellectual Property: Appellate
  4. 4.Morrison & Foerster LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 1 · Intellectual Property: Appellate; Band 4 · International Trade: Intellectual Property (Section 337)
  5. 5.Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 1 · Intellectual Property: Appellate; Band 4 · International Trade: Intellectual Property (Section 337)
  6. 6.Paul Hastings LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 1 · Intellectual Property: Patent Trial and Appeal Board
  7. 7.Ashurst Perkins Coie LLPFirst-year base $255,000+Band 2 · Intellectual Property: Appellate; Band 2 · Intellectual Property: Patent Trial and Appeal Board
  8. 8.Baker Botts L.L.P.First-year base $225,000+Band 2 · Intellectual Property: Appellate; Band 2 · Intellectual Property: Patent Trial and Appeal Board
  9. 9.Williams & Connolly LLPFirst-year base $260,000Band 2 · Intellectual Property: Patent Trial and Appeal Board; Band 3 · Intellectual Property: Appellate
  10. 10.O'Melveny & Myers LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 2 · Intellectual Property: Patent Trial and Appeal Board; Band 4 · International Trade: Intellectual Property (Section 337)
  11. 11.Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 2 · Intellectual Property: Appellate; Band 5 · International Trade: Intellectual Property (Section 337)
  12. 12.Goodwin Procter LLPFirst-year base $255,000+Band 2 · Intellectual Property: Appellate; Band 5 · International Trade: Intellectual Property (Section 337)
  13. 13.Covington & Burling LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 2 · International Trade: Intellectual Property (Section 337)
  14. 14.Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLPFirst-year base $235,000+Band 2 · International Trade: Intellectual Property (Section 337)
  15. 15.DLA Piper LLP (US)First-year base $225,000+Band 2 · International Trade: Intellectual Property (Section 337)
  16. 16.Alston & Bird LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 2 · International Trade: Intellectual Property (Section 337)
  17. 17.Haynes and Boone, LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 2 · Intellectual Property: Patent Trial and Appeal Board
  18. 18.Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 3 · Intellectual Property: Appellate; Band 4 · International Trade: Intellectual Property (Section 337)
  19. 19.Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 3 · Intellectual Property: Appellate
  20. 20.Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 3 · Intellectual Property: Patent Trial and Appeal Board
  21. 21.Venable LLPFirst-year base $215,000Band 3 · Intellectual Property: Patent Trial and Appeal Board
  22. 22.King & Spalding LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 4 · International Trade: Intellectual Property (Section 337)
  23. 23.Polsinelli PCFirst-year base $225,000Band 4 · International Trade: Intellectual Property (Section 337)
  24. 24.White & Case LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 5 · International Trade: Intellectual Property (Section 337)
  25. 25.Crowell & Moring LLPFirst-year base $215,000Band 5 · International Trade: Intellectual Property (Section 337)
  26. 26.Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.First-year base $225,000+Band 5 · International Trade: Intellectual Property (Section 337)

Is patent law a fit?

Who tends to thrive

  • Students with science or engineering backgrounds
  • People who like translating technology for judges and juries
  • Those who want a deep specialty

What a 1L can do this year

  • If you have a STEM degree, ask about the patent bar exam
  • Take Patent Law when eligible
  • Read a recent Federal Circuit opinion in your technical field
Not sure this practice fits? Take the quiz Filter the directory by patent law

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