Firm ranks highly in life sciences, patent litigation, patent prosecution, and trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets, recognized for “five-star” client service
IRVINE, Calif. & SEATTLE, June 6, 2025 – Knobbe Martens is proud to announce that Chambers & Partners has recognized the firm, multiple offices, and five of its partners in the 2025 edition of the prestigious Chambers USA guide.
Knobbe Martens once again ranked Band 1 for Patent Prosecution in California, marking the eighth consecutive year the firm has achieved this top-tier recognition. The firm also received strong rankings in California for Life Sciences, Patent Litigation, and Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets, and again ranked in Intellectual Property in Washington state.
Chambers commended Knobbe Martens’ “five-star service” and its team of “very experienced and savvy IP professionals,” noting their commitment to understanding clients’ “long-term goals, innovation portfolio and vision,” as well as their proficiency in navigating companies “through tortuous issues.” In the guide, clients highlighted firm lawyers’ numerous strengths across practice areas, including their “ability to handle complex and sophisticated matters and break them down so that executives can make an informed decision.”
In addition to these firmwide rankings, five Knobbe Martens partners were recognized individually for their outstanding client service and work in intellectual property law:
- Carol Pitzel Cruz, Co-Chair of the firm’s Hatch-Waxman Litigation practice and Managing Partner of the Seattle office, was ranked for Intellectual Property in Washington state. The 2025 Chambers guide recognized Ms. Pitzel Cruz for her standout litigation practice, both representing pharmaceutical clients in active litigation matters and advising them on strategies that reduce litigation risk. Clients praised Ms. Pitzel Cruz as “really thoughtful, well prepared and very pragmatic,” and deemed her “one of the best at cross-examinations.” Her accomplished track record includes representing generic drug manufacturers in dozens of ANDA litigation matters involving some of the best-selling drugs in the world.
- Salima Merani, Ph.D., Co-Chair of the firm’s Medical Device practice, has served as lead IP counsel in successful transactions totaling several billions of dollars. Dr. Merani once again received dual rankings in Chambers for Patent Prosecution and Life Sciences: IP/Patent Litigation in California. Clients describe Dr. Merani as “phenomenal” and “the smartest” and “best” patent attorney they have engaged, emphasizing her strategic and “unique capability to look at the big picture while being extremely detail-oriented.” The guide further praises her as “an expert negotiator and a fearless supporter” of her clients, commending her ability to navigate both “the business and the science” while advising emerging companies and investors on complex deals. Dr. Merani’s clients also lauded her strategic insight into creating value across all stages of a company’s IP lifecycle. A graduate of McGill University and Berkeley Law, she currently serves on the Advisory Board of Vensana Capital, helping to advance groundbreaking innovations in medical technology.
- Susan Natland, Co-Chair of the firm’s Trademark and Brand Protection practice, ranked in the 2025 Chambers guide in California for Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets. Ms. Natland, recently recognized by Managing IP as among the Top 250 Women in IP, has been honored by numerous business and legal outlets. A former Chair of the USPTO’s Trademark Public Advisory Committee, she has more than 25 years’ experience advising clients on all aspects of domestic and international brand protection and enforcement, advertising law, unfair competition, copyright, internet law, and data privacy. In the guide, clients describe working with Ms. Natland as “a remarkable experience,” praising her “unparalleled skill and truly impressive depth of knowledge on worldwide IP issues.” In parallel with her “excellent customer service,” the guide also highlighted that Ms. Natland “consistently provides strategic and creative suggestions to help [clients] achieve effective, impactful results.”
- Joseph Re, a nationally recognized trial and appellate attorney, has long been one of Knobbe Martens’ leading first-chair litigators. A partner at the firm since 1990 and a former President of the American Intellectual Property Law Association and Federal Circuit Bar Association, Mr. Re is again ranked in California for Patent Litigation. He has been ranked by Chambers for 19 years and has been consistently ranked in numerous other leading publications. Over his thirty-five-year career, all at Knobbe Martens, Mr. Re has led numerous trial teams and successfully tried high-stakes technology cases, the majority of those before juries in federal courts throughout the country. In the 2025 guide, clients express appreciation for his ability to “cut right to the heart of the matter.” Summarizing Mr. Re’s litigation approach and stellar track record, the guide quotes one client as saying, “He’s playing chess while others are playing checkers.”
- Lynda Zadra-Symes, Co-Chair of the firm’s Trademark and Copyright Litigation practices, was ranked in California for Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets. Chambers recognized Ms. Zadra-Symes for her experience handling “complex IP disputes for clients from a wide array of industries.” During her 35-year career at Knobbe Martens, she has represented clients in all litigation stages in federal courts throughout the country, the International Trade Commission and before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Ms. Zadra-Symes advises clients on a range of IP issues, including trademarks, copyrights, false advertising, unfair competition, anti-counterfeiting and rights of publicity. In her Chambers profile, clients described Ms. Zadra-Symes as “an excellent lawyer that understands clients’ needs.”
Published annually, the Chambers USA guide recognizes and ranks the country’s top lawyers and law firms through in-depth market analysis and comprehensive independent research conducted over the course of several months by a team of experienced analysts. The research team conducts thousands of interviews with peers, clients and industry experts, to assess the experience and reputations of lawyers and law firms across the country.
The firm’s 2025 Chambers rankings can be viewed here.
About Knobbe Martens
Knobbe Martens is a highly respected intellectual property law firm, offering legal services in all aspects of intellectual property and technology law. The firm’s litigation group handles cases throughout the U.S. and coordinates strategy for disputes worldwide. Founded in California in 1962, the firm has about 300 lawyers and scientists based in offices located in Orange County, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C. Knobbe Martens serves a diverse international client base, from multinational corporations to emerging businesses of all stages. More information about the firm can be found at www.knobbe.com.
