Firm again receives standout rankings in multiple practice areas, including prosecution, trademarks, licensing, and litigation
IRVINE, Calif., June 17, 2025 – Knobbe Martens is proud to announce that the firm and dozens of its partners have been recognized for outstanding intellectual property work in the Legal 500 U.S.A. 2025 guide.
The firm achieved multiple national rankings in the guide, including the highest possible Tier One ranking in patent prosecution. In the guide, clients described the firm’s patent lawyers as “very well-equipped with both the technical and the legal knowledge to navigate the most complicated questions.” Further elaborating on this strength, clients shared that the Knobbe Martens team “understand[s] our needs in detail and responds with customization and added value.” The guide also touted the firm’s patent licensing practice, noting that the team is “regularly called upon” to negotiate IP transactions for clients in a variety of technical disciplines.
The guide also recognized Knobbe Martens’ patent litigation practice, highlighting the “pragmatic and innovative approach” of the team. Clients expressed appreciation for the team’s “deep knowledge in contentious matters in many forums and jurisdictions,” noting firm lawyers’ aptitude for global litigation matters on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants. The firm was also recognized as a “Firm to Watch” in ITC Litigation for a second consecutive year.
Knobbe Martens’ trademark and brand protection group was lauded for both its noncontentious trademark and trademark litigation work. The guide praised the team’s ability to tailor services to clients’ specialized needs, offering counsel “that underscores a consideration about [clients’] business goals that can be missing at other firms.” Clients further emphasized that this strategic approach to trademark and brand protection offers “a huge benefit for [their] bottom line.”
Dozens of Knobbe Martens partners were recommended in the guide, several of whom received premier distinctions. Dr. Salima Merani, who has been named to Legal 500’s “Hall of Fame” in patent prosecution since 2023, was additionally recognized as a “Leading Partner” in patent licensing. Sabing Lee and Harnik Shukla also received “Leading Partner” recognition in patent prosecution.
The full list of Knobbe Martens lawyers recommended in the guide includes:
Patent Prosecution and Licensing
Tom Cowan, Jordan Gottdank, Jason Jardine, Sabing Lee, Salima Merani, Kimberly Miller, David Schmidt, Melanie Seelig, Harnik Shukla, Maria Stout, Terry Tullis
Patent Litigation
William Adams, Jonathan Bachand, Carol Pitzel Cruz, Steve Jensen, Joseph Re, Sheila Swaroop, William Zimmerman
Trademark and Brand Protection, Contentious and Noncontentious
Matthew Bellinger, Brian Horne, Jonathan Hyman, Lauren Keller Katzenellenbogen, Mark Lezama, Steven Nataupsky, Susan Natland, Jeff Van Hoosear, Lynda Zadra-Symes
The Legal 500 Series is widely acknowledged as one of the world’s leading legal referral guides. More than 300,000 buyers of legal services in over 150 jurisdictions are surveyed and interviewed globally each year. The Legal 500 is an independent guide, and firms and individuals are recommended purely on merit.
The firm’s complete 2025 Legal 500 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.
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