Intellectual Property Department

 

Kilpatrick’s reputation for Intellectual Property excellence provides access to work for clients developing some of the most surprising and revolutionary ideas, products and designs. We are hired by the world’s most innovative technology companies, not merely for our size and breadth of technical expertise but, increasingly, for our ability to solve their most pressing business problems and to protect their most valuable IP.

Intellectual Property Department

  • Chemistry & Life Sciences
    38
  • Electronics & Software
    80
  • Mechanical & Medical Devices
    21
  • Patent Litigation
    45
  • Trademark, Copyright & Advertising
    126
  • Total Team Members 310

    Intellectual Property Department

  • Partners
    119
  • Counsel/Senior Counsel
    19
  • Associates/Senior Associates
    111
  • Law Clerks
    17
  • Patent Agents
    12
  • Other Attorneys
    32
  • Total Team Members 310

    ACCOLADES

    • Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP is thrilled to announce that once again the firm’s Intellectual Property (IP) Department has received broad recognition this year from some of the world’s most prestigious legal rankings. Leading the long list of accolades is the firm being named the  “Americas IP Firm of the Year” by Managing Intellectual Property. Kilpatrick is one of the select firms in the country ranked at the highest level in top IP rankings for: The Best Lawyers in America 2023, U.S. News – Best Lawyers  “Best Law Firms”, Chambers USA 2022,  Managing Intellectual Property 2022World Trademark Review 1000 2022, Legal 500 US 2022, and Who’s Who Legal(August 2022)
    • Kilpatrick once again received high recognition from Chambers Global 2022. The firm is one of only three U.S. firms to receive a Band 1 ranking (the highest ranking available) for Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets. Kilpatrick’s Patent Practice was also ranked among the top in the U.S. (June 2022)
    • IP:  Managing Intellectual Property (Managing IP) named the firm Americas IP Firm of the Year at the 17th annual Managing IP Awards, held in New York on April 7.
    • Kilpatrick national trademark practice was once again awarded a gold-level ranking, the highest ranking available, by the 2022 World Trademark Review (WTR) 1000 – The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals. (March 2022)
    • Kilpatrick was named Law Firm of the Year for Trademark Law—the 5th consecutive year to receive a Law Firm of the Year recognition and the second time for Trademark. – Best Lawyers Law Firm. (November 2022)

    IP Chair Profile

    Partner Wab Kadaba
    Services
    • Anti-Counterfeiting & Gray Markets
    • Cross Border Transactions
    • Patent Disputes
    • Post-Grant Proceedings
    • Trade Secrets
    Industries
    • Apparel, Accessories & Luxury Goods
    • Media & Entertainment
    • Technology
    Education
    • University of North Carolina School of Law, J.D. (1997)
    • Case Western Reserve University, M.S., Mechanical Engineering (1994)
    • Georgia Institue of Technology, B.S., Mechanical Engineering (1992)

    Law Firm

    of The Year

    Litigation – Intellectual Property

    U.S. News & World Report (2019)

    Tier 1

    (Us National)

    Trademark Prosecution, Trademark Contentious, and Copyright & Related Rights

    Managing Intellectual Property’s IP Stars (2019)

    CASE STUDY

    adidas

    Case settlement for adidas in one of the largest patent cases in the footwear industry

    In August 2022, Kilpatrick represented adidas AG, adidas North America, Inc., adidas America, Inc., and adidas International Trading AG in a patent infringement and importation investigation at ITC brought by Nike, Inc., related to the design and manufacture of shoe uppers for knitted footwear, with related action in Oregon federal court. One of the largest patent cases in the footwear industry, the case involved nine U.S. patents from multiple distinct families of patents, each covering a different subject matter. After completing both fact and expert discovery, the case was settled on confidential terms shortly before the evidentiary hearing at the ITC.

    Kilpatrick Client Success

    $100 Million Win for Client GREE in Mobile Gaming Patent Clash

    In May 2021, a Texas jury handed down a $92 million verdict in favor of Kilpatrick client GREE, Inc. in its long-running patent battle with Supercell Oy, increasing the total jury verdicts GREE has obtained against Supercell to over $100 Million. GREE is a Japanese gaming and internet media company and a pioneer in mobile social gaming, including in cutting-edge technologies that enable the “freemium” model of gaming apps where the original download is free but players can buy additional valuable virtual items within the app.

    GREE sued Supercell, a Finnish mobile gaming company owned by China’s media giant Tencent, asserting that Supercell’s freemium gaming app hits “Clash of Clans,” “Hay Day,” and “Clash Royale” infringed six of GREE’s patents that cover such features as allowing players to participate in virtual battles, aiding players in acquiring valuable virtual items, and enabling social game play that encourages player engagement. At a trial in May 2021, the jury found that Supercell’s apps – which brought Supercell more than $3 billion in earnings in the US over the relevant time – infringed all six of GREE’s patents, and awarded GREE $92 million in damages, the exact amount GREE sought. The jury also rejected Supercell’s contention that the patents were invalid. Moreover, the jury found that Supercell’s infringement was willful, which could treble the $92 million damages awarded to GREE.

    This is the second patent case in which GREE has recently prevailed over Supercell. In September 2020, another Texas jury found that Supercell willfully infringed a different set of five GREE patents and awarded $8.5 million in damages. Notably, the two Texas cases are only a portion of the complex series of legal actions between the parties, including proceedings in the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board and appeals in the Federal Circuit, and Kilpatrick has been by GREE’s side in each and every proceeding.