Fish & Richardson P.C.

An influential player in the development of American IP law, Fish & Richardson evolved with the inventions of its clients. From the days of the Industrial Revolution through the most recent technology revolution, the firm has remained a leader in patent law while establishing other targeted practice areas. 

Fish First

Founded in Boston in 1878, Fish & Richardson’s early days were marked by its representation of giants of American innovation, including Alexander Graham Bell and, later, Thomas Edison and the Wright Brothers, handling patents for seminal concepts from the radio to the steam turbine. Today the firm is known for its patent litigation dominance and regularly hits home runs when it goes to bat for clients—for example, the firm represented Gilead Sciences, Inc., winning a motion to reverse a $2.5 billion jury verdict in a patent infringement suit brought by Merck & Co.; at the time, it was the biggest patent-related award reversal.

Donning the IP Crown

Top ranked in Vault’s IP practice area ranking, the firm focuses mainly on IP litigation, prosecution, and counseling, as well as post-grant matters, but its breadth is reflected in the list of industries it serves. Fish & Richardson handles IP matters for clients in more than a dozen industries, including biotechnology, energy, clean tech, consumer products, financial services, aerospace and defense, new media, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and telecommunications.

A go-to firm for all types of IP issues, Fish & Richardson attorneys filed nearly 9,000 U.S. patent applications and 7,700 foreign patent applications. They also filed more than 3,500 U.S. and foreign trademark applications in 2023 alone. Fish & Richardson truly shines in the courtroom and handles more District Court cases and IP appeals than any other national firm.

The firm’s team of 360-plus attorneys and 70 technology specialists includes dozens of former judicial clerks and over 100 individuals with Ph.Ds. In other words, Fish & Richardson is stacked with the brains and experience to deliver its advice on a wide range of matters, from ITC litigation, Hatch-Waxman matters, trademarks, and copyright issues to post-grant proceedings and cybersecurity matters.

Empowered and Flexible

Fish & Richardson has made diversity and inclusion fundamental values. The firm hosts a variety of affinity groups for minority and LGBT+ attorneys. Its Women’s Initiative, EMPOWER, regularly hosts programs focused on building leadership and business development skills. In recent years, Fish & Richardson updated its parental leave policies to include 18 weeks of leave for primary caregivers, a “phased hours” program for the weeks before and after parental leave, a breastmilk delivery service for employees who travel while nursing, and various programs for coaching and child care.

The firm also prioritizes flexibility for attorneys, with transparent and open policies for hours and location. It offers attorneys various reduced hours options, and associates can choose their annual hours minimum. Fish & Richardson also has one of the most flexible remote working policies among top firms and often allows associates to work from home and remotely.

• In 1988, Fish helped client Harvard University patent the "Harvard Mouse," which was the first animal to be patented.
• In 2008, Fish reversed a $1.5 billion damages award against client Microsoft—then the largest patent infringement verdict in history—in its six-year patent battle with Alcatel-Lucent that involved 15 patents across seven separate lawsuits related to MP3 patents, with staggering implications for the entire digital music and video industries.
• In 2012, Fish made new law at the Supreme Court of the United States for client Mayo Collaborative Services (Mayo Collaborative Servs. v. Prometheus Labs) in a unanimous win that clarified patentability under Section 101 of the Patent Act. The decision changed the way patent examiners review patent applications involving laws of nature.
• In a case that resolved in 2021, Fish represented client Gilead for over five years in its worldwide, complex patent battle with Merck and Idenix over Gilead's landmark hepatitis C drugs. Fish won a motion that reversed a $2.5 billion jury verdict—the largest patent damages award in history—against Gilead in federal court.

• Named to the "Client Service A-Team" List, 2024—BTI
• IP Litigation Powerhouse, 2024—BTI
• Named a Top Trademark Law Firm for 14th Straight Year, 2024—World Trademark Review
• Band 1 Nationwide for IP, 2023—Chambers USA
• Most Active Firm at the PTAB, 2023—Lex Machina