McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP

McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff is an intellectual property law firm with offices in Illinois and California. The firm's client list includes Fortune 100 companies, midsize companies, startups, and academic institutions.

Speaking the Language of Law and Science

MBHB's practice areas encompass all aspects of intellectual property law. Approximately 50 percent of the firm's practice is devoted to patent and trademark prosecution and counseling; the other 50 percent is devoted to litigation. MBHB attorneys are experienced in the procurement, licensing, enforcement, and defense of patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and unfair competition actions in a number of technological disciplines and product categories, including biotechnology, business methods, chemical, electrical, mechanical and materials, pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, software, and telecommunications.
To best protect its clients' technology assets, 100 percent of the firm’s attorneys and technical advisors hold science or engineering degrees. Of these, nearly 50 percent of the firm's attorneys and technical advisors hold Ph.D.s or other advanced degrees.

IP Pros

Proving that IP boutiques can hang with the BigLaw folks, MBHB is regularly recognized in the U.S. News-Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” at the national and metropolitan levels. At the national level and Chicago-metro level, the firm ranked in Biotechnology Law, Litigation-Intellectual Property, Litigation-Patent, Patent Law, and Trademark Law. In addition, MBHB is favorably ranked among top law firms in annual editions of Chambers USA in the category of Intellectual Property. 

“Blawging” on Patents

Although some lawyers shy away from technology, the attorneys at MBHB are using it to their advantage. Partners Dr. Donald Zuhn, Jr., Dr. Kevin Noonan, and Dr. Michael Borella co-author the Patent Docs blog, and other MBHB practitioners contribute as well. The blog features recent developments in patent law, including patent case rulings, and information on new biotech and pharma cases and was featured by the ABA Journal in its Blawg 100.

• Midsized Mansfield Certified, 2023—Diversity Lab
• 10 Partners Named to Best Lawyers in America, 2024 Edition—Best Lawyers
• IAM Patent 1000, 2023—Top Law Firm