Partner Charles Verhoeven (below) was singled out as IP practitioner of the year for his leading role on many of these cases.
The awards ceremony and dinner were held at the Four Seasons Georgetown Hotel in Washington DC on March 27, immediately following Managing IP’s first ever Patent Reform Forum, which was held during the day at the Willard InterContinental Hotel.
The ceremony included some of the biggest names in the IP world, including Congressman Lamar Smith of Texas, David Kappos, Chief Judge Randall Rader and Canadian commissioner of patents, Sylvain LaPorte.
In Canada, Smart & Biggar/Fetherstonhaugh won four awards, including case of the year for its landmark victory in Amazon.com v Commissioner of Patents, and IP Practitioner of the Year, which went to partner Michael Manson.
WilmerHale won for patent contentious work in both the Northeast and nationally. Partner Seth Waxman (right) attended to accept the awards.
US firm Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton did well once again, taking home three regional awards.
Fish & Richardson took home the award for patent case of the year, following its momentous recent win at the Supreme Court in Mayo v Prometheus.
West coast firm Durie Tangri was a newcomer to the ceremony, winning for copyright in the west and IP Thought Leader, which went to the firm’s co-founder, Mark Lemley.
Other first-time winners included Cassels Brock & Blackwell, which won for Canada Copyright Case of the Year in recognition of its work on Northey v Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc, the largest copyright class action settlement in Canadian history.
The remaining case of the year awards went to US Copyright Case of the Year winner Fenwick & West for Democratic Underground v Righthaven; Debevoise & Plimpton for Louboutin v Yves Saint Laurent, the US Trade mark Case of the Year; and Gowling Lafleur Henderson for Masterpiece v Alavida, the trade mark case of the year in Canada.
Gowlings won three other awards, for patent prosecution, trade mark prosecution and trade mark contentious work in Canada.
The full list of winners can be viewed here (Managing IP subscription or trial required). Pictures from the dinner are available of Facebook.
