Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2026

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Cookies Settings

Key contacts
Partner Intellectual Property Department Chair: Julia Gard
Quick facts
Established

1982

Number of Partners

800

Total Number of IP Practitioners

130

Network Memberships

INTA, ChIPs

Key practice areas
Intellectual property
Trade mark
Patent
Firm overview

Barnes & Thornburg’s Intellectual Property practice is among the largest in the country, with nearly 130 IP attorneys and professionals and 75 registered patent attorneys and agents. Our clients know that their intellectual property — inventions, brands and trade secrets — are as valuable as their factories, laboratories and inventories. We believe that intellectual property must be cultivated and nourished to grow as an asset and without the right care, it will wither.

Our team works diligently to help clients succeed in overseeing and protecting their valuable IP with employees, customers, partners and competitors, and to avoid infringement of the IP rights of others. We position and leverage our client’s critical IP in industry and specialized markets, and defend patent, trademark and copyright integrity in the judicial system and in agency review and appeals.

We assist product development, marketing, sales and finance teams with comprehensive IP programs and protect products from copying by competitors. We advise on IP holdings valued into the billions of dollars of market share, representing Fortune 500 companies with thousands of IP assets, as well as startup companies defined by a single patent. Our attorneys are committed to client service, cohesive teamwork, responsiveness and useful advice.

From coast to coast, we counsel clients from a variety of industries, such as medical device, plastics and packaging, internet and computer technology, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, automotive and aviation. With decades of experience, we understand that the many types of IP assets drive core business strategy and brand development. Our cost-conscious solutions help clients derive as much value from their intellectual resources as from their human resources.

ESG and diversity achievements

The world is changing faster than ever before. You need a firm with a proven track record of knowing when to rely on unchanging, bedrock values and when new market demands call for innovative thinking and adaptability.

Our clients have access to more than 800 legal professionals throughout 23 offices in Boston, California, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nashville, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Philadelphia, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, South Florida, Texas, and Washington, D.C. We are among the 100 largest firms in the U.S. with experience in all the legal practice areas required to do business in today’s global marketplace.

At Barnes & Thornburg, we live and work by the values that have guided the firm for nearly 100 years. For our clients that means delivering value above and beyond the expected. It means a relentless focus on efficiency and cost-effectiveness. It means dedicated action on diversity initiatives and top talent recruitment. It means delivering uncommon value for our clients.
We work with single-minded dedication to help businesses like yours achieve their goals in the service of progress for all.

Our clients have access to more than 800 legal professionals throughout 23 offices in Boston, California, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nashville, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Philadelphia, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, South Florida, Texas, and Washington, D.C. We are among the 100 largest firms in the U.S. with experience in all the legal practice areas required to do business in today’s global marketplace.

  • May 30, 2023 Barnes & Thornburg Selected For Lawyers Of Color Industry Leader Diversity Award
  • October 18, 2022 Leadership Council For Legal Diversity Recognizes Barnes & Thornburg As A 2022 Top Performer And Compass Award Winner
  • August 18, 2022 Leadership Council For Legal Diversity Recognizes Barnes & Thornburg As A 2022 Top Performer And Compass Award Winner
Practice Areas & Sector Specialisations

Key IP Areas

Intellectual property (contentious), Intellectual property (prosecution), IP transactions, ITC litigation, Life sciences IP, Patent, Patent contentious, Patent prosecution, Trade mark, Trade mark contentious, Trade mark prosecution, PTAB litigation, Designs, Copyright & related rights

Key Sector Expertise

Advertising, Biotechnology, Automotive, Chemical, Computer technology & services, Construction & materials, Defence, E-commerce, Electrical, Electronics, Fashion & luxury goods, Film, Financial services, Food & beverage, Furniture, Gaming, Hospitality & leisure, ICT & software, Industrials, Instruments, Internet, Life sciences, Logistics, Manufacturing, Mechanical, Media, Medical device, Nanotechnology, Oil & gas, Optics & photonics, Pharmaceutical, Professional services, Publishing, Real estate, Renewable energy, Retail, Robotics, Semiconductors, Sports, Technology hardware, Telecommunication, Transport, Universities & research, Utilities

 

Address:
1 N Upper Wacker Dr #4400
Chicago IL 60606
Illinois
Tel:+13172361313 Email:Contact Us Web Address:https://www.btlaw.com/
2026 Edition
Patent disputes
Recommended
20 firms ranked
View full list

Highly Recommended

Bartlit Beck
7 practice areas
View profile
Kirkland & Ellis
4 practice areas
View profile
Latham & Watkins
4 practice areas
View profile
McAndrews Held & Malloy
8 practice areas
View full profile
Morgan Lewis & Bockius
6 practice areas
View full profile
Rakoczy Molino Mazzochi Siwik
3 practice areas
View profile
Sidley Austin
5 practice areas
View full profile
Winston Taylor
5 practice areas
View full profile

Recommended

ArentFox Schiff
8 practice areas
View profile
Banner Witcoff
3 practice areas
View full profile
Barnes & Thornburg
3 practice areas
View full profile
Foley & Lardner
5 practice areas
View profile
Jones Day
5 practice areas
View profile
Leydig Voit & Mayer
3 practice areas
View profile
Marshall Gerstein & Borun
3 practice areas
View profile
Mayer Brown
5 practice areas
View profile
Nixon Peabody
4 practice areas
View profile
Paul Hastings
4 practice areas
View full profile
Steptoe
4 practice areas
View profile
Willkie Farr & Gallagher
2 practice areas
View profile
Trade mark
Recommended
17 firms ranked
View full list

Highly Recommended

Banner Witcoff
3 practice areas
View full profile
Crowell & Moring
6 practice areas
View profile
Katten Muchin Rosenman
5 practice areas
View full profile
Loeb & Loeb
4 practice areas
View profile
Mayer Brown
5 practice areas
View profile
Neal Gerber Eisenberg
3 practice areas
View profile

Recommended

Baker McKenzie
1 practice area
View full profile
Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg
8 practice areas
View profile
Barnes & Thornburg
3 practice areas
View full profile
DLA Piper
3 practice areas
View profile
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath
4 practice areas
View profile
Greenberg Traurig
3 practice areas
View profile
Leydig Voit & Mayer
3 practice areas
View profile
Marshall Gerstein & Borun
3 practice areas
View profile
McDermott Will & Schulte
5 practice areas
View full profile
Michael Best & Friedrich
3 practice areas
View profile
US patent lawyers say they are increasingly advising clients on China strategies as corporations seek to gain leverage in enforcement, licensing, and supply chain management
A UDRP decision that found in favour of a small business in a domain name dispute could encourage more businesses to take a stand in ‘David v Goliath’ cases
Sponsored

Sponsored