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Key practice areas
Life sciences IP
Intellectual property
ITC litigation
Patent disputes
Trade mark
Patent
Patent prosecution
IP transactions
IP transactions
Labor and employment
Firm overview

We’re proud to work with some of the world’s most dynamic organizations and the leaders who drive them. We know that on any given day you’re tackling competition, corporate development, asset protection, talent management—some days all of the above. While there’s a bevy of smart folks out there to help you address them on a case-by-case basis, there are few who have the breadth and depth of focused knowledge to help you attend to them all and stay ahead of what’s next.

That’s McDermott.

When you hire us, you don’t just get the experience of an individual. You get a purpose-built, tightly woven network of legal thought leaders who marry their passion for business with a deep, focused understanding of the law.

And your team isn’t just the lawyers working on your business day one. It’s also their colleagues around the world who guide and advise around the edges—the ones who add diverse, nuanced perspectives to elevate strategy and surface highly effective—but often unexpected—solutions when a “simple” transaction becomes a bet-the-company deal or a basic arbitration turns into multi-year litigation.

We don’t just promote this approach—we thrive on it. We know that it’s our ability to tap into the particular knowledge of our individual lawyers and then to harness their collective experience that makes us uniquely qualified to help our clients move faster and propel their success.

You can see it the results we deliver and you’ll feel it when you meet with us to talk about your needs. You’ll know that we’re more than “just” lawyers. We’re scientists, accountants, analysts, policy makers, money managers and family members who love the law. We bring all of those experiences to bear for your business and the people you serve.

Most importantly, we’re committed to helping you make real progress against your goals—to turning those big ideas into actionable plans—and to making it as easy and enjoyable as possible.

Address:
444 West Lake Street
Chicago, IL 60606
Tel:+ 1 312 372 2000 Fax:+ 1 312 984 7700 Email:Contact Us Web Address:https://www.mwe.com/
2026 Edition
IP transactions
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Life sciences IP
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Patent disputes
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Overview

McDermott Will & Emery’s intellectual property practice includes over 100 lawyers and professionals. The firm is well equipped to help clients build IP portfolios, maximize their value, and enforce or defend them litigation.  The firm has key offices in Chicago, Silicon Valley, Orange County, Boston and Washington DC. For top brands, the firm's trademark group offers all aspects of brand management, including prosecution and counseling. The firm is also noteworthy for its life sciences patent litigation practice.

Notable patent practitioners: William Gaede, Sarah Columbia, Kevin Meek, Charles Larsen, Douglas Carsten

Notable trademark practitioners: Jennifer Mikulina, Christina Martini

Testimonials

2025

Douglas Carsten

"Although the firm offers full-service for IP litigation, we primarily use McDermott because of one of their IP litigators Douglas Carsten.  He is a truly excellent IP litigator who immerses himself in the case.  By the time we go to court, he knows all the prior art, the background of the industry and all relevant issues. He is therefore able to respond immediately and thoroughly to any and all questions from the bench as well as handle all other matters that arise at trial.  He is truly masterful on his feet at trial. Furthermore, Mr. Carsten and his team have prevailed in all matters that we have entrusted to the firm.  As such, it is hard not to like them."

 

2024

Christina Martini

"Christina Martini is a top expert, responsive and credible."

"Provides trademark advice and expert witness."

 

2023

"We value their depth and insight on complex legal issues."

"Steve Hash and Margaret Sampson have a tremendous amount of complementary experience in the life sciences space. Margaret is more familiar with transactions and patent prosecution while Steve has extensive litigation and trial experience. The combination is terrific."

"Clear, thoughtful and best-in-class strategic guidance."

"McDermott Will & Emery has not only expertise but focus. The MWE team works well together to deliver good results."

"We value the team's prompt, thorough work."

"They are very pleasant, efficient and practical. "

"We value the customer service, quality of legal services and attention to detail. They have a proactive rather than reactive approach to projects, clarity of communication, accuracy, and unfailing integrity. "

"They are knowledgeable, responsiveness, customer-focused, organised and diligent."

"They are seasoned litigators."

Linked Reviews
Patent

McDermott's intellectual property litigation team delivered a victory for client Bausch Health, which involved the Patent Trial & Appeal Board denying institution of an inter partes review (IPR) petition filed by a generic competitor. The firm has also been representing Coca-Cola and Dell in high-stakes patent litigation matters.

Trade mark

Trademark case studies show the firm has been active recently in trademark litigation and prosecution matters for clients in a variety of industries.

13 results13 results
Henrik Holzapfel and Chuck Larsen of McDermott Will & Schulte explain why a Court of Appeal ruling could promote access to justice and present a growth opportunity for litigation finance
A new claim filed by Ericsson, and a request for access to documents, were also among recent developments
A settlement involving Disney and another ruling concerning a lawyer’s request for access to documents were also among the big developments
With 2025 behind us, US practitioners sit down with Managing IP to discuss the major IP moments from the year and what to expect in 2026
The newly merged firm, formally announced on August 4, will have a combined revenue of around $3 billion and 40 IP partners
Novo Nordisk losing patent rights covering Ozempic in Canada and a US Supreme Court decision favouring Ed Sheeran were also among the top talking points
Developments included a stay in a row concerning the UPC’s jurisdiction and a timeline for the rollout of the long-awaited new CMS
Douglas Carsten says he is keen to increase fee earner headcount in the firm’s San Diego office, which opened this week
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