As a full-service practice with a global reach, Stites & Harbison's Intellectual Property & Technology (IPT) Group advises and represents domestic and international clients across the full spectrum of intellectual property matters, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, licensing and technology-related issues.

The firm is committed to understanding not only its clients' intellectual property assets but also the commercial realities of the industries in which they operate. This business-focused approach enables the IPT Group to maximise the value and protection of clients' intellectual property portfolios.

The team provides strategic advice throughout the lifecycle of intellectual property assets, from creation and registration through ongoing portfolio management, enforcement and commercialisation in the United States and internationally.

The IPT Group includes practitioners with advanced technical qualifications and industry experience in fields such as engineering, life sciences, biology, chemistry and computer science. Through its Alexandria, Virginia office, the firm maintains close proximity to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), facilitating direct advocacy on behalf of clients.

Transactional services

The IPT Group assists clients ranging from individual inventors and start-ups to multinational corporations and universities with intellectual property protection strategies tailored to their specific needs. The team advises on the acquisition, protection, licensing and commercial exploitation of intellectual property assets and drafts and negotiates agreements relating to licensing, sponsorships, technology transfers and other commercial transactions. The firm also provides validity, infringement and freedom-to-operate opinions.

Litigation services

Stites & Harbison has extensive experience handling intellectual property disputes before federal and state courts throughout the United States, including appellate matters and proceedings before the United States Supreme Court. The firm represents both rights holders seeking to enforce their intellectual property and parties defending infringement claims. It has acted as lead counsel in intellectual property litigation across more than 30 states.