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[question_TT]

Any input is appreciated.  Thanks.

[blakesq]

yes to both.

[horsechute]

With regard to F&L, the best, in my opinion

[stuffball]

Why the best?  I think FL is good, but "the best?" 

[QUESTWON]

I've heard that T&T is a place for people who couldn't get hired by finnegan.

[JazzyJ]

I have never heard of T&T but FL is VERY well respected ... but I wouldn't say the *best*.  FL has a good reputation but not the most prestigious by far.

Hmmm... my guess is that prehaps horsechute is an equity partner at FL?? J/K ;-)

[stuffball]

I've heard of Townsend.  Surprised others have not.  It's a good firm.

Foley too, but everybody seems to know that... although I definitely don't see Foley as being as wondeful as others here apparently do. I would give it a B+ in terms of the reputation it has with my colleagues.  Give T&TC about the same.

[horsechute]

"Hmmm... my guess is that prehaps horsechute is an equity partner at FL?? J/K ;-)"

Ha Ha. No, sorry, but I wouldn't mind if I were. I guess "best" is a matter of opinion, sort of like asking who makes the best pizza in town. I know of a large blue-chip firm in Chicago that does only big-ticket patent litigation. Is it fair to compare them with, say, a firm that does mainly prosecution, albeit of high quality? I know some people might say so, but I wouldn't necessarily agree. I just mentioned Foley because I have seen the quality of their patents, read some of their briefs, and know that some of their people are highly respected in academia, and are probably considered the "best" in certain areas. I am just going off of what I have seen, and not what other people say.

Just out of curiosity, Jazzy, with no "hard feelings" for lack of a better term, which firms would you consider the best, and why?

[bald & chained]

So if Foley is B+, which firm is an A?

[horsechute]

This thread could be extremely interesting, but I am a little nervous about posting why I think certain firms are the "best" because I would probably have to say some negative things about some firms which some other people say they think are the best, and I don't want to do that. I would say, however, that to be "the best" you should probably have been very good for a long time. I know one firm that some people might consider "the best" that about 10 years ago was on the verge of dissolution. Or how about Pennie and Edmonds, who was probably considered "the best" for a very long time. Where are they now? Also, just my personal opinion, but to say a firm is "the best" I would have to say that a firm has to be good in many areas of patent law, has to have some people who first rate and make contributions to the field through things like being noted authorities on the subject and/or professors, and like I said, it must have a long track record. And also like I said, comparing one firm with another is often like comparing apples and oranges. Is it fair to compare boutiques with general practice firms, or firms that specialize in prosecution with ones that do almost entirely litigation? I know some people who are in small boutiques in the midwest who are excellent patent draftsmen, but is it fair to compare them with someone who does only patent appeals? I wouldn't, although I now one of my relatives would.

[stuffball]

So if Foley is B+, which firm is an A?

Okay, so this is not a personal opinion so much as my attempt to assign a letter grade corresponding to what other, more knowledgeable people have told me.  Only considering patent law.

A firms:  Fish, Finnegan, Kenyon

[stuffball]

This thread could be extremely interesting, but I am a little nervous about posting why I think certain firms are the "best" because I would probably have to say some negative things about some firms which some other people say they think are the best, and I don't want to do that. I would say, however, that to be "the best" you should probably have been very good for a long time. I know one firm that some people might consider "the best" that about 10 years ago was on the verge of dissolution. Or how about Pennie and Edmonds, who was probably considered "the best" for a very long time. Where are they now? Also, just my personal opinion, but to say a firm is "the best" I would have to say that a firm has to be good in many areas of patent law, has to have some people who first rate and make contributions to the field through things like being noted authorities on the subject and/or professors, and like I said, it must have a long track record. And also like I said, comparing one firm with another is often like comparing apples and oranges. Is it fair to compare boutiques with general practice firms, or firms that specialize in prosecution with ones that do almost entirely litigation? I know some people who are in small boutiques in the midwest who are excellent patent draftsmen, but is it fair to compare them with someone who does only patent appeals? I wouldn't, although I now one of my relatives would.

Totally agree.  Also, I think you should go ahead and speak your mind.   Any one who would take offense at someone's preferences is kind of a d-bag.

[horsechute]

Good selection. Fish and Neave would have certainly been on my list, if they had not been brought into Ropes and Gray.

How about the best patent attorneys? The deceased:

Frederick Fish, Revise and Ceaser, P.J. Federico (who actually was an attorney for Cushman, Darby, and Cushman later in life, though he is commonly associated with the PTO); Dean Laurence, who Giles Rich thought had an extremely profound knowledge of chemical patent law, Charles Neave, who L. Hand considered the best of his day, and he should know; or George Harding, who actually argued 28 major patent cases before the Supreme Court, only to give up patent law to open a competing restaraunt after the owner refused to bring his son some chicken (LOL).

[humphreybogart]

I have heard they are a great firm, I represent a New York City based real estate group, NYCrentals.com, and we have worked with them, we are however currently looking to associate ourselves with a patent law firm, you can contact us at http://www.nycrentals.comhttp://

[klaviernista]

How about the best patent attorneys?

Amongst the living, Charles Van Horn of Finnegan Henderson is the best prosecution attorney I know.  And for good reason.  He basically wrote the book on patent examination procedure. 

http://www.finnegan.com/CharlesVanHorn/