Intellectual Property

Protecting what you’ve built. Powering what’s next.

Whether you’re expanding your IP portfolio, entering new markets, or defending critical innovations, you need a partner who understands your business. Our internationally recognized team delivers strategic, full-spectrum IP services tailored to help you enhance and safeguard your competitive position through every stage of the IP lifecycle.

Key awards we have won with the group delivering strategic, high-quality patent services that support your innovation and business goals:

Chambers & Partners, USA

Our Intellectual Property Practice is ranked by Chambers USA: Band 1 in Wisconsin, Band 3 in North Carolina, and Band 5 in Illinois, and Band 3 for Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets in Illinois.

IAM Patent 1000 2025

Michael Best’s IP practice is ranked, and five of our attorneys are listed, in the 2025 IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Professionals.

World Trademark Review 2025

Our Trademark practice is ranked, and eight attorneys are listed, in the 2025 World Trademark Review 1000: The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals.

Our Approach: A Proven Approach to Complex IP Needs

Our IP team is one of the largest and most technically diverse in the country, with professionals who hold advanced degrees in computer science, engineering, physics, chemistry, and biotechnology. Many have worked as patent examiners at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and several bring real-world business and R&D experience to the table.

We build teams around your needs—combining legal precision with technical fluency to deliver practical, business-aligned solutions. Whether you're developing a global patent portfolio, navigating a high-stakes dispute, or structuring a complex licensing deal, we bring the depth, agility, and insight to help you move forward with confidence. We help you anticipate risk, control costs, and align IP strategy with your broader business objectives. We’ve been where you are. We speak your language. And we know what it takes to protect what sets you apart.

Protecting Your IP Innovation at Every Stage

Creation & Strategy

We work closely with inventors, engineers, and business leaders to identify and capture innovation early. We’ll help you assess patentability, trademark viability, and trade secret potential, helping you lay the foundation for a strong, strategic IP portfolio.

Protection & Prosecution

Our attorneys and patent agents draft and prosecute patents, register trademarks, and protect copyrights with precision and technical fluency. We manage filings across jurisdictions and ensure your IP is positioned for long-term value.

Monetization & Transactions

We help you unlock the commercial potential of your IP through licensing, joint ventures, and strategic transactions. Whether you're raising capital, entering new markets, or negotiating deals, we ensure your IP assets are protected and leveraged effectively.

Enforcement & Defense

When your IP is threatened, or when you're accused of infringement, we act swiftly and strategically. Our litigators have deep experience in federal courts, the USPTO, ITC, and beyond, and we tailor our approach to your business priorities.

Our Experience in IP

A world-leading motorcycle manufacturer called on our team to develop an overall strategy for intellectual property management. Together with in-house counsel, processes were put in place for deciding what to patent; for identifying competitive patent risks; and for pursuing potential infringement issues. We helped the company form an internal Patent Review Committee, comprised of senior executives, that effectively protects their assets while pursuing strategic goals.

Secured an $11+ million judgement in a patent infringement lawsuit for a large client in the water heater industry, we drafted and prosecuted the patent at issue and assisted in the successful litigation to protect the client’s valuable patent rights.

• Represented clients in patent infringement lawsuits, including one involving all phases of the defense and enforcement of over twenty patents directed to semiconductor design and manufacturing techniques.
• Trademark Lawsuit: Successfully enforced trademark rights for a major financial services firm against an infringing financial advisor, culminating in a trial victory and permanent injunction against the competitor.
• Successfully arbitrated a complex business dispute and obtained a favorable result for our client on claims including breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty by working with experts in forensic accounting, fraud, and accounting reconstruction.