Perkins Coie's Intellectual Property Practice Named One of the Largest in the United States

SEATTLE (October 18, 2007) – Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that its Intellectual Property (IP) practice has been recognized as one of the largest in the United States by Managing IP (MIP) magazine.

Perkins Coie debuts on the annual survey as the 19th largest practice in the United States. This is reflective of an increasing trend in IP business for full-service law firms, according to MIP.

"We have seen tremendous growth in our IP practice in recent years," said Chun M. Ng, firmwide chair of the Intellectual Property practice. "IP is part of every element of our clients' business decisions, particularly our high-tech and emerging company clients. From mergers and acquisitions to new product development, IP is a significant component of a client's business."

As more businesses around the world recognize the value of their IP assets, they are becoming more aggressive in protecting those assets and enforcing their IP rights. To better serve its clients, Perkins Coie has made a significant investment in its IP practice. Since the late 1990s, the practice has grown from a handful of patent attorneys to more than 130 IP lawyers focusing on patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, patent litigation and other forms of IP litigation.

"As companies develop and competition grows, the significance and value of IP assets to clients' businesses becomes paramount. Consequently, companies of all shapes and sizes are becoming increasingly involved in high-stakes litigation to protect those assets and enforce their IP rights," said Liz McDougall, co-chair of the firm's IP Litigation practice.

This is the fifth year that MIP has conducted its survey, which counts lawyers and patent and trademark agents who spend at least 75% of their time on IP work. Areas surveyed include filing, litigation and non-contentious legal work related to patents, designs, trademarks, copyright and domain names/internet. Firms are ranked according to the total number of practitioners.