Intellectual Property: Litigation
2 Ranked Lawyers
Firm PROFILE
Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox PLLC
USA 2026
Rankings
Leading firm in USA 2026
Ranked Departments
Ranked Departments
Ranked Individuals
Ranked Individuals
Top figures
167
Lawyers
82
Partners
1978
Established Year
Content provided by Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox PLLC
Overview
Provided by Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox PLLC
Based in Washington, D.C., Sterne Kessler is a leading intellectual property law firm providing strategic IP services to clients worldwide. Since 1978, Sterne Kessler has served as a trusted partner to innovative companies, startups, inventors, universities, and investors, helping them protect, enforce, and maximize the value of intellectual property. The firm is committed to delivering practical, business‑driven solutions that support innovation and long‑term strategic objectives.
Industry sectors (13)
- Electronics & High-Tech
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals
- Artificial Intelligence
- Consumer Products & Services
- Medical Devices
- Chemical & Industrial Products
- Biosimilars & Biologics
- Clean Technology
- Industrial & Agricultural Biotechnology
- Aerospace & Defense
- Semiconductors
- Software
- Food & Beverage
Capabilities (8)
- Patent Prosecution & Strategic Counseling: For over 45 years, our team has protected innovation, providing strategic counsel from idea conception and product development to commercialization, launch, and beyond.
- Patent Litigation: Served as litigation counsel in over 200 cases across nearly 30 federal district courts. One of the top 10 most active firms at the Federal Circuit and among the top 10% of active firms at the ITC.
- PTAB Trials: Represented petitioners and patent owners in more than 1,400 proceedings and counting, ranking as one of the top three most active firms at the PTAB. Creative solutions to win cases with a wealth of institutional knowledge.
- Design Patents: At the forefront of design patents, consistently delivering successful outcomes for clients in securing and defending their design rights. The firm is the 2nd most active filer, handling nearly 5,000 applications globally.
- International Trade Commission: One of the most active firms at the ITC, offering unrivaled experience, comprehensive litigation strategy, and the legal and technical know-how to achieve the best possible results.
- Trade Secret Protection & Enforcement: Decades of experience counseling clients on trade secret protection for technology, also litigating trade secret claims in U.S. state and federal courts and before the ITC.
- Trademark & Brand Protection: Work with clients at all stages of the trademark lifecycle, helping protect robust portfolios and craft proactive and effective strategies to enforce and defend trademark rights globally.
- Strategic IP Advice: Opinions related to freedom-to-operate, non-infringement, invalidity, patentability, registrability of trademarks, enforceability of patents and trademarks; IP due diligence related to transactions, licensing, M&A, investments.
Key people
Provided by Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox PLLC
Byron L. Pickard
Managing Director (Partner)
Michael B. Ray
Chair
Robert K. Burger
Chief Operating Officer, Executive Director
Work & experience
Provided by Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox PLLC
With more than 170 attorneys, the firm offers integrated capabilities across patent and trademark prosecution, strategic counseling, post‑grant proceedings, and litigation before federal district and appellate courts and the International Trade Commission. Our team combines deep technical and legal experience with a highly collaborative, client‑focused approach—providing tailored, business‑driven strategies to protect, enforce, and maximize the value of innovation.
Ranked Offices at Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox PLLC
Provided by Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox PLLC
Ranked Departments at Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox PLLC (3)
Ranked Individuals at Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox PLLC (7)
District of Columbia
Dennies Varughese
Intellectual Property: Litigation
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John Christopher (JC) Rozendaal
Intellectual Property: Litigation
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Jorge Goldstein
Intellectual Property: Patent Prosecution
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Robert Sterne
Intellectual Property: Patent Prosecution
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Eldora L Ellison
Intellectual Property: Patent Prosecution
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Tracy-Gene G Durkin
Intellectual Property: Patent Prosecution
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USA - Nationwide
Eldora L Ellison
Intellectual Property: Patent Trial and Appeal Board
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Top figures
167
Lawyers
82
Partners
1978
Established Year
Content provided by Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox PLLC
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