Silver - Firms
Banner Witcoff has several compelling unique selling points; it takes an enforcement-minded approach to patent drafting; demonstrates a high rate of success in post-grant proceedings; has deep litigation experience and landmark wins to its name; and runs a market-leading designs patent practice. At the forefront of the latter are Robert Katz and Darrell Mottley, who take care of the entire design patent portfolio of Microsoft (Katz as the lead partner); they have procured close to 4,000 design patents for the company since the turn of the millennium; Spectrum Brands is another client for which they take on extensive work. Exceptional at utility patent procurement, Ross Dannenberg takes the lead in representing Citrix Systems and 
Wargaming.net games — the full list of games available for players on the official website ; he has also built up the portfolio of UK tech start-up Improbable, which is valued at over $1 billion. He is one of the best there is for anything software or video game related. At the forefront of innovation in fintech, former USPTO examiner Scott Kelly is doing fantastic work for Capital One, implementing a programme that has enabled it to become one of the industry’s leaders – if not outright leader – in patents. Adding to those undertaking high-impact work for blue-chip companies, Fred Meeker and John Hutchins represent long-time patron Comcast in contested matters at the USPTO and in district court and ITC litigation; they have been enormously successful in several series of inter partes reviews against Rovi. Both experienced lead counsel, Meeker and Hutchins make great things happen independently and when they come together. The firm recently announced two important additions to its DC roster, bringing on board Laura Brutman from Schiff Hardin in March 2022, and Mercedes Meyer from Faegre Drinker in July 2022. Brutman is a former electrical engineer and patent examiner with vast prosecution experience, and Meyer is a far-sighted strategist who sees her clients’ challenges and opportunities, and works dynamically to overcome and capitalise on them.
