IRVINE, Calif., June 11, 2026 – Knobbe Martens, a leading intellectual property law firm, is proud to share that the firm and three dozen lawyers received national and regional recognition for outstanding patent prosecution, licensing, litigation, and trademark work in the 2026 edition of the Legal 500 U.S.A. guide.
Knobbe Martens’ patent prosecution practice once again ranked Tier One nationally, with the guide noting the firm combines “strong IP expertise with technical knowledge, allowing [the firm] to handle complex inventions and create effective strategies.”
Legal 500 noted that Knobbe Martens excels in patent litigation and consistently achieves successes in courts across the country and in forums such as the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Clients lauded the team’s combination of “strong IP litigation skills with deep knowledge in life sciences and healthcare, which is critical for complex patent disputes.”
The guide also praised Knobbe Martens’ “extremely talented trademark litigation partners.” In the areas of trademark portfolio management and brand protection strategy, clients emphasized that the team “translates complex landscapes into portfolio level strategy we can quickly make decisions on.”
Thirty-six Knobbe Martens lawyers were recognized nationally and regionally in the guide, several of whom once again received premier distinctions. Dr. Salima Merani, who has been named to Legal 500’s “Hall of Fame” in patent prosecution since 2023, is also recognized as a “Leading Partner” in patent licensing. Sabing Lee and Harnik Shukla also received “Leading Partner” recognitions in patent prosecution. The full list of all recognized lawyers includes:
Patent Prosecution and Licensing
Michael Christensen, Tom Cowan, Jane Dai, Ph.D., Lincoln Essig, Jason Jardine, Jarom Kesler, Sabing Lee (Leading Partner), Salima Merani, Ph.D. (Hall of Fame; Leading Partner), Kimberly Miller, Ph.D., David Schmidt, Ph.D. (Next Generation Partner), Melanie Seelig, Harnik Shukla (Leading Partner), Maria Stout, Terry Tullis, James Raleigh (Leading Associate)
Patent Litigation
Jonathan Bachand, Carol Pitzel Cruz, Brian Horne, Steve Jensen, Irfan Lateef, Christy Lea, Joseph Re, Sheila Swaroop, William Zimmerman
Trademark and Brand Protection, Contentious and Noncontentious
Charlene Azema, Matthew Bellinger, Rosaleen Chou, Catherine Holland, Brian Horne, Jonathan Hyman, Hans Mayer, Steven Nataupsky, Greg Phillips, Jacob Rosenbaum, Lynda Zadra-Symes
U.S. City Elite
Justin Culbertson (Washington, D.C.), Brian Horne (Los Angeles), Josue Villalta (Los Angeles)
The Legal 500 Series is widely acknowledged as one of the world’s leading legal referral guides. More than 300,000 buyers of legal services in over 150 jurisdictions are surveyed and interviewed globally each year.
The firm’s complete 2026 Legal 500 rankings can be viewed here.
About Knobbe Martens
Knobbe Martens protects the ideas that drive innovation and propel our world forward. As a leading intellectual property and technology law firm, clients worldwide rely on us to safeguard their products, brands, and technologies through strategic counsel and high-impact litigation. With offices across the U.S., our lawyers and technology specialists collaborate to deliver tailored solutions for clients ranging from multinational corporations to start-ups and emerging companies at every stage. Discover more at www.knobbe.com.
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