Overview
Knobbe Martens is a leading litigation firm, trusted by innovators to protect technologies, brands, and creative assets when the stakes are highest. Our litigators handle complex patent infringement, trademark and trade dress disputes, copyright claims, trade secrets cases, and antitrust and unfair competition matters across the United States and internationally. We appear regularly in federal district court, state and federal courts, and administrative tribunals, and handle appeals before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and other regional circuits, delivering results that align with our clients’ business objectives.
Who We Represent in Litigation Matters
We represent a broad spectrum of clients—from emerging companies to global market leaders—across technology‑driven industries including medical devices, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, software, consumer products, and advanced manufacturing. Our clients turn to us to assert and defend their patents, protect trademarks and trade dress, resolve trade secret disputes arising from employee mobility, and defend against false advertising and unfair competition claims. Whether enforcing IP rights or defending against a competitor’s claims, we tailor our litigation strategy to each client’s commercial realities and long‑term goals.
Our Litigation Services
Knobbe Martens offers end‑to‑end litigation services across the full array of intellectual property and related areas, from pre‑suit strategy and risk assessment through trial and appeal. Our litigators are supported by professionals with deep technical experience, including attorneys and technology specialists with engineering and scientific backgrounds, and judicial clerks of federal district and appellate courts. This allows us to litigate sophisticated patent infringement disputes, inter partes review (IPR) proceedings, and parallel actions before the International Trade Commission (ITC), Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), and district courts with a coordinated, efficient approach.
We regularly manage multi‑forum disputes involving district courts, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), PTAB, and the ITC, ensuring consistency across venues while maximizing leverage at each stage. Our focus is always on the endgame—whether that means trial, appeal, or a business‑driven resolution.
Antitrust & Competition
Knobbe Martens litigates antitrust and competition matters at the intersection of intellectual property and market competition. Our team handles claims involving monopolization, tying, exclusive dealing, restraint of trade, and patent misuse, often asserted alongside patent infringement defenses or counterclaims. We bring deep technical and IP experience to antitrust matters in federal district courts and appellate courts, allowing us to anticipate competitive issues that arise in high‑stakes disputes.
Appellate Litigation
Our appellate litigators have extensive experience defending and overturning judgments in cases before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and regional circuit courts. With former Federal Circuit clerks on our team, we are particularly effective in patent trial and appeal matters, including appeals arising from PTAB proceedings and IPR decisions. We regularly shape precedent in patent, trademark, and trade secret appeals nationwide.
Copyright Litigation
Knobbe Martens represents clients in copyright litigation across an array of industries, including software, entertainment, consumer products, marketing materials, and product packaging. We enforce and defend copyright claims in federal courts, often alongside related trademark and trade dress issues. Our litigators develop practical strategies to resolve copyright disputes efficiently, whether through early motion practice, trial, or appeal.
False & Comparative Advertising Litigation
We handle false and comparative advertising disputes under the Lanham Act and state unfair competition laws. Our team represents clients in challenges involving misleading claims, mislabeling, and greenwashing, as well as defenses against competitor actions. We appear in state and federal courts and before regulatory bodies, helping clients protect brand integrity while managing advertising risk.
Hatch‑Waxman Litigation
Knobbe Martens has decades of experience litigating Hatch‑Waxman cases for pharmaceutical clients, particularly in high‑stakes ANDA disputes. We represent clients in federal district courts nationwide, as well as in parallel PTAB proceedings and appeals before the Federal Circuit. Our team integrates regulatory, patent, and litigation strategy to address complex patent challenges affecting drug market entry.
International Trade Commission (ITC) Disputes
Our ITC litigators have represented clients in Section 337 investigations since the 1980s, handling patent, trademark, and trade secret disputes before the ITC. We regularly pursue and defend exclusion orders and cease‑and‑desist relief in fast‑paced proceedings that run parallel to district court litigation, offering a powerful enforcement tool for intellectual property rights.
Patent Litigation
Knobbe Martens’ litigators excel at litigating high-stakes patent cases across a wide range of technologies, enforcing and defending patents in federal district courts throughout the United States. Our patent litigators combine courtroom advocacy with deep technical insight, allowing us to manage complex claim construction, infringement, and validity issues. We also coordinate district court litigation with PTAB challenges and international enforcement strategies.
Patent Trial & Appeal Board (PTAB) Trials (Post‑Grant)
PTAB proceedings are a central part of modern patent disputes, and our team has extensive experience representing both patent owners and petitioners in inter partes review and other post‑grant challenges. We integrate PTAB strategy with district court litigation and appeals to the Federal Circuit, helping clients protect valuable patents, or efficiently challenge weak ones.
Trade Secret & Employee Mobility Litigation
In an era of rapid employee movement, Knobbe Martens helps clients protect trade secrets through litigation and strategic counseling. We represent plaintiffs and defendants in trade secrets cases involving misappropriation, breach of fiduciary duty, and unfair competition in state and federal courts. Our team moves quickly to seek injunctive relief and develop litigation strategies that preserve and protect competitive advantage.
Trademark Litigation & Unfair Competition
We litigate trademark and trade disputes involving brand protection, infringement, dilution, and unfair competition. Our attorneys represent clients in federal district court and state courts, enforcing trademark rights and defending against infringement claims across diverse industries. We take a business‑focused approach to protecting brand value while managing litigation risk.
Trademark Trial & Appeal Board (TTAB) Disputes
Knobbe Martens regularly represents clients before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) in opposition, cancellation, and appeal proceedings. We integrate TTAB strategy with parallel district court litigation and international brand enforcement efforts, helping clients protect and strengthen trademark portfolios before the Patent and Trademark Office.
Why Clients Choose Our Litigation Team
Our clients benefit from a litigation team that pairs deep technical insight with proven courtroom experience. We handle high‑stakes intellectual property disputes in federal courts, before the USPTO, PTAB, TTAB and ITC, and on appeal, with a focus on clear strategy and decisive execution. Our litigators are practical, business‑minded advocates who are committed to outcomes that protect innovation, manage risk, and advance our clients’ objectives.
Awards and Recognitions
- Ranked Tier 1 for Intellectual Property Litigation Nationwide in 2026 edition of Benchmark Litigation “USA Guide”
- Recognized for Patent Litigation in the 2025 Chambers USA Guide
- Ranked Nationally for Patent Litigation, ITC Litigation and Trademark Litigation in the 2025 Legal 500 U.S.A. guide
- Ranked Tier 1 Nationwide for Litigation – Intellectual Property” in 2025, U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms”
- Ranked a 2025 Leading Law Firm for Litigation, IAM “Patent 1000”
- Named a finalist for “Tech Industry Litigation Department of the Year” at The Recorder’s 2026 California Legal Awards
- Recognized Nationally in 2025 for Patent Litigation and Hatch-Waxman Litigation, Legal Media Group (LMG) “Life Sciences”
- Named “Hatch-Waxman Litigation Firm of the Year” at the 2025 LMG Life Sciences Americas Awards
- Recognized Nationally and Regionally in 2025 for Trademark Litigation and PTAB Litigation, Managing IP “IP STARS”
- Named a “Litigation Leader” in the 2026 edition of BTI Litigation Outlook
Chair
Representative Experience
In re Certain Light-Based Physiological Measurement Devices and Components Thereof, Masimo Corp. et al. v. Apple Inc. “The Apple Watch” case
-Represented a medical device company in parallel ITC and district court litigation against Apple involving pulse oximetry and health monitoring technologies used in wearable devices. The matters involved patent infringement and trade secret misappropriation claims relating to blood oxygen sensing functionality. Knobbe Martens secured a $634 million jury verdict in California federal court and an exclusion order at the U.S. International Trade Commission that banned importation of infringing Apple Watch models. In related proceedings, the firm achieved favorable trial outcomes reinforcing the client’s intellectual property position and competitive standing in the wearable health technology market.
Apple Inc. v. Masimo Corp.
Represented a medical technology company in a patent infringement action brought by Apple concerning wearable health monitoring technologies. Apple asserted multiple patents and sought to restrict the client’s competing product offerings. Knobbe Martens secured a jury verdict of noninfringement and invalidity, defeating Apple’s claims in full and preserving the client’s ability to continue operating in the competitive wearable device market.
Carl Zeiss X-Ray Microscopy, Inc. v. Sigray, Inc.
Represented a developer of advanced X-ray imaging systems in a patent infringement and trade secret dispute involving high-resolution microscopy technologies. The plaintiff sought substantial damages and findings of willful misconduct. Following trial, the jury returned a complete defense verdict, rejecting more than $12 million in sought damages and finding no willful infringement or misappropriation. The result preserved the client’s freedom to operate and supported its continued innovation in advanced imaging technologies.
Applied Medical Resources Corp. v. Medtronic, Inc. and Sloan Kettering Institute
Represented Applied Medical and secured a unanimous jury verdict after a 10-day trial finding Medtronic liable for federal and state antitrust violations based on exclusionary bundling and exclusive dealing in the advanced bipolar vessel-sealing device market, resulting in a $381.7 million damages award, with Applied Medical now seeking injunctive relief to stop the anticompetitive conduct.
Aortic Innovations LLC v. Edwards Lifesciences Corp.
Represented a medical device company in a patent dispute involving prosthetic heart valve technologies. Knobbe Martens secured a precedential Federal Circuit decision affirming a judgment of noninfringement and rejecting the appeal. This outcome preserved the client’s competitive position and clarified claim scope in a critical area of cardiovascular technology.
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. v. Lupin Limited et al.
Represented Lupin in Hatch-Waxman litigation in the District of Delaware and at the Federal Circuit concerning patents related to tolvaptan (the active ingredient in Otsuka’s Jynarque®). After a three-day bench trial, Judge Andrews found that Lupin’s product did not infringe the two patents-in-suit and invalidated one of the patents. On appeal, the Federal Circuit affirmed the district court’s opinion. Jynarque® is used to treat a life-threatening kidney disease. This decision in Lupin’s favor allows the company to provide patients in the U.S. with a more cost-effective treatment option.
