Mountain View, CA (January 31, 2018) – Fenwick & West is pleased to announce that the firm and each of its partners who focus on trademark prosecution and litigation received top rankings from World Trademark Review 1000 (WTR 1000) in 2018.
WTR 1000 has recognized the firm for the eighth year in a row, honoring Fenwick both nationally and regionally for outstanding trademark work. In its most recent guide, WTR 1000 ranked Fenwick among the best firms nationally for trademark work, uniquely recognizing Fenwick as one of only three firms with partners ranked nationally for both prosecution and litigation. The publication ranked trademark group chair Sally Abel nationally in prosecution and strategy, and litigation partners Andrew Bridges and Jedediah Wakefield nationally for enforcement and litigation.
In California, the firm as a whole ranks first-tier for both prosecution and litigation; just two other firms earned this honor in 2018. Fenwick is also one of only two California firms to have individual partners ranked first-tier for prosecution and litigation, and the only firm to have multiple partners ranked first-tier in both categories as well.
“At the zenith of the technology, life science and IP scenes, Fenwick & West is ‘a brilliant combination of deep expertise coupled with a practical, business-centric perspective. It knows that decisions are not made in a legal vacuum and injects value at every turn – its lawyers are all tremendous,’” WTR 1000 writes in its profile of the firm, citing market feedback.
WTR 1000 recognized the following Fenwick partners individually:
Sally Abel: The publication lists trademark group chair Sally Abel among the top nine trademark lawyers in the United States. She again receives two first-tier rankings for prosecution: nationally and in California. WTR 1000 has honored her among the nation’s top trademark lawyers for eight consecutive years, each year since the guide’s inception. “An outstanding professional, she is detail oriented but always keeps the big picture and your goals in mind,” one commentator told WTR 1000. “As opposed to many lawyers who provide advice in terms of legal risk only, Abel incorporates real-world considerations so that you can make a well-informed decision. She also excels at managing foreign counsel for matters abroad.” Citing market feedback, the guide also highlighted Abel’s knack for effectively collaborating with a client’s team: “From clearance to disputes, she is phenomenal to work with and actually feels like a seamless extension of your team.”
Eric Ball: Partner and rising star Eric Ball appears on WTR 1000’s list of the leading trademark litigators in California again this year. He does “‘a superlative job’ on contentious engagements,” the guide reported, citing market feedback. Ball also received high praise from WTR 1000 last year. “The representation of technology players is a specialty and he has ‘won cases consistently without loss,’ making him an instrumental addition to the distinguished partnership,” the publication wrote.
Andrew Bridges: WTR 1000 ranks partner Andrew Bridges among the United States’ 10 best trademark litigators, again recognizing his enforcement and litigation work in the top tier nationally. He also continues to receive top recognition in California where he is one of just six lawyers recognized as first-tier for enforcement and litigation, along with Fenwick trademark litigation chair Jedediah Wakefield. As one client told WTR 1000, “Bridges is an international thought leader who thinks deeply about the nuances of IP legal developments; but importantly, he pairs that academic rigour with keen commercial instincts and knows his clients’ businesses as well as he does the law.”
Connie Ellerbach: For the eighth year in a row, WTR 1000 recognizes partner Connie Ellerbach among California’s top lawyers for prosecution and strategy work. “Her practical, efficient advice helps you to decide when to be aggressive in your enforcement efforts and when doing so to expand your portfolio isn’t warranted by the costs and risks,” one commentator told WTR 1000.
Jeffrey Greene:“In 2017 Jeffrey Greene joined forces with Fenwick & West, granting the leading life sciences and tech firm an immediately noticeable trademark presence on the East Coast,” WTR 1000 writes, ranking Greene among New York’s leading trademark lawyers for the eighth consecutive year. “The ‘highly experienced’ Greene is a master strategist whose unerring guidance has helped numerous long-term clients to maximise their brand assets while simultaneously minimising risk,” the publication reported, quoting client and peer feedback.
Jedediah Wakefield: Chair of both the firmwide litigation group and Fenwick’s trademark litigation practice, Jedediah Wakefield ranks among the United States’ best trademark litigators. He also continues to rank in the top tier for enforcement and litigation in California, one of only six lawyers to earn this honor in 2018. “A truly solid and professional litigator, he fully understands the substantive trademark issues, so can easily back up the claims that he makes,” one commentator told WTR 1000. “There is no posturing with him; he hones in on the important topics and it immediately becomes a thoughtful discussion,” another peer said.
Karen Webb: This year, for the first time, WTR 1000 honors partner Karen Webb among the top eight California lawyers for prosecution and strategy work. She also again ranks among California’s best for trademark enforcement and litigation. “Pragmatic and innovative,” she offers “great insight and astute legal guidance in a holistic manner,” commentators told WTR 1000. “Workloads are managed both proactively and judiciously by her, while problems are resolved expeditiously.” The guide also highlighted Webb as a “port of first call” for blue chip companies.
World Trademark Review 1000 – The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals is an annual guide published by World Trademark Review honoring the top law firms and lawyers working on trademark prosecution and enforcement matters. In compiling the rankings, WTR 1000 researchers consider information provided from law firms on their work over the past year, insight from other legal professionals and client input.
About Fenwick & West
Fenwick & West LLP provides comprehensive legal services to ground-breaking technology and life sciences companies – at every stage of their lifecycle – and the investors that partner with them. We craft innovative, cost-effective and practical solutions on issues ranging from venture capital, public offerings, joint ventures, M&A and strategic relationships, to intellectual property, litigation and dispute resolution, taxation, antitrust, and employment and labor law. For more than four decades, Fenwick has helped some of the world's most recognized companies become and remain market leaders. For more information, visit fenwick.com.