Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt

Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, L.L.P. (often abbreviated to Oblon, Spivak) is an intellectual property law firm in Alexandria, Virginia. Founded in 1968, Oblon Spivak is the eighth largest law firm in Virginia^[1][2] with approximately 100 attorneys. The law firm performs large volumes of trademark and patent prosecution, as well as litigation (primarily in intellectual property lawsuits); having been ranked first among law firms based on the number of utility patent applications filed per annum for 15 years running, including the years 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009^[3][4], as well as having been ranked first among law firms based on the number of trademark application filed for 2001^[5][6].

Notable attorneys at Oblon, Spivak include Arthur Neustadt, who argued successfully before the Supreme Court of the United States on behalf of respondent Shoketsu Kinzoku K.K. in the case of Festo Corp. v. Shoketsu Kinzoku Kogyo Kabushiki Co., as well as Charles "Chico" Gholz, a well-known expert in the field of patent interference practice. The firm's litigation practice has made waves for naming its competitors and using comparative advertising to gain business among corporate patent litigants, a practice that previously had been rare among law firms^[7].

The firm's well known reexamination/reissue practice group publishes the blog Patents Post Grant Blog including the commentary of partners Stephen G. Kunin and Scott Mckeown.

Originally headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the firm constructed an office building adjacent the new campus of the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, relocating there in 2003.

References

1. ^ "Largest Firms in Virginia". Virginia Lawyers Weekly; 2005.
2. ^ ‘Largest Law Firms' Of 2005. Virginia Lawyers Weekly; April 25, 2005.
3. ^ "Top 100 Patent Firms (2005)". IP Today; May, 2005.
4. ^ "Top 100 Patent Firms (2006)". IP Today (republished by Trask Britt); March, 2006.
5. ^ "NameProtect Cites Trademark Activity As Key Economic Growth Indicator With Its Inaugural Trademark Insider". NameProtect; May, 2001.
6. ^ "NameProtect Unveils The NameProtect Top 200 List of Top Trademark Law Firms for 2001". NameProtect; May, 2001.
7. ^ "Law Firm Ads No Longer Afraid to Name Names". Law.com; May 4, 2005.

External links

• Oblon, Spivak homepage
• Law firm profile
• Oblon, Spivak's Reexamination/Reissue Law Blog
• Oblon, Spivak's ITC 337 Law Blog
• Oblon, Spivak's Protecting Designs Law Blog