Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck

Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck
Name	Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Founded	1984
Founders	[Thomas C. Wells]
Practice areas	Intellectual Property, Antitrust, Litigation, Regulatory
Attorneys	Approximately 30

Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck is a Washington, D.C.–based law firm specializing in intellectual property, complex litigation, regulatory counseling, and appellate work. The firm is known for representing technology companies, academic institutions, trade associations, and inventors in matters involving patent prosecution, inter partes review, and federal litigation. Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck associates and partners frequently appear before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and other tribunals.

History

Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck traces its origins to lawyers with careers at institutions such as the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the Department of Justice. Over the decades the firm has intersected with figures and entities including former clerks of the United States Supreme Court, practitioners from firms like Baker Botts, Covington & Burling, and WilmerHale, and alumni from universities such as Harvard University and Stanford University. The firm has expanded during periods marked by landmark decisions from the Supreme Court of the United States, shifts in doctrine from the Federal Circuit and administrative changes at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck’s development parallels major events like the passage of the America Invents Act and consequential rulings such as Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank International and eBay Inc. v. MercExchange, L.L.C..

Practice Areas

The firm practices across intellectual property disciplines, litigating patents before the Federal Circuit, handling inter partes review proceedings at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and prosecuting patent applications at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Trademark and copyright matters bring the firm into proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and federal district courts including the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Antitrust and competition work engages agencies like the Federal Trade Commission and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice. The firm’s appellate practice undertakes briefs and oral arguments at the Supreme Court of the United States and circuit courts such as the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Regulatory counseling ties to agencies including the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Federal Communications Commission when technology, life sciences, or telecommunications intersect with intellectual property.

Notable Cases and Matters

Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck has participated in matters that reference precedents like KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc. and Mayo Collaborative Services v. Prometheus Laboratories, Inc. and that involve litigants or industries represented by entities such as Intel Corporation, Google LLC, Pfizer, and universities like Johns Hopkins University. The firm has handled appellate work implicating doctrines from Markman v. Westview Instruments, Inc. and post-grant proceedings shaped by the America Invents Act. Its docket has included patent validity disputes, licensing negotiations linked to standards organizations such as IEEE, and copyright claims against media companies exemplified by parties like Warner Bros. and Viacom. Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck lawyers have filed amici briefs and participated in rulemaking petitions before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and contributed to litigation surrounding tech standards and standard-essential patents involving corporations like Qualcomm and Apple Inc..

Attorneys and Leadership

The firm’s roster has included attorneys with federal clerkships at the United States Supreme Court and the Federal Circuit, alumni of law schools such as Yale Law School, Columbia Law School, and Georgetown University Law Center, and former government lawyers from the Department of Justice and the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Leadership has featured chairs and managing partners who have engaged with professional organizations like the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the Federal Circuit Bar Association, and the District of Columbia Bar. Several attorneys serve as adjunct faculty or lecturers at academic institutions including George Washington University Law School and American University Washington College of Law, and have authored articles in outlets such as the Harvard Law Review and the Stanford Technology Law Review.

Offices and Locations

Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck is headquartered in Washington, D.C. to maintain proximity to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and federal agencies including the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The firm’s location facilitates access to counsel and proceedings involving federal regulators like the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice Antitrust Division, as well as engagement with clients headquartered in technology hubs such as Silicon Valley, Boston, and New York City.

Awards and Recognition

The firm and its attorneys have received honors and rankings from organizations such as Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, and peer-review compilations like Best Lawyers. Individual lawyers have been recognized in lists from Super Lawyers and inducted into leadership roles within the American Intellectual Property Law Association and the Federal Circuit Bar Association. The firm’s appellate victories and influential briefs have earned citations in decisions from the Federal Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Pro Bono and Community Involvement

Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck participates in pro bono matters including representation before courts such as the United States District Court for the District of Columbia and administrative advocacy at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The firm supports nonprofit organizations and academic partnerships with institutions like Museums of Science and Industry affiliates, university technology transfer offices at institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and community legal aid organizations connected to bar associations including the District of Columbia Bar.

Category:Law firms based in Washington, D.C.