the firm's post-grant practitioners are some of the most experienced in the country.

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Fast Facts

About Our

Law Firm

About Our Law Firm

Headquartered within steps of the USPTO with an affiliate office in Tokyo, Oblon is one of the largest law firms in the United States focused exclusively on intellectual property law.

Get to know our

History

Get to know our History

1968
Norman Oblon with Stanley Fisher and Marvin Spivak launched what was to become Oblon, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, LLP, one of the nation's leading full-service intellectual property law firms.

Our Local and

Global Reach

Our Local and Global Reach

Outside the US, we service companies based in Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, and farther corners of the world. Our culturally aware attorneys speak many languages, including Japanese, French, German, Mandarin, Korean, Russian, Arabic, Farsi, Chinese.

A few of our

ACCOLADES

A few of our ACCOLADES

Oblon's professionals provide industry-leading IP legal services to many of the world's most admired innovators and brands.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR

Career

OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR Career

From the minute you walk through our doors, you'll become a valuable part of a team that fosters a culture of innovation, client service and collegiality.

A few ways to

GET In Touch

A few ways to GET In Touch
US Office

Telephone: 703-413-3000
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Tokyo Office

Telephone: +81-3-6212-0550
Learn More +

Downloadable

Patent Forms

Downloadable Patent Forms

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued final rules implementing the inventor's oath or declaration provisions of the America Invents Act (AIA) on August 14, 2012.

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Firm Overview

Oblon is headquartered within steps of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and has an affiliate office in Tokyo, Japan. Oblon is one of the largest law firms in the United States focused exclusively on intellectual property law.

The Firm is consistently recognized as an industry leader, with annual accolades from reputable publications such as Chambers and Partners USA, U.S. News & Best Lawyers (named “a Best Law Firm”), Corporate Counsel Magazine (named a “Go-to” law firm by the top 500 U.S. companies), and Intellectual Property Today (ranked on the list of “Top Patent Firms”). The Firm has obtained more U.S. utility patents than any other firm in the world for 30+ years.

Oblon's attorneys and professionals collectively offer centuries of USPTO insight and expertise and serve as an invaluable resource to Oblon clients that have come to rely on the firm’s uniquely qualified experts, including many former patent examiners and administrative patent judges (APJs). Today, most of Oblon’s management team is made up of patent prosecution practitioners.

In addition to its renowned patent prosecution practice, the firm has a precedent-setting litigation practice, having litigated cases such as the Festo case before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Oblon litigation team has extensive knowledge and experience in all aspects of complex intellectual property litigation involving patent, industrial design and trade secret disputes.

Additionally, the firm's post-grant practitioners are some of the most experienced in the country. The Group routinely recovers patent portfolios made subject to post-grant disputes as a result of high-profile, concurrent litigation valued at hundreds of millions of dollars.

Our Clients

Our attorneys regularly work with business leaders, marketing professionals, scientists and technicians at our clients’ companies. With an office in Tokyo, Japan, regular visits to domestic and foreign clients, and attorneys fluent in French, German, Japanese, Russian, Arabic, and many other languages, our attorneys communicate effectively with clients around the world. We also host client trainees, familiarizing them with the U.S. legal system, culture and business methods.

Firm History

 

The Inception

1968

The firm's history began the second half of the 1960s when the founders Norman Oblon, Stanley Fisher, and Marvin Spivak met while employed in the patent section at the White Oak Naval Ordnance Laboratories. Their discussions led to the formation of Oblon, Fisher, and Spivak in the fall of 1968.

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The Grand Entrance – The Firm's First Clients in Japan

1970

Recognizing the economic situation in the United States at the time was not favorable, Norman Oblon went to Japan, a still undiscovered market, and succeeded in recruiting several clients on his first trip by offering new groundbreaking strategies for world-wide patent prosecution. Most of the clients from this first trip remain firm clients to this day.

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Irv McClelland and Gregory Maier

1970

Irv McClelland then joined the firm, followed by Gregory Maier in the early 1970s.

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Serving as a Lighthouse for Japanese Companies

1970

The firm adopted the practice of offering training and guidance on U.S. patent law to Japanese patent professionals. The founders also co-authored a book designed to guide Japanese companies through the U.S. patent prosecution system.

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Talent Acquisition to Provide New and Advanced Services

1974

In the early 1970s, the firm began the practice of hiring scientists with advanced degrees to help with the prosecution of the rapidly developing technologies of the time. In 1974, Arthur Neustadt joined the firm and began its litigation practice.

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The End of an Era and New Beginnings

1990

The firm continued its rapid growth in the 1990s, and in the 2000s, the founders prepared to leave management of the firm and began a transition to the next generation of partners.

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The Landmark Festo Case at the Supreme Court of the United States

2002

Art Neustadt litigated the landmark Festo v. SMC case as lead counsel over a twenty-year period in which he successfully argued before the Supreme Court and twice before the en banc Federal Circuit.

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Oblon Moves Adjacent to USPTO's New Headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia

2003

In anticipation of the USPTO's relocation plans, the firm moved adjacent to the USPTO's new headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia.

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Oblon Opens Tokyo Office

2009

At the same time as the transition of management from the founders was completed, the firm opened its Tokyo Office, which today has four full-time patent professionals headed by Ms. Yuki Onoe.

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The Oblon Name

2015

The firm is now most well known as the "Oblon" firm. While the firm has changed to meet the challenges of today, it has maintained its tradition of putting the client first and hiring talented professionals with advanced degrees and diverse backgrounds and legal experiences. The Oblon firm looks forward to the future with confidence in its continued success.

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