Kenyon & Kenyon
Encyclopedia
Kenyon & Kenyon LLP is a law firm
specializing in intellectual property law. It competes with other IP specialists, as well as most general practice firms that have intellectual property law practices. It has offices in New York, Washington, D.C.
, and Silicon Valley
. Founded in 1879, the firm has litigated cases involving patents held by Thomas Edison
, Nicola Tesla, and Charles Brush.
and Yale
. He graduated in 1865 and later that year entered into Columbia Law School, from which he graduated two years later.
law firms in the world. In 2006, Managing Intellectual Property listed Kenyon as one of the 10 largest intellectual property practices in the world, while a survey by IPLaw360 listed Kenyon as having the third fastest growing patent practice groups in the US, as measured by new cases taken on that year. It also ranked fifth by NameProtect Trademark Insider in a report on trademark filers in 2006, and was one of the top 20 firms with the highest number of patents issued that year according to a survey by IP Today. In 2007, Kenyon was one of the top three firms for intellectual property in both contentious and non-contentious patent and trademark representations in 2007, according to a survey by Managing Intellectual Property, World IP Survey.
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
specializing in intellectual property law. It competes with other IP specialists, as well as most general practice firms that have intellectual property law practices. It has offices in New York, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
. Founded in 1879, the firm has litigated cases involving patents held by Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
, Nicola Tesla, and Charles Brush.
History
In January 1879, William Ciitus Witter founded the original firm in New York City as a partnership with Causten Browne. The firm was originally named Browne & Witter, later to become Browne, Witter and Kenyon. Witter had been educated at Brown UniversityBrown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
and Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
. He graduated in 1865 and later that year entered into Columbia Law School, from which he graduated two years later.
Hiring
As a general rule, Kenyon requires that incoming associates have a technical background, in either the sciences or engineering. Most attorneys have either advanced degrees in their field, or significant work experience before entering law school. Entry to the law firm is extremely selective. Like most prestigious law firms, Kenyon fills its ranks by hiring summer associates, which are law students between their second and third years of law school. These "summers," as they are called, work for the firm for their last summer of law school and then, if they receive an offer for full time employment, begin working as an associate after they graduate law school and are admitted to the bar.Rankings
Kenyon & Kenyon is routinely ranked as one of the most elite intellectual propertyIntellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
law firms in the world. In 2006, Managing Intellectual Property listed Kenyon as one of the 10 largest intellectual property practices in the world, while a survey by IPLaw360 listed Kenyon as having the third fastest growing patent practice groups in the US, as measured by new cases taken on that year. It also ranked fifth by NameProtect Trademark Insider in a report on trademark filers in 2006, and was one of the top 20 firms with the highest number of patents issued that year according to a survey by IP Today. In 2007, Kenyon was one of the top three firms for intellectual property in both contentious and non-contentious patent and trademark representations in 2007, according to a survey by Managing Intellectual Property, World IP Survey.
Notable lawyers and alumni
- Edward T. Colbert, brother of comedian Stephen ColbertStephen ColbertStephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an...
, recently appeared on The Colbert Report to discuss the Shepard FaireyShepard FaireyFrank Shepard Fairey is an American contemporary graphic designer, and illustrator who emerged from the skateboarding scene. He first became known for his "André the Giant Has a Posse" sticker campaign, in which he appropriated images from the comedic supermarket tabloid Weekly World News. His...
case.