McEIVR, Inc./MakerspaceCT is proud to announce the appointment of Dave S. Christensen, Partner and Additive Manufacturing Practice Group Chair at Cantor Colburn LLP, the fourth largest patent law firm in the country, to its Board of Directors and Legacy.

Cantor Colburn is proud to be a Silver Sponsor of the New England Parkinson’s Ride on September 8, 2018, in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, at which cyclists ride up to 100 miles to raise awareness and funds for Parkinson's research. This is Cantor Colburn's third consecutive year sending a team of cyclists and sponsoring the event.

Cantor Colburn has expanded its Atlanta office with the addition of experienced patent attorneys Kimberly Vines, Ph.D., Andrew Doherty, and William Brook Lafferty. Cantor Colburn is the 4th largest patent firm in the U.S., assisting clients across a wide range of sophisticated technologies, as reflected by the backgrounds of these attorneys, who hold degrees in chemistry, electrical engineering, industrial and systems engineering and mechanical engineering among them.

Four of Cantor Colburn’s key partner were selected by their peers for recognition in The Best Lawyers in America (2019 Edition). Co-Managing Partners Michael A. Cantor and Philmore H. Colburn II, Litigation Department Chair Michael J. Rye, and Partner and Trademark & Copyright Department Chair Curtis Krechevsky were recognized for the third consecutive year.

Cantor Colburn LLP has expanded its Life Sciences Practice Group with the addition of Nicholas Herrel, Ph.D. as an associate in the firm’s Hartford headquarters office. Dr. Herrel joins the firm from Locke Lord LLP, where he worked with Bryan Zerhusen, Ph.D., who recently joined Cantor Colburn as Chair of the Life Sciences Practice Group.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit rejected drug maker Allergan PLC’s attempt to shield its highly profitable Restasis patents from inter partes review (IPR) challenges by transferring them to a Native American tribe, as discussed in Cantor Colburn's Client Alert.

The USPTO published new examination guidance concerning method-of-treatment claims. Cantor Colburn's Client Alert summarizes the so-called "Vanda memo." In a memorandum dated June 7, 2018, the USPTO set out new examination guidance concerning method-of-treatment claims, which is encouraging news for patent applicants in the personalized medicine space. The memo emphasizes that method of treatment claims can be found to satisfy subject matter eligibility under 35 USC § 101 at the first step of an Alice/Mayo analysis, without requiring a showing of “nonroutine or unconventional steps.” The memo provides helpful guidance to examiners and patent applicants that emphasizes the patent eligibility of personalized method of treatment claims.

Cantor Colburn LLP is proud to announce the hiring of Leo V. Gureff in the firm’s Washington, D.C. area office in Alexandria, Virginia. Mr. Gureff is a patent attorney working in both domestic and international prosecution and transactions, with significant experience in Eastern Europe, particularly in Russia and Ukraine, where he travels regularly for business.

Cantor Colburn LLP has been recommended as a Leading Firm by the Legal 500 United States 2018 in Intellectual Property for Patents: prosecution (including re-examination and post-grant proceedings). This is the ninth consecutive year that Cantor Colburn has been recognized for this highly selective honor.

Cantor Colburn LLP is proud to announce the hiring of Douglas S. Weinstein in the firm’s Atlanta office. Mr. Weinstein is a patent attorney, working in both prosecution and litigation, with significant experience in Taiwan, where he served as Partner and Taiwan IP Coordinator for four years for a major U.S. intellectual property (IP) firm.

On May 25, 2018, the WHOIS domain name database, consisting of registrant identity data that brand owners, trademark practitioners, law enforcement, and brand protection companies rely on to assist with transactions, investigations, and enforcement activities, will disappear into the shadows. May 25, 2018 is the day that the European Union (EU) personal information privacy regulation - the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - goes into effect. Cantor Colburn's Trademark & Copyright attorneys summarize the issue in a Client Alert.

Six Cantor Colburn partners were selected as IP Stars in the 2018 World IP Survey by Managing Intellectual Property. Cantor Colburn was recognized as a “highly recommended” intellectual property (IP) law firm in the state of Connecticut, where the firm is headquartered.

Co-Managing Partners Michael Cantor and Philmore Colburn were listed in Connecticut, as were Pamela Curbelo, David Fox, and Leah Reimer, Ph.D.  Paul Marshall, who is based in the firm’s Detroit office, made the list for the state of Michigan. All are Patent Stars and Mr. Colburn is additionally a Trademark Star.

On April 24, 2018, the Supreme Court issued two important decisions in the cases of Oil States Energy Services, LLC v. Greene’s Energy Group, LLC, et al., and SAS Institute Inc. v. Iancu, addressing inter partes review (IPR). Both cases will have a significant impact on IPR proceedings. In sum and as discussed in greater detail in Cantor Colburn's Client Alert, the Court determined that (1) IPR proceedings are indeed constitutional, and (2) the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) must address all challenged claims in the final written decision.  

Cantor Colburn is the 4th largest patent firm in the United States as ranked by issued patents according to IP Watchdog, a leading intellectual property blog.  IP Watchdog compiled the list of about 800 U.S. patent firms based on the total U.S. utility patents that issued in 2017.  This ranking places Cantor Colburn in better than the top 1% of all U.S. law firms for productivity.

Co-Managing Partner Michael Cantor's role in the "seamless partnership between state government and the private sector" effort to make Hartford, Connecticut an "technology-and-innovation hub" for Infosys, an India-based information technology company undergoing a major expansion in the U.S., is featured In the March 15, 2018 article, "How CT wooed Infosys to Hartford," by Mark Paznokias (HartfordBusiness.com).

Cantor Colburn is ranked #3 for design patents and #8 for trademark registrations among all U.S. law firms in 2017, according to the well-respected IP blog Ant-like Persistence (2017 US Toteboards, March 11, 2018). The ranking measures the number of design patents that were issued and the number of trademark registrations that were issued by the USPTO in 2017.

Cantor Colburn partner Michelle Ciotola was quoted in the article "CT lawsuit tests Google's keyword search ad treatment," (Hartford Business Journal, February 19, 2018) about the lawsuit filed by Edible Arrangements against Google, in which Edible Arrangements demands $209 million in damages and other penalties for trademark infringement and unfair competition and trade practices. Ciotola is chair of the firm's Trademark & Copyright Department.

IP Law360 published Partner Howard Levy's article, "Reconsidering Accelerated Examination — While It's Still Here" in its Expert Analysis section on February 12, 2018.

For the last ten years, Cantor Colburn LLP has been the fastest growing patent law firm in the country, according to patent analytics and research firm Juristat in its “Rainmaker Firms” blog post on February 4, 2016.

Cantor Colburn attorney Patrick S. Griffin has joined the board of directors of Lilypad, a nonprofit organization that provides a playspace in South Philadelphia to bring families together with playgroups, community events, and classes. His two year term appointment was made during Lilypad’s December meeting and starts January 2018.

Cantor Colburn welcomes the new year with the elevation of two attorneys to its partnership, Eric J. Baron and Jenae C. Gureff, and the promotion of two Associates to Counsel, Duane P. Minley and Jason D. Radachy. Mr. Baron and Mr. Radachy are located in the firm’s Hartford office, Ms. Gureff is in Washington, D.C., and Mr. Minley is in Atlanta.

On January 16, 2018, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will require a slight increase in the fees to obtain a patent (i.e., filing, search, examination, and issue fee) relative to the current fee schedule. Cantor Colburn's Client Alert outlines the changes. While most fees will see around a 10% increase, certain fees such as Information Disclosure Statements and Inter Partes Review petitions will see a sizable increase. 

The UConn Alumni e-newsletter Momentum published the article, "Tough Engineering Classes Forged These CEOs" about Michael Cantor, Co-Managing Partner of Cantor Colburn, Frank Bergonzi, CEO & President of Azelis Americas, and Mark Vergnano, President and CEO, the Chemours Co., UConn Engineering alumni from the 80s who are today industry leaders.

Cantor Colburn is pleased to announce the appointment of Steven M. Coyle as the new Co-Chair of the firm’s Litigation Department effective November 1, 2017. He joins his fellow partner and litigator Michael J. Rye in leading the department.

For the second consecutive year, U.S. News - Best Lawyers® has ranked Cantor Colburn among the country’s "Best Law Firms." Cantor Colburn’s copyright and litigation practices were cited, and litigation was cited for both intellectual property and patent litigation.