Patexia Insight 240: Top ITC Law Firms in Section 337 Investigations

Behind every successful Section 337 investigation at the U.S. International Trade Commission is a legal team skilled in fast-paced litigation, technical complexity, and international trade strategy. As global competition intensifies and patent enforcement becomes more sophisticated, the ITC has established itself as one of the most powerful and effective venues for protecting intellectual property and blocking unfair imports.

At Patexia, we’ve spent the past six years tracking every development in ITC litigation, who’s winning, who’s filing, and which firms are trusted to deliver results where it matters most. Our ITC Intelligence Report 2025 distills this into clear scores and rankings, identifying the top law firms based on both activity (volume of cases) and performance (outcomes and effectiveness). In this article, we reveal the firms that stood out, whether advocating for industry-leading innovators or defending manufacturers from exclusion. If Section 337 is the battleground, these are the top-tier strategists you want in your corner.

A Six-Year Look at Section 337 Activity

Over the past six years, Section 337 investigations at the ITC have fluctuated, reflecting broader shifts in trade policy, enforcement strategy, and global economic conditions. After peaking in 2022 with 79 new investigations and 197 patents involved, filings declined in 2023. However, activity rebounded in 2024 with 70 new cases and 165 patents, suggesting renewed interest in leveraging the ITC as a strategic venue for IP enforcement. Notably, 2021 saw the highest number of patents litigated, reaching 248 across 74 cases, highlighting the technical complexity and scope of that year’s disputes.

Top Ranked Law Firms

Between January 2019 and December 2024, a total of 357 law firms participated in 406 Section 337 investigations before the ITC. Of these, 165 firms represented complainants, and 290 firms represented respondents, with several firms active on both sides across different cases. The average number of investigations per firm was 3 for complainants and 3.6 for respondents; however, a small group of firms handled significantly more, establishing themselves as leaders in this litigation space.

Below is a table showcasing some of the most active and best-performing law firms identified in our ITC Litigation Intelligence Report 2025. These firms stood out either for the volume of Section 337 investigations they handled or for their exceptional performance outcomes. Firms that ranked among the top 90 are in the top 25% of all 357 analyzed, making them key players in ITC litigation over the past six years.

 

Law Firm	All Investigations	Category	Rank
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan	44	Complainant Activity Rank	1
Alston & Bird	39	Overall Performance Rank	1
Perkins Coie	27	Respondent Performance Rank	3
McKool Smith	14	Complainant Activity Rank	5
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.	16	Complainant Activity Rank	7
Dentons	11	Complainant Performance Rank	9
Greenberg Traurig LLP	13	Complainant Performance Rank	11
Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks	14	Respondent Activity Rank	13
Fenwick & West LLP	8	Respondent Performance Rank	18
Mei & Mark	14	Respondent Activity Rank	18
Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox	13	Complainant Activity Rank	29
Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton	9	Complainant Performance Rank	31
Alberti Lim & Tonkovich LLP	3	Complainant Activity Rank	46
Erise IP P.A.	4	Respondent Performance Rank	51
Haynes and Boone, LLP	5	Respondent Activity Rank	89

 

About the Rankings

To evaluate all participants in Section 337 investigations at the ITC, including attorneys, law firms, companies, and judges, we developed a proprietary scoring system based on three key components: Activity, Success, and Performance.
Activity Score reflects the number and recency of ITC violation investigations a party participated in, giving more weight to recent cases.
Success Score measures outcomes for each participant based on how investigations concluded (e.g., violation findings, settlements, or withdrawals), with scores adjusted using machine learning to account for external factors like the judge or strength of opposing parties.
Performance Score combines both activity and success, highlighting those who are not only active but also consistently effective.
This scoring system allows fair comparison across attorneys, firms, companies, and judges. For full details, see our Ranking Methodology.

Access the Full Report

The complete Section 337 ITC Intelligence Report offers in-depth statistics, comprehensive rankings, and detailed analysis of all players involved in ITC investigations from January 1, 2019, through December 31, 2024. It includes interactive tables, chart insights, and performance data for law firms, attorneys, companies, and judges. Whether you're looking to benchmark your team or identify top performers in this practice area, the full report provides the data and context you need to make informed decisions.