Groombridge, Wu, Baughman & Stone

The firm: Groombridge, Wu, Baughman & Stone LLP is a patent litigation firm, trying cases in court, before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), in the International Trade Commission, and in arbitrations, and arguing appeals before the Federal Circuit.  Its lawyers are known for their rapport with juries and judges in court, the care and devotion with which they approach their clients, and their thought leadership in patent law and policy.  The firm also has a robust social justice component; GWBS lawyers are nationally recognized leaders in areas of Anti-Asian racism and violence, LGBTQ+ rights, HIV/AIDS confidentiality, and criminal justice, among other areas.  And the firm is known for its training opportunities, teaching and preparing young lawyers to succeed at the firm, in government, and in-house as clients.

The firm’s six partners collectively have more than 100 years in practice.  They founded GWBS in November of 2022 to sell expertise rather than leverage, to build a firm as diverse in its composition as it is in its practice, and to combine world-class litigation with service to society.  The firm grew quickly to more than 20 lawyers, more than half of whom are diverse.  Firm lawyers have been listed as leading practitioners in Chambers USA, Chambers Global, The Legal 500, and Benchmark Litigation, among others. The firm received a Band 3 ranking in Intellectual Property: Patent in the 2023 Chambers USA Guide, a Silver ranking for litigation in New York and the DC Metro Area in IAM Patent 1000, has been named “Firm to Watch” by The Legal 500 and shortlisted among “Firms to Watch – United States" by LMG Life Sciences.

Patent litigation: GWBS represents only innovators, as both plaintiffs and defendants.  Its clients span the breadth of patent-related industries, with deep experience in both the tech and life sciences sectors.  For example, GWBS lawyers brought the first case alleging infringement under the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act, tried the first case under that Act, and have tried many Hatch-Waxman cases. Firm lawyers have obtained jury victories totaling more than $1bn, and successfully defended against even larger claims.

PTAB practice: GWBS lawyers have been pioneering trial practice at the PTAB since its first minutes of operation on September 16, 2012, filing multiple petitions early that morning, and have appeared continuously before the PTAB in more than 190 high-stakes Inter Partes Reviews, Post Grant Reviews, and Covered Business Method reviews on behalf of both petitioners and patent owners. Firm lawyers also have extensive experience in Ex Parte Reexaminations.

Federal Circuit practice: GWBS lawyers have argued dozens of appeals in the Federal Circuit, including appeals from cases in which they did not participate in the trial court.  They represent appellants and appellees alike, in cases focusing on substantive patent law, civil procedure and policy, and a broad range of scientific and technical disciplines.

ITC practice: GWBS lawyers have led and tried cases before the ITC involving a broad range of technologies, including LEDs, flash memory chip fabrication, wireless communications, sonar, video games, microfluidic devices, and botulinum toxin.

Trade-Secret practice: GWBS represents plaintiffs and defendants in trade-secret litigation in federal and State courts.  Some of their cases involve patents as well, while others are pure trade-secret and data-misappropriation cases.

International experience: GWBS lawyers regularly act for clients in disputes that span the globe, coordinating international strategy while leading the U.S. component of the controversy.  Firm clients are headquartered around the world, with particular expertise representing European, Japanese, and Israeli companies.