Since our origins in 1860, Townsend has played a significant role in the growth of successful businesses in the United States and around the world. The firm traces its history from some of the earliest mechanical inventions of the California Gold Rush to present day technologies in innovative fields such as nanotechnology and biotechnology.

Townsend has played a critical role in writing numerous patents that have shaped today’s current intellectual property landscape:

• Townsend attorneys prosecuted the patents at issue in the 1950 Graver Tank case, which served as the foundation for the doctrine of equivalents.
• Townsend is widely acknowledged as the firm that wrote the first biotechnology patent known as Cohen and Boyer, which was one of the most widely licensed patents until its expiration in 2005.
• Townsend is also widely acknowledged as the firm that wrote the first biological chip patents for Affymetrix.
• Our firm pioneered the practice of achieving effective protection for software through patents. Many of the earliest software patents were written by Townsend for Oracle, Borland, Yahoo!, and others.
• Many of our patent prosecutors have lived some of Silicon Valley’s most dramatic technology developments as engineers, coming up through the ranks of Valley stalwarts such as Fairchild Semiconductor, Applied Materials, NVIDIA, and others.

Today, Townsend practices at the leading edge of technological development. In recent years:

• We have advised our client Affymetrix with regard to DNA-Chip patents – combining our expertise in biotech with our expertise in the field of electronics.
• We have prosecuted some of the first nanotechnology patents, many arising out of the California Institute of Technology.
• We manage large patent, trademark and copyright portfolios of some of the most successful technology companies, including Oracle, NVIDIA, Cal Tech, Altera Corporation, Hitachi Ltd., Logitech, Applied Materials, Fairchild Semiconductor, Silicon Graphics, Pixar, and many others.

Townsend has also evolved into one of the largest and most well-established intellectual property law firms in the United States, with more than 215 lawyers and offices in San Francisco, Palo Alto, Walnut Creek, San Diego, Seattle, Denver, Washington, DC, and Tokyo, Japan.

Townsend focuses on all aspects of intellectual property protection and enforcement – through complex litigation and numerous other methods of dispute resolution. Our attorneys have an unusual level of technical expertise, many holding advanced technical and legal degrees. Our technology focus enables us to offer specialized services in most industries and in all areas of intellectual property law, including (among others):

• Electronics & Software Patent Prosecution
• Technology Transactions
• Biotechnology & Chemical Patent Prosecution
• Medical & Mechanical Devices Patent Prosecution
• Patent Interference
• Nanotechnology Patent Prosecution
• Trademark & Copyright Prosecution
• Antitrust & Unfair Competition
• Patent and other IP Litigation
• Complex Commercial Litigation
• Internet and Domain Names
• Software Performance Litigation
• Trade Secret Litigation

In addition, the firm has a network of more than 200 international associates to obtain patent and trademark protection for its clients in virtually every country in the world.

At Townsend, our focus and dedication provides an accumulation of experience and knowledge that translates into a valuable asset for our clients. Using our collective experience, our technically skilled patent and trademark prosecutors and commercial and intellectual property litigation lawyers help a diverse range of clients protect their businesses. It means we have the practice and specialty to handle all of our client’s intellectual property needs. With the depth of experience Townsend attorneys enjoy, the firm remains uniquely positioned to provide the highest quality intellectual property protection to our clients.