Many of the attributes that characterize Townsend and Townsend and Crew in the 21st Century can be traced back to the creative, imaginative and resourceful individuals that started the firm in the 19th Century. These ingenious, adventurous spirits were not only instrumental in establishing intellectual property rights for new scientific processes in important west-coast industries such as gold extraction, but were also inventors of new technology, such as photo-engraving.

It is a fascinating journey to trace Townsend's historical development, and the evolution of intellectual property law, starting with the first publication of the Mining and Scientific Press on May 24, 1860. Follow the heroic deeds of Charles Townsend, Sr., who single-handedly rescued client files during the 1906 earthquake fires, and moved them to safety atop Twin Peaks (while taking spectacular photos along the way). Townsend Sr., a true visionary, also provided pro bono legal services for his friend, John Muir, who founded the Sierra Club.

Townsend's son, Charles Townsend, Jr., was renowned as one of the prominent post-World War II pioneers in advocating and demanding jury trials in patent cases. Later on, Townsend filed perhaps the first lawsuit ever in the emerging field of biotechnology (BioRad v. Cetus). We also litigated the first case before the newly created Federal Circuit Court in 1982.

The legacy of Townsend and Townsend and Crew extends beyond the Cohen and Boyer patent displayed in the Smithsonian for recombinant DNA, or a Science magazine cover featuring our work in nanotechnology. It also includes the recent blockbuster litigation successes against Intel and Microsoft, and our consistent notoriety as a leading filer for Medical Device patents and Trademarks in the world. Discover for yourself how Townsend has been living history for almost 150 years.