Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff

Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP is an Am Law 200 business law firm, ranking #116 in 2026, with over 450 attorneys. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, the firm maintains a national and international presence with offices in major US cities including Chicago, Columbus, New York, San Francisco, and Wilmington, Delaware, as well as an office in Shanghai, PRC. Its Intellectual Property practice group offers comprehensive support across the patent lifecycle, from procurement and portfolio management to enforcement and defense.

The firm's patent litigation practice demonstrates a strong focus on defending technology companies, with six out of seven tracked appearances being on the defendant side. Their work often involves complex technologies such as semiconductors, high-speed connectivity solutions (e.g., active electrical cables), computer hardware, and various electrical, mechanical, and software technologies. Benesch's litigators possess technical backgrounds spanning wireless communications, solid-state electronics, digital imaging systems, and software applications, enabling them to handle diverse and sophisticated patent disputes.

Benesch has secured favorable outcomes for clients in significant patent disputes. For instance, the firm successfully represented Credo Technology Group Ltd. as a defendant in cases brought by Marvell Semiconductor, Inc., Volex PLC, and Amphenol Corp., with a settlement agreement and license reached with Amphenol related to active electrical cable technology. Other notable results include securing a full defense verdict for Feit Electric in a patent infringement jury trial and obtaining summary judgment of non-infringement for Teradata in litigation involving relational database management software. The firm also has a demonstrable PTAB practice, having defended Credo Technology Group Ltd. in an Inter Partes Review initiated by Unified Patents and routinely handles post-grant proceedings before the USPTO.

Key partners in the IP litigation practice include Charles M. McMahon, a first-chair litigator recognized for his work in patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret matters, with extensive experience before federal courts and the PTAB. Kal K. Shah chairs the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice Group. David Bluestone is a patent litigator focusing on electrical, mechanical, and software technologies, with a track record of complete defensive wins and experience arguing before the PTAB. Cristina Q. Almendarez has also achieved significant trial victories, including a full defense verdict in a multi-week jury trial for a global lighting innovator.