Connolly Bove Lodge & Hutz

Connolly Bove Lodge & Hutz is an intellectual property boutique firm founded in 1944 and headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. The firm maintains additional offices in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, California. Following a strategic restructuring in 2012, the firm concentrated exclusively on intellectual property matters, evolving from a broader service firm to a specialized IP practice.

The firm's patent litigation practice spans a diverse range of technology areas, including biotechnology, communications, computer architecture and software, mechanical engineering, and semiconductors/optics. Connolly Bove Lodge & Hutz engages in patent litigation, prosecution, and counseling. Based on available case data, the firm primarily represents defendants in patent infringement actions.

A notable recent engagement includes serving as local counsel for Canadian Solar (USA) Inc. in Trina Solar Co., Ltd. v. Canadian Solar (USA) Inc. et al. in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. The underlying patents in this case, related to TOPCon (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact) solar cell technology, were challenged at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). In April 2026, the PTAB issued final written decisions invalidating all claims of Trina Solar's asserted patents, effectively ending the U.S. district court infringement action. This outcome demonstrates the firm's experience in leveraging PTAB proceedings to defend against patent claims. The firm also handles patent interferences, reissues, and reexaminations before the USPTO, alongside general patent prosecution.

Key IP litigation partners at Connolly Bove Lodge & Hutz include Jeffrey Bove, who became managing partner of the IP practice following the firm's 2012 reorganization, and Rudolf Hutz, a renowned IP partner. Additionally, Burton Amernick is listed as a partner with patent litigation and prosecution experience in the Washington, D.C. office, where Scott Watkins also serves as Of Counsel with a focus on patent litigation. Arthur G. Connolly, III, a former managing partner, also built a significant patent litigation practice at the firm before his departure in 2012.