Fabian VanCott

To: Senior Partner
From: Patent Litigation Analyst
Date: 2026-05-07
Subject: Firm Professional Summary: Fabian VanCott

Fabian VanCott is a full-service regional law firm with its headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, and an additional office in Las Vegas. Formed in 2015 from the merger of two long-standing Utah firms, Fabian VanCott fields more than 70 attorneys and positions itself as a prominent practice in the Intermountain West. While not ranked in the AmLaw 200, the firm holds regional rankings for various practices, including a Tier 1 ranking in Utah for Commercial Litigation and Corporate Law from Best Law Firms and a Tier 3 ranking for Intellectual Property in Salt Lake City from another legal directory.

The firm’s intellectual property group handles a broad range of matters, including patent, trademark, and copyright litigation, patent preparation and prosecution, and technology licensing. The firm's public materials emphasize experience in protecting proprietary rights and defending against the misuse of confidential information and trade secrets across various industries. Based on the available case data, the firm’s patent litigation experience includes work in the mechanical arts, specifically related to firearm components.

Authoritative data shows the firm appearing exclusively on the defense side in its tracked patent case. In its single tracked matter, Rare Breed Triggers Inc et al. v. Nicholas Norton et al., the firm served as local counsel for the defendant. This aligns with the firm’s stated focus on litigation defense strategies.

The firm’s most prominent recent patent litigation appearance is its role in the Rare Breed Triggers case in the District of Wyoming. The case involves patents for "forced reset trigger" devices for firearms. Acting as local counsel for the defense, the firm was involved in successfully opposing the plaintiff's motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, a notable outcome that allowed the client to continue manufacturing and selling its product while the case proceeds. No significant public record of a Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) practice, such as high-volume inter partes review (IPR) filings, was identified.

Key attorneys in the firm’s intellectual property practice include David L. Ayers, who is listed as local counsel in the Rare Breed Triggers matter. The firm's website also identifies partner Douglas B. Cannon, a litigator with over 30 years of experience that includes an emphasis on intellectual property issues involving patents and trade secrets. Steven L. Nichols, a registered patent attorney and former patent examiner, focuses primarily on patent prosecution but is also listed as a member of the IP litigation team.