McGuireWoods

As of May 1, 2026

McGuireWoods LLP is a full-service, international law firm headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. As an AmLaw 100 firm with more than 1,000 attorneys across 21 U.S. offices and additional locations abroad, it is a prominent BigLaw player. The firm receives consistently high marks for client service and maintains top-tier regional rankings from Chambers and Partners for its Intellectual Property practice, including a Band 1 ranking in Southern Virginia.

The firm’s patent litigation group handles high-stakes disputes for a diverse client base, ranging from startups to large multinational corporations and research universities. While the practice represents clients on both sides of the docket, it has significant experience defending large operating companies. This is consistent with its tracked appearance as local counsel for the defendant in Thales DIS France SA v. Canadian Bank Note Company Ltd. The group has noted expertise in the telecommunications and wireless technology sectors, and its litigators have experience across a range of technologies including semiconductors, software, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals.

McGuireWoods litigates regularly in key patent venues, including the Eastern and Western Districts of Texas and the District of Delaware, and has a record of successfully arguing appeals at the Federal Circuit. The firm's website highlights a recent Federal Circuit victory for its client Belvac, where it secured a verdict invalidating the asserted patents. Chambers and Partners also noted the firm's successful defense of Huawei in a patent infringement case concerning internet and cloud-based communications technology.

The firm maintains a significant Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) practice, representing clients in inter partes review (IPR) proceedings. The practice's capabilities were substantially enhanced by the 2024 hiring of Amanda Wieker, who previously served for nearly a decade as an Administrative Patent Judge at the PTAB. Key partners in the intellectual property and patent litigation practice include David E. Finkelson and Brian C. Riopelle, who are both recognized by Chambers USA as Band 1 IP litigators. The attorney of record in the firm's tracked case, Brian E. Schmalzbach, is a co-leader of the firm's Business Litigation Practice Group and a former co-leader of its appellate practice.