Intellectual Property Lawyers in New York City

Intellectual property lawyers in New York City serve the industries the city is known for: media, publishing, fashion, advertising, music, finance and a growing tech and biotech scene. Founders want to secure a brand name before launch, creators need help with copyright and licensing, and established companies deal with counterfeits, domain disputes and infringement claims.

Trademarks and patents are filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office, and copyrights can be registered with the US Copyright Office, which is required before suing for infringement of a US work. Federal courts hear most IP litigation, and in the city that means the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, with appeals to the Second Circuit, or to the Federal Circuit for patent cases. Patent prosecution requires a practitioner registered with the USPTO, so many firms combine patent agents with litigators. An IP attorney in New York can be verified through the attorney search of the New York State Unified Court System, and patent practitioners appear in the USPTO's own directory.

Trademark searches and filings are often offered at a flat fee plus government fees, while licensing and litigation are mostly billed hourly. Some intellectual property lawyers in New York City take infringement cases on a contingency or hybrid basis. Before hiring, write down the names, works or inventions you want to protect, when and where you first used them and in which countries you sell, and ask for a written estimate covering filing and possible office actions. Then compare the firms below and contact them directly.