What Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP does

Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP is a California limited liability partnership founded in 1962 and headquartered in Irvine. The firm operates as one of the largest dedicated intellectual property law practices in the United States, employing approximately 300 lawyers and scientists across seven offices in Orange County, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington D.C. Its core service offering is a full-spectrum IP practice covering patent prosecution and strategy, patent litigation in federal district courts and at the PTAB, trademark registration and enforcement, copyright registration and litigation, trade secret protection and misappropriation litigation, Section 337 proceedings before the International Trade Commission (ITC), Hatch-Waxman pharmaceutical patent litigation, design patent prosecution and litigation, and IP transactional work including licensing, M&A due diligence, and venture capital matters.

The firm's core product is legal services rendered by partner-led teams, with revenue generated through hourly billing and fixed-fee engagements. Its competitive positioning rests on technical depth — over 90% of patent prosecutors hold technical degrees and more than 30 team members hold Ph.D. or M.D. credentials — combined with a sustained track record of high-stakes litigation outcomes including a $634 million verdict for Masimo against Apple (plus an ITC exclusion order on Apple Watches), a $382 million verdict for Applied Medical against Medtronic in an antitrust matter, and cumulative jury verdicts exceeding $1 billion. The firm serves enterprise clients across life sciences, medical devices, consumer electronics, fashion and consumer brands, and emerging-technology sectors, with named engagements spanning Masimo, Applied Medical, Deckers (UGG), Trader Joe's, Monster Energy, Nobel Biocare, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, and Lupin, among others.

The go-to-market model relies on direct enterprise engagement reinforced by thought-leadership content (blog posts, PTAB and Federal Circuit newsletters), sustained placement in legal directories (IAM Patent 1000, Chambers USA, Legal 500, Benchmark Litigation, LMG Life Sciences, World Trademark Review 1000), and earned media coverage of landmark case outcomes. Distribution is partner-led with referral flows from existing clients and corporate counsel networks; there is no intermediary channel. The firm has no public ticker, no parent company, and is wholly owned by its partners under a traditional LLP structure.

Name

Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

Legal name

Knobbe, Martens, Olson & Bear, LLP

Website

https://knobbe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP is a private U.S. intellectual property law firm founded in 1962, with approximately 300 lawyers and scientists across seven offices providing full-spectrum IP services — patent prosecution and litigation, trademark, copyright, trade secrets, ITC disputes, and Hatch-Waxman litigation — to multinational corporations and emerging businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Professional Fees: Knobbe Martens generates revenue through legal fees for intellectual property services including patent prosecution, patent litigation, trademark matters, copyright services, trade secret litigation, and ITC disputes. As a law firm, revenue is generated through billable hours and/or fixed fees for specific legal services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The supplied input contains no substantive content about the firm's products or services. Based solely on the "LLP" entity designation in the company name, the firm is structured as a professional services partnership, but no specific offerings are evidenced.

Product overview

Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP is a full-service intellectual property law firm providing legal services across all aspects of IP and technology law. The firm offers a comprehensive suite of practice areas including Patent Strategy & Prosecution (patentability assessments, prior art searches, global portfolio management), Patent Litigation (district court and PTAB proceedings), Trademark & Brand Protection (registration, TTAB proceedings, anti-counterfeiting), Trade Secret Services (misappropriation litigation, employee mobility), Copyright Services (registration, licensing, infringement), International Trade Commission (ITC) Disputes (Section 337 investigations), IP Transactions & Venture Capital, Design Patents, and Hatch-Waxman Litigation. The firm serves diverse international clients from multinational corporations to emerging businesses across offices in Orange County, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington D.C.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fish & Richardson: One of the largest pure intellectual property law firms in the U.S., with a comparable full-spectrum patent prosecution and litigation practice, technical specialists, and a similar nationally recognized IP trial bench.
• Finnegan: Premier IP specialty firm with deep patent prosecution, ITC litigation, and PTAB practices; directly competes for the same enterprise and life sciences IP work as Knobbe Martens.
• Irell & Manella: Boutique IP and trial firm in California; competes head-to-head for high-stakes patent litigation, especially in California district courts and at the Federal Circuit.
• McKool Smith: Specialized IP litigation boutique with a national trial practice in patent and commercial disputes; comparable on complex patent and trade-secret matters.

Broad incumbents

• WilmerHale: Large generalist firm with a top-tier IP practice including prosecution, litigation, and ITC work; broader portfolio but competes for the same enterprise IP work.
• Morrison Foerster: Global generalist firm with a renowned IP litigation and patent prosecution practice; competes for life sciences and tech-sector IP matters at the enterprise level.
• Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan: Litigation powerhouse with a sizable IP practice; competes for high-stakes patent and trade secret disputes alongside complex commercial litigation.
• Latham & Watkins: Global full-service firm with a strong IP litigation practice; competes for enterprise IP mandates in California, New York, and beyond.
• Goodwin Procter: Major East Coast firm with a sizable IP litigation and prosecution practice; overlaps with Knobbe Martens in life sciences and tech.
• Boies Schiller Flexner: Trial-focused firm with a growing IP litigation practice that competes for marquee patent and trade secret disputes against IP boutiques.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/knobbemartens
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/knobbe-martens-olson-&-bear-llp
• Xx.com/knobbemartens

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP