McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP

What McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP does

McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP (MBHB) is a full-service intellectual property law firm founded in 1996 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with additional offices in California and North Carolina. The firm is organized as a private Limited Liability Partnership and employs 251–500 people, the substantial majority of whom are attorneys and technical advisors. MBHB is 100% focused on IP law, offering a balanced practice split of approximately 50% patent and trademark prosecution and counseling and 50% litigation, and serves Fortune 100 companies, midsize companies, startups, academic institutions, and individual inventors across the United States and worldwide. Practitioners are grouped into 12 practice areas (including AI, Copyright, Design Rights, Emerging Companies, IP Licensing, Litigation & Appeals, Opinions & Counseling, Patent Portfolio Management, Patent Prosecution, PTAB Post-Grant Proceedings, Trademark, and Trade Secrets) and eight technology groups spanning Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals, Cannabis, Chemical, Electrical, Mechanical & Materials, Medical Device & Diagnostics, Networking & Telecommunications, and Software & Computing.

The firm's core differentiator is technical depth: 100% of its attorneys and technical advisors hold science or engineering degrees, with nearly 50% holding Ph.D.s or other advanced degrees, enabling the firm to handle technically complex IP matters before the PTAB, U.S. District Courts, the Federal Circuit, the U.S. Supreme Court, and the International Trade Commission. Revenue is generated through standard professional-services fee arrangements for patent prosecution, IP litigation, trademark registration, trade secret protection, IP licensing, and related counseling; specific rates and fee structures are not publicly disclosed. The firm acquires clients primarily through professional reputation, industry recognition (e.g., IAM Patent 1000, Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, LMG Life Sciences Stars), referrals, and thought-leadership content distributed through its Snippets blog, the Patent Docs and Patently-O platforms, industry publications (Law360, Bloomberg Law, IAM), YouTube (IP in 5 series), LinkedIn, and bar-association participation (NAPABA, AIPLA, IPO). Recent strategic moves include lateral re-hiring of a life sciences partner, income-partner promotions, Mansfield Certification Plus, and the launch or formalization of dedicated AI, Cannabis, and quantum IP engagements.

Name

McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP

Legal name

McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP

Website

https://mbhb.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP is a Chicago-based full-service intellectual property law firm serving Fortune 100 companies, startups, and academic institutions through patent prosecution, litigation, and IP counseling delivered by attorneys with science and engineering credentials.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intellectual Property Legal Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management (BPAHAMAA)

Keywords

• Intellectual property law
• Patent prosecution
• IP litigation
• Trademark services
• Patent portfolio management

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Professional Services: MBHB generates revenue through legal fee arrangements for intellectual property legal services including patent prosecution, patent litigation, trademark registration, trade secret protection, IP licensing, and related counseling. The firm serves a broad client base including Fortune 100 companies, midsize companies, startups, and academic institutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MBHB is a full-service intellectual property law firm that provides legal counsel across patent prosecution, IP litigation, trademark, trade secrets, copyrights, design rights, IP licensing, PTAB post-grant proceedings, and opinions & counseling. The firm serves Fortune 100 companies, midsize companies, startups, and academic institutions, with practitioners organized by both practice area and technology discipline (biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, chemical, electrical, mechanical, software, medical devices, telecommunications). Approximately 50% of the practice is devoted to prosecution and counseling and 50% to litigation.

Product overview

McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP (MBHB) is a full-service intellectual property law firm providing creative, pragmatic IP business solutions. The firm offers a comprehensive suite of legal services organized into 12 distinct practice areas: Artificial Intelligence, Copyright, Design Rights, Emerging Companies & Entrepreneurs, IP Licensing & Transactions, Litigation & Appeals, Opinions & Counseling, Patent Portfolio Management, Patent Prosecution, PTAB Post-Grant Proceedings, Trademark, and Trade Secrets. MBHB serves Fortune 100 companies, midsize companies, startups, academic institutions, and individual inventors. The firm balances approximately 50% of its practice in patent and trademark prosecution and counseling with 50% in litigation. MBHB also provides industry-specific expertise across multiple technology areas including Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals, Cannabis, Chemical, Electrical, Mechanical & Materials, Medical Device & Diagnostics, Networking & Telecommunications, and Software & Computing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Patent Prosecution
• IP Litigation & Appeals
• Trademark Services
• Copyright Services
• Trade Secrets
• Patent Portfolio Management
• PTAB Post-Grant Proceedings
• IP Licensing & Transactions
• Opinions & Counseling
• Design Rights
• Artificial Intelligence Legal Services
• Emerging Companies & Entrepreneurs Legal Services

Quantifiable outcome

• MBHB handles IP litigation matters in trial and appellate courts across the country, including the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, U.S. District Courts, and the International Trade Commission.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Diversity LabminorOthersMBHB earned Mansfield Certification Plus from the Diversity Lab, validating the firm's commitment to diversity and inclusion in its workforce and recruitment practices. The certification recognizes law firms that have demonstrated progress in building diverse leadership teams.
• Portal InnovationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMBHB partnered with Portal Innovations for a 'Biotech Sunrise on the South' event, reflecting collaboration with startup ecosystem players in the biotech space.
• Patent DocsminorOthersMBHB is associated with Patent Docs, a website featuring news and commentary on patent law, co-founded by MBHB Partner Kevin Noonan. The firm also contributes to Patently-O blog.
• Patently-OminorOthersMBHB is associated with the Patently-O blog, a leading IP law blog, as part of the firm's thought leadership and content marketing ecosystem.
• Duality (Quantum Startup Accelerator)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAndrew H. Velzen supports the burgeoning quantum startup community in Chicago through his work with Duality, a quantum startup accelerator led by the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago and the Chicago Quantum Exchange. MBHB supports quantum startups through this accelerator partnership.
• ClientPayminorOthersMBHB uses ClientPay as an online payment platform for client fee management, linked from the firm's website.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C. Tech- and life-sciences-focused full-service firm with substantial patent prosecution and litigation capabilities serving similar tech and biotech clients. Comparable on tech IP work but with a much wider corporate practice.
• Ropes & Gray LLP: AmLaw 50 full-service firm with a notable IP and life sciences practice serving similar large pharma and biotech clients as MBHB. Overlaps in high-end IP work but bundles broader corporate and litigation services.
• Cooley LLP: Full-service firm with a major IP and life sciences practice that competes for the same tech and biotech clients as MBHB. Overlaps in patent prosecution and litigation, but offers broader corporate, litigation, and regulatory capabilities.
• Foley & Lardner LLP: AmLaw 100 full-service firm with a substantial IP practice group serving Fortune 500 tech and life sciences clients. Comparable end-customers but offers broader corporate and regulatory services beyond MBHB's pure-IP focus.

Direct peers

• Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP: One of the largest U.S. IP-only law firms, with a similarly deep technical bench and a balanced prosecution/litigation portfolio serving Fortune 500 tech and pharma clients. Directly comparable in scale, prestige (IAM Patent 1000, Chambers), and practice-area mix to MBHB.
• Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C. Washington, D.C.-based IP boutique specializing in patent prosecution, litigation, and post-grant proceedings for tech and life sciences clients. Directly comparable in pure-play IP focus and patent-heavy practice mix.
• Fish & Richardson P.C. Premier IP-only firm with hundreds of attorneys and technical advisors handling patent prosecution, litigation, and PTAB work for large tech and life sciences clients. Closely comparable in headcount scale and PhD-heavy talent model.
• Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP: Large IP-focused firm with strong life sciences and technology practices, headquartered in California. Comparable to MBHB in size, technical depth, and cross-disciplinary patent work.
• Harness, Dickey & Pierce, P.L.C. Mid-size IP-only firm with a comparable technical (engineering-heavy) talent base and prosecution/litigation mix. Similar scale and target client segments to MBHB.
• Oblon, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, L.L.P. Virginia-based IP boutique with a similar prosecution-plus-litigation model and strong technical-credential attorney base. Directly comparable in service mix and target clientele.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MBHBIPLaw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mcdonnell-boehnen-hulbert-&-berghoff-llp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP