What Leydig, Voit & Mayer, Ltd. does

Leydig, Voit & Mayer, Ltd. is a Chicago-headquartered intellectual property law firm founded in 1880, organized as a private professional corporation with entities in Illinois (Ltd.), California (LLP), and Germany (GmbH). The firm operates exclusively in intellectual property law, providing patent preparation and prosecution, IP litigation, trademark and copyright prosecution and enforcement, trade secrets and unfair competition, IP due diligence and transactions, licensing, freedom-to-operate opinions, post-grant proceedings before the USPTO, and e-commerce/marketplace IP services. Its practice is organized along seven technology verticals including biotechnology, chemical technologies, cybersecurity, electrical/computer/software technologies, internet and telecommunications, mechanical/electromechanical/optical technologies, and pharmaceuticals and biosimilars, staffed by over 80 attorneys and patent agents with advanced scientific and technical degrees supported by approximately 100 staff professionals.

The firm serves Fortune 500 companies, multinational pharmaceutical and chemical firms, software and electronics manufacturers, medical device companies, biotech startups, universities, and private research facilities, with named engagements spanning biopharmaceutical BPCIA biosimilar litigation, trade dress defense for consumer brands (e.g., Haribo), trademark and rebranding matters for global financial services firms, and IP transactional support for healthcare technology acquisitions. It generates revenue through professional services fees, primarily billable hours, with publicly disclosed associate compensation of $190,000-$205,000 first-year base salary and a 1,800 annual billable hour expectation supporting a professional services economic model.

Leydig operates six offices across Chicago, Alexandria, Boulder, Walnut Creek, Frankfurt, and Shenzhen, enabling cross-border IP prosecution and litigation. The firm's primary revenue model is hourly professional services billed to enterprise clients. Go-to-market relies on directory rankings (Chambers USA, IAM Patent 1000, World Trademark Review 1000, Legal 500, U.S. News Best Law Firms, Fortune Go-To Law Firms), professional association engagement (INTA, IPO, AIPLA, IPLAC, ChiWIP), and long-term enterprise client relationships rather than transactional sales or marketing-driven demand generation. The firm ranked #7 for U.S. Utility Patents Issued in 2025 and #21 for U.S. Design Patents Issued in 2025, with over 75 design patents issued to clients in 2025, and has been recognized in Fortune magazine as one of 'The Go-To Law Firms of the World's Leading Companies.'

Name

Leydig, Voit & Mayer, Ltd.

Legal name

Leydig, Voit & Mayer, Ltd.

Website

https://leydig.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1880

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Leydig, Voit & Mayer is a Chicago-headquartered private intellectual property law firm providing patent prosecution, litigation, trademark, and IP transactional services to Fortune 500 companies, startups, universities, and research institutions across six U.S. and international offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intellectual Property Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAHALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

eDiscovery, Litigation Support & Legal Hold (BPAEAPAE), eDiscovery, Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAKAHAD)

Keywords

• Intellectual property law
• Patent prosecution
• IP litigation
• Trademark registration
• Patent licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Professional Services: Professional services law firm providing intellectual property legal services including patent prosecution, litigation, trademark services, and IP transactions. Revenue generated through billable hours and legal fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Leydig, Voit & Mayer is an intellectual property law firm that provides comprehensive legal services including patent preparation and prosecution, IP litigation in federal courts and USPTO proceedings, trademark and copyright registration and enforcement, trade secrets protection, IP due diligence for transactions, licensing, freedom-to-operate opinions, and post-grant USPTO proceedings. The firm serves Fortune 500 companies, startups, universities, and research facilities globally through six offices in the U.S., Germany, and China, leveraging attorneys with advanced technical degrees across multiple scientific disciplines.

Product overview

Leydig, Voit & Mayer is a premier intellectual property law firm offering comprehensive legal services through a unified platform of practice areas. The firm provides a complete suite of IP services organized around core practice areas including IP Litigation, Patent Preparation and Prosecution, Trademarks and Copyrights, Trade Secrets and Unfair Competition, IP Due Diligence and Transactions, IP Asset Management and Licensing, Freedom-to-Operate Opinions, and Post-Grant Proceedings. These services are supported by specialized technology practice groups covering Biotechnology, Chemical Technologies, Cybersecurity, Electrical/Computer/Software Technologies, Internet and Telecommunications, Mechanical/Electromechanical/Optical Technologies, and Pharmaceuticals and Biosimilars. The firm does not offer a software product; all offerings are legal services delivered by attorneys and patent agents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IP Litigation Full-service intellectual property litigation including patent infringement, trade secrets, trademark infringement, unfair competition, trade dress protection, and copyright infringement, representing clients in federal courts, USPTO proceedings, and international forums.
• Patent Preparation and Prosecution Comprehensive patent development, preparation, and prosecution services including patentability searches, non-infringement analyses, design-around strategies, USPTO prosecution, and international filing strategy.
• Trademarks and Copyrights Trademark and copyright protection including domestic and international trademark clearance, registration, prosecution, enforcement, and infringement defense in federal courts and before the TTAB.
• Trade Secrets and Unfair Competition Protection against trade secret misappropriation and unfair business practices, including proactive security counsel, defensive strategies, and litigation representation.
• IP Due Diligence and Transactions Intellectual property due diligence investigations, IP support for mergers and acquisitions, acquisitions and divestments, and strategic alliances involving IP assets.
• IP Asset Management and Licensing Portfolio management, strategic guidance, patent and trademark auditing, licensing transactions including patent, technology, software, and trademark licenses, and technology transfer agreements.
• Freedom-to-Operate, Non-Infringement, and Invalidity Opinions Patent opinion services including freedom-to-operate opinions, non-infringement and invalidity opinions, patentability opinions, and pre-litigation evaluations.
• Post-Grant Proceedings Before the USPTO Representation in USPTO post-grant proceedings including inter partes review, post-grant reviews, covered business method patent reviews, ex parte reexaminations, and appeals to the Federal Circuit.
• E-Commerce and Marketplace IP IP enforcement and litigation services for e-commerce businesses including trademark and copyright infringement lawsuits, counterfeiting defense, platform representation, and ITC proceedings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 75 design patents issued to Leydig clients in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ADAPTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerADAPT is an organization that works to advance the IP industry through improving access to information and creating meaningful connection through technology. Leydig is a proud member and participates in ADAPT's mentoring program and maintains a database of volunteer and sponsorship opportunities for practitioners.
• INTA (International Trademark Association)coreOthersLeydig sponsors and participates in INTA events including the Women's Power Breakfast, Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition, and Annual Meetings. Multiple attorneys serve on INTA committees.
• IPO (Intellectual Property Owners Association)coreOthersLeydig sponsors IPO Annual Meeting and attorneys serve on IPO committees including Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee and Hispanic Resource Group.
• ChiWIP (Chicago Women in IP)minorOthersLeydig sponsors ChiWIP events including Annual Networking Dinner and Progressive Networking Dinner.
• IPLAC (Intellectual Property Association of Chicago)minorOthersLeydig attorneys attend IPLAC Annual Meetings and Judges' Dinners. Firm sponsors various IPLAC events.
• AIPLA (American Intellectual Property Law Association)minorOthersLeydig sponsors AIPLA Women in IP Law Global Networking Event. Attorneys participate in AIPLA activities.
• AUTM (Association for University Technology Managers)minorOthersLeydig sponsors AUTM Western Meeting as part of industry outreach.
• ChIPsminorOthersLeydig attorneys are members of ChIPs, an organization focused on women in IP law.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sidley Austin: Global full-service firm with a strong IP practice (litigation, prosecution, licensing); Chicago-headquartered like Leydig and competes for the same Midwest enterprise clients but with broader corporate and litigation offerings.
• Jones Day: Global AmLaw 5 firm with a substantial IP practice including patent prosecution and litigation; competes with Leydig on complex IP matters but operates as a full-service firm offering corporate, litigation, and regulatory work as a portfolio.
• Kirkland & Ellis: Largest law firm globally by revenue with significant IP litigation capability, particularly in pharma and tech; competes for bet-the-company IP mandates but provides a broader service platform including M&A and restructuring.

Emerging players

• Fenwick & West: West Coast-focused firm with deep technology and life sciences IP practices serving venture-backed and public tech companies; partial overlap with Leydig's software and biotech segments, particularly through Silicon Valley clients.

Direct peers

• Oblon, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt: IP-focused law firm near USPTO with patent prosecution, litigation, and licensing practices; comparable in technical specialization and serves overlapping client segments in mechanical, electrical, and chemical technologies.
• Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox: Washington, D.C.-based IP boutique specializing in patent prosecution and post-grant proceedings before the USPTO — overlapping with Leydig's patent prosecution and PTAB/IPR practice areas and serving similar technology clients.
• Fish & Richardson: Largest IP-only law firm in the United States, with comparable patent prosecution, litigation, and post-grant practices serving similar technology clients (biotech, software, electronics, pharma). Closest direct competitor on size, scope, and singular IP focus.
• Harness Dickey & Pierce: IP-only firm with strong patent prosecution rankings and post-grant capabilities, comparable in technical breadth and serving overlapping automotive, mechanical, and electrical engineering clients.
• McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff: Chicago-based IP boutique with patent prosecution and litigation expertise across biotech, chemistry, and software — direct Midwest-headquartered competitor sharing the same regional client pool.
• Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner: Premier IP boutique consistently ranked in IAM Patent 1000 and Chambers Band 1 with similar patent prosecution and litigation capabilities, particularly in the pharmaceutical, biotech, and electrical/computer sectors where Leydig competes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/LeydigIP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leydig-voit-&-mayer-ltd-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Leydig, Voit & Mayer, Ltd.