Rothwell Figg IP Professionals

What Rothwell Figg IP Professionals does

Rothwell Figg IP Professionals (legal entity Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck, P.C.) is a Washington, D.C.-headquartered intellectual property and technology law firm with an additional office in Boston. Founded in 1977, the firm operates as a professional corporation serving enterprise clients — primarily Corporate IP Holders, Media & Entertainment Companies, and Technology Companies — across a unified portfolio of IP services. Its core practice areas are IP Litigation, Patent Prosecution, Media & Entertainment Law, and Technology Law, supplemented by a specialized AI Copyright Legal Services practice that represents major news organizations in copyright infringement suits against AI companies.

The firm's underlying capability is its bench of IP professionals and their accumulated expertise rather than any proprietary technology platform. Patent prosecution is anchored by a cumulative track record of more than 12,000 granted U.S. patents obtained on behalf of clients across technology areas, and litigation work is supported by Chambers USA 2026 recognition in both IP Litigation and Media & Entertainment. The newer AI Copyright practice has reached six active suits, including filings against Perplexity AI on behalf of The New York Times and Chicago Tribune, positioning the firm at the intersection of generative AI and copyright law.

The firm's business model is standard professional services: legal representation fees (hourly, fixed, or contingency depending on matter type) billed directly to enterprise clients through attorney-client relationships. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales — direct outreach, referrals, and reputation-based acquisition — with no intermediaries. The firm maintains a thought-leadership presence through its website newsroom, blog subscriptions, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook, and YouTube channels, and is currently hiring lateral attorneys and staff, consistent with capacity expansion to support growing caseloads.

Name

Rothwell Figg IP Professionals

Legal name

Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck, P.C.

Website

https://rfem.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Rothwell Figg IP Professionals is a Washington, D.C.-based intellectual property and technology law firm serving enterprise clients across patent prosecution, IP litigation, media & entertainment, and emerging AI copyright matters, with a Boston office and 101–250 employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intellectual Property Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management (BPAHAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

IP Search, Watch & Competitive Intelligence (BPAHAMAI)

Keywords

• Intellectual property law
• Patent litigation
• Patent prosecution
• Trademark registration
• Copyright enforcement

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 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 Revenue: The firm generates revenue through legal representation fees for intellectual property litigation, patent prosecution, trademark registration, and technology law matters. Services are provided to corporate clients requiring specialized IP expertise.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Rothwell Figg is a full-service intellectual property and technology law firm providing legal representation in patent litigation, trademark prosecution, copyright enforcement, media and entertainment law, and emerging technology matters including AI-related copyright litigation. The firm provides counsel to corporate clients requiring sophisticated IP protection, prosecution, and dispute resolution across U.S. courts and patent offices. It serves clients directly from offices in Washington, D.C. and Boston, leveraging an extensive record of more than 12,000 granted U.S. patents on behalf of clients.

Product overview

Rothwell Figg is a full-service intellectual property and technology law firm offering a unified portfolio of legal services. The firm provides IP Litigation, Patent Prosecution, Media & Entertainment Law, Technology Law, and specialized AI Copyright Legal Services. These practice areas are interconnected, with patent prosecution and technology law forming the foundation of intellectual property protection, while litigation services handle disputes. The firm's AI Copyright practice represents an emerging specialization addressing copyright issues arising from artificial intelligence technologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IP Litigation Services Represents clients in intellectual property disputes, including patent infringement, trademark, and copyright litigation matters before U.S. courts.
• Media & Entertainment Law Provides legal representation for media and entertainment industry clients in IP-related matters, recognized in the Chambers USA 2026 guide.
• Patent Prosecution Handles patent application filing and prosecution services; the firm reports having assisted clients in obtaining over 12,000 granted U.S. patents.
• AI Copyright Legal Services Represents major news organizations including The New York Times and Chicago Tribune in copyright infringement suits against AI companies such as Perplexity AI.
• Technology Law Provides counsel on technology-related intellectual property matters, including emerging issues related to artificial intelligence and digital content.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Oblon, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt: A large IP and technology boutique also headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area, with comparable patent prosecution and litigation offerings. Oblon is a direct competitor in the D.C. IP market.
• Fish & Richardson: One of the largest IP-only law firms in the U.S., with a heavy patent prosecution and litigation practice. Fish & Richardson competes directly with Rothwell Figg for patent portfolio work and high-stakes IP litigation, though at meaningfully larger scale.
• Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox: A Washington, D.C. IP boutique specializing in patent prosecution, post-grant proceedings, and litigation. SKGF directly competes with Rothwell Figg for patent-heavy clients in the same metro.
• Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner: A premier Washington, D.C.-based IP boutique with deep patent prosecution and litigation practices. Finnegan is the closest direct comparable to Rothwell Figg in scale, geographic base, and IP specialization, and is its most natural competitor for the same enterprise clients.

Broad incumbents

• Cooley LLP: Technology-focused full-service firm with strong patent prosecution and IP litigation capabilities serving many of the same technology and life sciences clients as Rothwell Figg.
• WilmerHale: Major full-service firm with a leading IP litigation practice, particularly in technology and life sciences. WilmerHale overlaps with Rothwell Figg in patent litigation and technology-law matters from a much larger platform.
• Goodwin Procter: Full-service firm with a significant IP and technology transactions practice. Goodwin competes with Rothwell Figg for technology company IP work but from a broader corporate platform.
• Jones Day: Global full-service law firm with a substantial IP litigation and patent prosecution practice. Jones Day competes with Rothwell Figg on large IP matters but offers a much broader corporate and litigation platform.
• Kirkland & Ellis: Global full-service firm with a growing IP litigation practice that increasingly competes for high-stakes patent and technology matters. Kirkland's scale and corporate integration contrast with Rothwell Figg's boutique model.
• Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe: Full-service firm with a notable IP practice focused on technology clients. Orrick's tech-centric positioning makes it a competitor for the same enterprise IP clients Rothwell Figg serves.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rothwellfiggip
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCwr7dZQ5i1L38pOnYukOeVw/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/rothwellfigg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rothwell-figg-ernst-&-manbeck

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Rothwell Figg IP Professionals