What Fishman Stewart does

Fishman Stewart PLLC is a specialty intellectual property law firm founded in 1996 and headquartered in Troy, Michigan. The firm represents established companies and growth-stage innovators across verticals including automotive and mobility, medical technology, technology and software, engineering and manufacturing, chemistry and life sciences, media and entertainment, and sports law. The client base is enterprise-oriented, engaging CEOs and senior executives globally through direct relationships, referrals, and recognition-driven demand generation. Service lines span patent prosecution and counseling, trademark registration and management, copyright protection, trade secret strategy, IP litigation and dispute resolution, and IP consulting, transactional and e-commerce services. The firm ranks among the top 10% of U.S. firms annually for patents and trademarks secured, with 'tens of thousands' of patent and trademark filings and 'hundreds' of federal court cases handled since inception. The sports law practice, formalized around the 2025 House v. NCAA settlement, provides NIL, trademark, licensing, and anti-counterfeiting counsel to collegiate and professional athletics organizations.

The firm's principal technical differentiator is its exclusive license to the Chain Gain logic engine, described as the only software system dedicated solely to updating IP ownership worldwide across approximately 200 jurisdictions. Combined with the IntelProp.com global legal-associate network and a multi-channel content footprint (Fish Tank newsletter, Fish Hook blog, Tacklebox white papers, Finnyette videos, dedicated sports-law TikTok), Chain Gain underpins a differentiated worldwide chain-of-title update service used to manage post-transaction IP reorganizations. Revenue is generated through professional-services billing (quote-based, hourly or fixed-fee engagements), with an initial no-cost consultation offered to prospects; pricing is not publicly disclosed.

The operating model is sales-led B2B professional services. Distribution is direct via attorney-led relationships and a global associate channel (IntelProp). Marketing is content-driven, leveraging thought leadership, earned media and recurring rankings in IAM Patent 1000, WTR 1000, Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, IP Stars, Best Law Firms (Tier 1), Martindale AV Preeminent and Forbes Best-In-State Lawyers. As of 2024–2025, the firm has expanded its C-suite depth (first COO, Brian T. Corby), added lateral partners and science-track attorneys, and built a new relationship-management function — actions consistent with operational scaling rather than venture-backed hyper-growth. Fishman Stewart has been privately held throughout its nearly 30-year history, with no disclosed institutional investors, debt or equity offerings.

Name

Fishman Stewart

Legal name

Fishman Stewart PLLC

Website

https://fishstewip.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fishman Stewart PLLC is a Troy, Michigan-based specialty intellectual property law firm founded in 1996 that serves enterprise clients across automotive, medical technology, software, engineering, chemistry, media, and sports law through patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, litigation, and worldwide chain-of-title services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Troy

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - IP Law: Professional legal services in intellectual property law including patent prosecution, trademark registration, litigation, copyright protection, trade secrets, IP consulting, and transactional services. Revenue generated through attorney billing, likely hourly rates or fixed fees for specific services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Fishman Stewart PLLC is a specialty intellectual property law firm that provides legal services in patent prosecution, trademark registration and management, copyright protection, trade secret strategy, IP litigation and dispute resolution, IP consulting and transactional support, chain-of-title updates, and sports law (including NIL). Services are delivered by attorneys and supported by the proprietary Chain Gain® logic engine for worldwide IP ownership updates across approximately 200 jurisdictions via the IntelProp.com® global associate network.

Product overview

Fishman Stewart PLLC is a premier specialty law firm approaching 30 years of experience guiding innovators in intellectual property law. The firm operates as a unified service offering rather than a software platform, providing legal services across patent prosecution and counseling, trademark registration and management, copyright protection, trade secret strategies, litigation and dispute resolution, and IP consulting. The core services are supplemented by specialized offerings including the Chain Gain® logic engine for worldwide chain of title services and the IntelProp.com® global associate network. The firm serves clients across industries including AI, automotive, medical technologies, consumer products, and sports law, with offices in Troy, Michigan and a global network of legal associates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IntelProp.com®: A portal into Fishman Stewart's expanding network of legal associates providing worldwide IP legal services.
• Chain Gain®
• Fish Hook℠
• Fish Tank®
• Fish Bits®
• Tacklebox Insights®
• Finnyette℠

Products and services

• Patent Prosecution and Counseling

Named customers1 record

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Chain Gain LLCcoreTechnology or IntegrationChain Gain LLC developed the Chain Gain logic engine, the only software dedicated solely to IP chain of title updates. Fishman Stewart is the exclusive licensee of this proprietary software system, enabling the firm to efficiently orchestrate and execute chain of title projects worldwide for approximately 200 jurisdictions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sterne Kessler Goldstein & Fox: DC-based IP boutique of similar size. Direct peer specializing in patent prosecution, PTAB proceedings, and IP litigation for technology and life sciences clients.
• Cantor Colburn: Large IP-only firm with similar full-service IP offering. Direct comparable in patent prosecution, trademark, and IP transactional work.
• Harness Dickey & Pierce: Mid-size IP specialty firm with comparable attorney count. Closely matched in patent prosecution volume, electrical/mechanical focus, and post-grant practice.
• McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff: Chicago-based IP boutique of similar size and specialization. Direct peer in patent prosecution and IP litigation for technology and life sciences clients.
• Oblon, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt: Mid-size IP specialty firm with similar attorney scale. Competes head-to-head in patent prosecution across technical disciplines and in PTAB proceedings.
• Bookoff McAndrews: DC-based IP boutique of similar size and specialization. Direct comparable in patent prosecution, trademark, and copyright services for technology and consumer product clients.

Broad incumbents

• Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner: Premier IP boutique with 300+ attorneys and global offices. Direct competitor in patent prosecution, trademark, and IP litigation, with overlapping emphasis on technology and life sciences clients.
• Fish & Richardson: Largest IP-only law firm in the U.S. with 400+ attorneys across 14 offices. Directly comparable specialty IP practice serving patent prosecution, litigation, and post-grant matters for the same innovator and technology client base.
• Knobbe Martens: Major IP specialty firm with deep patent prosecution and litigation bench. Direct comparable serving medical device, biotech, and technology innovators with similar full-service IP offerings.

Regional players

• Brooks Kushman: Southfield, Michigan-based IP firm of comparable size. Strongest regional peer, competing for the same Michigan-based corporate IP work and overlapping automotive industry clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fishstewip
• YouTubewww2.fishstewip.com/youtube
• Facebookwww2.fishstewip.com/facebook
• LinkedInwww2.fishstewip.com/linkedin
• TikToktiktok.com/@fishmanstewartsports

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Fishman Stewart