Jansson Munger McKinley & Kirby

What Jansson Munger McKinley & Kirby does

Jansson Munger McKinley & Kirby is a private intellectual property boutique law firm founded in 1984 by Peter N. Jansson, operating from two offices in the Chicago-Milwaukee corridor (Racine, Wisconsin and Lake Forest, Illinois). The firm employs approximately 10 people, including four shareholders (Peter N. Jansson, John E. Munger, Molly Hogan McKinley, and Eric V.C. Jansson), a scientific advisor (Dr. David G. Jansson), and five paralegals and administrative staff. Its core services span the full lifecycle of intellectual property protection and enforcement: patent and trademark prosecution before the USPTO, IP litigation in federal and state courts across at least 25 states, copyright registration and protection, unfair competition matters, and licensing transactions.

The firm's litigation practice is its principal differentiator, with a documented record of summary judgments, permanent injunctions, Federal Circuit affirmances, and jury verdicts in patent infringement and ownership disputes across diverse industries including automated graphics cutting, marine hydraulic steering, pool cleaning equipment, medical devices, and oil sands extraction technology. Attorney credentials include USPTO registration and admissions to multiple federal courts including the Federal Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court. For international matters, the firm operates through an established network of foreign associates rather than permanent overseas offices, supporting both inbound and outbound IP needs for clients with cross-border exposure.

Revenue is generated entirely through professional services billing on a quote-based, matter-by-matter basis; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and reputation-driven, relying on attorney-client relationships, referrals, and the firm's 40+ year track record rather than marketing spend or digital channels. The firm's website (janlaw.com) functions as a top-of-funnel informational resource with attorney profiles, achievements, and links to external IP news sources, while bottom-of-funnel conversion is driven by word-of-mouth referrals within the legal and business community. No funding rounds, acquisitions, subsidiaries, or external investors are reported.

Name

Jansson Munger McKinley & Kirby

Legal name

Jansson Munger McKinley & Kirby Ltd.

Website

https://janlaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Jansson Munger McKinley & Kirby is a private intellectual property boutique law firm founded in 1984, with four attorneys across Racine, Wisconsin and Lake Forest, Illinois offices, serving established corporations and entrepreneurs in patent, trademark, copyright, IP litigation, and licensing matters nationally and internationally.

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

Intellectual Property (IP) Law (BPAHAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management (BPAHAMAA), Trademark Prosecution & Brand Protection (BPAHAMAB), IP Licensing, Transactions & Technology Transfer (BPAHAMAF), IP Compliance, Anti-Counterfeiting & Enforcement (BPAHAMAK)

Keywords

• Intellectual property law
• Patent prosecution
• Trademark registration
• IP litigation
• Copyright protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Racine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services: Professional legal services billing for intellectual property matters including patent and trademark prosecution, IP litigation, licensing transactions, and related IP counseling.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Jansson Munger McKinley & Kirby is an intellectual property law firm that secures and enforces patent, trademark, and copyright rights on behalf of established corporations and entrepreneurs. The firm practices patent and trademark prosecution, IP litigation before federal and state courts and the USPTO, unfair competition and trade dress matters, and IP licensing and new venture arrangements, with a national practice spanning 25+ states and an international practice conducted through foreign associates.

Product overview

Jansson Munger & McKinley Ltd. is an intellectual property law firm offering a comprehensive suite of legal services centered on patent, trademark, and copyright protection and enforcement. The firm's core offerings include patent prosecution and litigation, trademark registration and enforcement, copyright protection, IP litigation, unfair competition representation, and licensing services. The practice serves established corporations and entrepreneurs with both national and international reach, maintaining relationships with associates in all countries of interest to internationally-active companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Patent Services Patent prosecution, enforcement, and litigation services including securing patent rights, representing clients in infringement matters, and handling cases before the USPTO.
• Trademark Services Trademark registration, prosecution, and enforcement services including representing clients in trademark litigation and unfair competition matters.
• Copyright Services Copyright registration and protection services for creative works and intellectual property.
• IP Litigation Comprehensive intellectual property litigation practice representing clients in federal and state courts across at least 25 states and in litigated matters before the United States Patent & Trademark Office.
• Unfair Competition Services Legal representation in unfair competition matters and trade dress disputes.
• Licensing Services IP licensing services including negotiating agreements and managing technology transfer arrangements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successful summary judgment of patent infringement with Federal Circuit affirmance
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• International Associates NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe firm maintains relationships with associates in all countries of interest to internationally-active companies. This network enables the firm to serve clients with global IP needs across patent and trademark prosecution, litigation support, and enforcement in multiple jurisdictions worldwide.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Harness, Dickey & Pierce: IP boutique specializing in patent prosecution, litigation, and IP transactions. Comparable in focus on IP-only practice and serving technical industries, with broader geographic coverage than JMMK.
• Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner: Premier IP boutique specializing in patent prosecution, litigation, and trademark matters. Highly comparable in focus on IP-only practice and Federal Circuit litigation strength, though materially larger than JMMK.
• Merchant & Gould: IP-focused law firm with national presence handling patent prosecution, trademark, and IP litigation. Comparable as a peer IP boutique serving similar corporate clients with technical patent needs.
• Knobbe Martens: IP-focused law firm with strong technical patent prosecution and litigation practice serving technology and life sciences clients. Comparable as a specialized IP competitor for technical patent matters.
• Casimir Jones S.C. Midwest IP boutique focusing on patent prosecution and litigation. Comparable in size and boutique positioning within the regional IP legal services market.

Broad incumbents

• Lathrop GPM: Midwest-headquartered full-service law firm with patent and trademark capabilities. Competes for IP mandates from Midwest-based corporates while providing broader legal services.
• Foley & Lardner: Full-service law firm with significant IP practice and strong Midwest presence (including Milwaukee and Madison offices). Competes for IP work in the Chicago-Milwaukee corridor while offering broader corporate services.
• Quarles & Brady: Full-service law firm headquartered in Milwaukee with a substantial IP practice. Direct regional overlap and competes for IP matters from Midwest corporate clients.
• Fish & Richardson: Large national IP-focused law firm with deep patent prosecution and litigation practices. Comparable as a peer in the IP law services category, but operates at significantly greater scale across many U.S. offices, competing for similar corporate IP mandates.

Regional players

• McAndrews, Held & Malloy: Chicago-based IP boutique with patent prosecution and litigation focus. Strong geographic overlap in the Midwest IP market and comparable boutique positioning in the Chicago-Milwaukee corridor.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Jansson Munger McKinley & Kirby