Buchanan and RatnerPrestia Announce Law Firm Combination
PHILADELPHIA (November 14, 2023) –Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney and RatnerPrestia announced today that they have agreed to combine with 22 lawyers and 2 patent agents set to join Buchanan on January 1, 2024. The former RatnerPrestia(RP) group will be joining Buchanan’s intellectual property (IP) section in Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Washington, DC.
The combination increases the firm’s longstanding and strong intellectual property section by 65% and bolsters its existing presence in the Mid-Atlantic region. The two firms combined have filed nearly 3,000 patent applications in the last 12 months, ranking the merged group within the top 10 most prolific patent firms in the U.S. Both firms enter the combination from positions of financial strength with deep client relationships and cultures that focus on maintaining the highest levels of client service. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“We are thrilled to welcome this group of impressive lawyers to our firm,” said Joseph Dougherty, the firm’s chairman and CEO. “The addition of this group is a major step in our growth strategy for the firm. It increases our resources to enhance client service and expand relationships, not only in IP-related matters but across our full-service platform.”
The RP group is known for high-quality work and a flexible, business-based approach to client service. They routinely handle procurement, enforcement, licensing, commercialization, global strategic IP planning, and all related business aspects of IP. The lawyers have been recognized for their work by Chambers USA and IP Stars.
“We knew that Buchanan was the right fit for us and our clients,” said Jonathan H. Spadt, former CEO & President of RatnerPrestia. Spadt will serve as a Co-Chair of the IP Section.
Spadt added: “Buchanan’s platform is perfectly situated to support our clients in the United States and around the globe, and its dynamic, collaborative culture will support the expansion of our practices. We look forward to supporting the continued growth of the firm and its IP section.”
Buchanan’s IP section serves clients from global Fortune 500 companies and large universities to individual inventors and entrepreneurs. The section strives to add value to client innovations and ideas while preserving and protecting the lifeblood of a clients’ business. The section works with both U.S. and international clients to manage their patent and trademark portfolios. They handle IP litigation in federal and state courts and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The award-winning team has been recognized for its extensive IP and trademark work by multiple organizations including:
- Patent Trial and Appeal Board Practice was named among the Top 5 Most Effective in Representing Patent Owners
- Top Tier Branding and Trademark Practice per Managing Intellectual Property’s IP Stars, IAM’s Patent 1000, and World Trademark Review’s WTR 1000
- Rated Top 50 Best Performing Law Firms overall according to the Patexia Report
- Ranked National Tier One in IP Litigation, Patent Law and Patent Litigation in the 2023 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” Report.