The Legal Experience and Advancement Program (LEAP) is designed to help develop the next generation of patent practitioners by enabling them to secure oral advocacy opportunities before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Development of legal skills through practical experience allows advocates to effectively support and represent their clients’ interests.
This webpage recognizes the law firms and corporations who submitted the most requests for participation in the LEAP program during the first two years, from May 2020 to May 2022. The first place ranked sponsor submitted the most LEAP requests during the first two years, and the fifth place ranked sponsor submitted fewer requests during the first year. There are many additional sponsors not included in the ranking below the fifth place.
Recognizing these sponsors for their repeated use of LEAP is meant to encourage others to consider including a LEAP-eligible practitioner in their ex parte appeals and AIA trial proceedings.
| Ranking | Most LEAP requests |
|---|---|
| 1 | Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox, PLLC |
| 2 | Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner |
| 3 | Fish and Richardson |
4 | (three-way tie) Foley & Lardner LLP; Unified Patents LLC; Wolf, Greenfield, Sacks, PC |
| 5 | Devlin Law Firm |