Founded in 1879 when Charles P. Jacobs became one of Indiana's first attorneys to specialize exclusively in intellectual property law, Woodard, Emhardt, Henry, Reeves & Wagner, LLP has maintained a singular focus on IP for over 145 years. Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, the firm is a full service intellectual property law firm whose attorneys specialize in identifying, protecting, and preserving the intellectual property assets that are essential to success in today's highly competitive marketplace. The firm's areas of expertise span patent, trademark, copyright, and unfair competition law, encompassing prosecution and filing both domestically and internationally, litigation of intellectual property issues in all state and federal courts, practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, proceedings before the International Trade Commission, and all licensing, transactional, and enforcement activities related to intellectual property rights.
The team comprises 21 attorneys, a technical writer, multiple paralegals, and over 20 additional support staff members. Every attorney and technical specialist holds a scientific or technical undergraduate degree and is either registered or working toward registration to practice before the United States Patent Office. Beyond their legal degrees, members of the firm hold advanced degrees in chemistry, biology, engineering, computer science, physics, and mathematics. This technical training provides a breadth and depth of knowledge that enables the firm to serve clients across diverse industries with highly specialized needs and to develop deep understandings of each client's technologies, products, and competitive landscape. Several members of the firm also serve as law school adjunct professors, further reflecting the exceptional caliber of expertise within the practice.
An exclusive focus on intellectual property gives the firm distinct operational advantages that general practice firms cannot easily replicate. All processes, software systems, and databases have been specifically designed and selected to meet the unique and docket intensive requirements of intellectual property practice. The firm's internal cadre of attorneys, specializing across a wide range of technical disciplines, allows clients to benefit from significant efficiencies of scale. Time is never lost recruiting technical expertise, as the firm can readily match each matter with the most appropriate counsel from the moment an engagement begins.
Exceptional attorney and staff retention further distinguishes the firm from many medium and large law firms that experience high turnover. Team members frequently dedicate their entire careers to the firm, often spanning 40 or more years of service. This long-term commitment fosters a strong team environment, enables the highest levels of proficiency, builds lasting client relationships, and cultivates a thorough understanding of each client's technologies, businesses, and products or services that only deepens with time.
At the cornerstone of the firm's business philosophy are integrity and a steadfast commitment to client service. The firm represents a diverse clientele ranging from individuals with creative ideas to major corporations with extensive intellectual property portfolios, in matters valued from thousands to billions of dollars. Regardless of size, every client can be assured that the firm has their best interests in mind and will proceed as a good steward of their resources.
