The Patent 1000 focuses exclusively on patent practice and has firmly established itself as the definitive 'go-to' resource for those seeking world-class legal patent expertise.
Recommended - Individuals: transactions
Prosecution powerhouse the Ehrlich Group continues to flourish – with over 1,000 US patent filings and several high-profile clients, the outfit enjoyed another strong year in 2021. Head of the software department Roy Melzer drafts and prosecutes patents related to information technology and the latest trends – such as blockchain or machine learning – with aplomb. One of his recent cases, for Zebra Medical Vision, involved such matters and filing in the United States, Europe, Hong Kong and Japan. “Roy is fast acting, accurate and informative in every case.” Legal counsel and elite IP strategist Amit Ehrlich is an invaluable ally for anyone looking to monetise their patents, and will assist on every step of the way, including with licensing and negotiations. A former professor of electrical engineering in New York, revered luminary Paul Fenster draws on his academic background and ample research and development (R&D) experience to deliver extraordinary results in patent prosecution and stellar litigation support. Leading the medical devices department is Maier Fenster, a life sciences virtuoso who is a key presence in prosecuting patents for one of the world’s top 10 hospitals – the Sheba Medical Center. “Maier is highly efficient and competent, and extremely helpful in identifying worthwhile inventions, strategising their filing, and drafting successful applications. Working with him is both enjoyable and professional.” Working along him is Eran Naftali, head of the physics division, who specialises in complex patent prosecution. Meanwhile, Geoffrey Melnick spearheads the high-technology department and has vast experience preparing cutting-edge patent applications, and appealing and opposing patents before the European Patent Office. Head of the legal practice Yehuda Neubauer has over 20 years of IP experience, some of which he spent at another gold-ranked firm in this chapter. He is currently involved in patent litigation proceedings on behalf of Boeing and Pfizer. “The quality of Yehuda’s advice always exceeds expectations. He’s highly responsive, practical, thoughtful, technically knowledgeable and clear. He is an excellent and highly experienced practitioner.” Another recipient of praise is top-ranked Gal Ehrlich, who stands out for his “commercial savvy, pragmatism, strategic approach and wide-ranging technology expertise”.
Amit Ehrlich is a field-proven attorney with extensive experience in commercial litigation, as well as IP, corporate, commercial and banking law. An honours graduate from the Academic College of Law in Ramat-Gan, he has maintained a diverse civil practice for several years, covering a variety of legal domains.
Mr Ehrlich’s affiliation with Ehrlich & Partners (now Ehrlich Group) began in 2002 and he now serves as the firm’s chief legal counsel and head of transactions.
Since 2006, Mr Ehrlich has focused on assisting patent holders in monetising their patents, including developing and implementing licensing programmes and conducting patent sales negotiations for clients ranging from individual inventors to large corporations. Mr Ehrlich founded IPTrade, an Ehrlich initiative for patent monetisation, where he serves as the CEO.
IPTrade is Israel’s leading business platform for selling unexploited high-tech patents to multinational corporations seeking to grow and diversify their IP portfolios. IPTrade provides its clients with a best-value monetisation service for their valuable patents, employing a comprehensive A-to-Z commercialisation approach.
Mr Ehrlich has been acknowledged by IAM as one of the world’s 300 leading IP strategists since 2018.
Tracing its roots back to 1995, the Ehrlich Group is one of the most prominent IP groups both in Israel and internationally. Founded by Gal Ehrlich, today the group comprises three pillars: Ehrlich & Fenster (E&F), a patent and trademark attorneys firm; Ehrlich, Neubauer & Melzer (EN&M), a boutique IP litigation firm; and IPTrade, an IP monetisation platform.
E&F is ranked as a top-tier firm by reputed international and domestic guides. The firm has long been the destination of choice for innovative clients in all areas of science and technology seeking unparalleled expertise in IP protection and prosecution.
The Ehrlich Group offers clients access to some of the finest legal and technical minds in the industry, with more than 160 employees who have worked as jurists, patent attorneys and technical advisers. The firm boasts renowned experts in all areas of intellectual property, including patents, copyright, trademarks, designs, trade secrets, plant breeder’s rights, anti-counterfeiting, open source, and much more.
Cutting-edge clients
As a leading international patent firm, E&F showcases diverse expertise and extensive technical knowledge that has cemented its reputation as a top choice for both Israeli and international clients. This is evidenced by the firm’s strong global reputation and proven track record in the filing, drafting and prosecuting of patents all over the world.
For example, it is no coincidence that E&F has the highest rate of patent applications derived from inventions developed in the principal Israeli academic institutions (Tel Aviv University, The Hebrew University, Be’er Sheva University, Weizmann Institute and the Technion), as well as the Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development (Volcani Centre), Tel Hashomer Hospital, Ichilov Hospital, Hadasit Medical Research Services and Development, Mor Research Applications and Columbia University in the United States, as well as universities and research institutions from China and the Philippines.
Global reputation
The group drafts and submits new patent applications, managing their prosecution in Israel and directly in the United States for leading multinational corporations and Fortune 500 companies such as IBM, Samsung, Huawei, Monsanto, Salesforce, Pfizer, Philips, Boeing, Microsoft, Plasson and Playtech Software, as well as countless start-ups, top researchers, developers and inventors in Israel and abroad, some of whom are Nobel Prize and Wolf Prize laureates.
The group
Through the unique synergy between the other members of the Ehrlich Group, clients are put at a considerable advantage by the cross-border legal practice and litigation experience of EN&M, which helps resolve any oppositions to IP rights, infringement disputes involving patents, trademarks, designs or copyright, or many other types of IP disputes. EN&M also brings experience in litigation proceedings before the Patent and Trademark Registrar, as well as before the Israeli courts, including litigation support abroad – from the United States and South America to Europe and Asia.
The cradle-to-grave offering also taps into the vast industry expertise of IPTrade, a unique platform developed by the group with a purpose to support its clients with the monetisation procedures of their IP assets, based on the experience and knowledge the group has gained and based on its international connections.
Partner with the Ehrlich Group, where your ideas are protected, defended, valued and maximised in full compliance with our mission: turning ideas into value.