From a former BigLaw litigator. I've sat in your chair.
I place patent litigation attorneys at AmLaw 100 firms and top boutiques in Washington, DC. I was a patent litigator at a DC based IP firm, so this is a market I know from the inside.
15 minutes. Completely confidential. Firms pay my fee, never you.
Patent Litigation ยท ITC & Washington, DC
Section 337 investigations at the International Trade Commission are a DC practice by definition, and they move at a pace district court litigators rarely see, with exclusion orders that can shut a product out of the US market. The Federal Circuit sits here too, and the PTAB is across the river. That concentration makes DC the one city where a patent litigator can build a full career without leaving the beltway.
I was a patent litigator in this market, so I know which DC groups actually carry ITC investigations and appellate work and which mostly support cases run from elsewhere. I'll gate the conversation by your technical background, because that decides which dockets are open to you.
Before I recruited attorneys, I was one, a litigator at Weil Gotshal and Finnegan Henderson. I know what a 2,200 hour year feels like, how partners really size up a lateral, and what it's like to be the one making this call. That's the difference between someone who forwards your resume and someone who fights for your career.
I practiced patent litigation at a DC based IP firm, so I can tell real ITC and trial experience from support work, and I know how to frame your technical background and your matters so you get evaluated as a specialist.
No blasting your resume across the market. I learn your practice first, then take you to the handful of DC groups that genuinely match where you're headed.
What we discuss stays between us. Nothing about you reaches a firm until you tell me yes, for that specific opportunity, in writing.
Three steps, no pressure, and an honest read from someone who has been on your side of the desk.
Fifteen minutes to understand where you are, where you want to go, and the things you won't compromise on.
A tight set of DC patent litigation roles matched to your practice and your life, each one with a clear reason it's on the list.
I take your story straight to the hiring partner, run point on interviews, prep you for every round, and negotiate the offer.
It's structure, not effort
If your firm isn't winning the matters in your practice area, there's no work to hand down, no matter how proactive you are. Months of quiet start to read like underperformance when the real problem is structural. A busier platform fixes in weeks what staying can never fix at all. The answer isn't grinding harder. It's the right firm.
Hear how attorneys made their next move.
"I didn't think this kind of role was possible for me. It was."
"Steven understood where I was trying to go and built a path to it I couldn't have found on my own."
"It felt discreet, thoughtful, and personal. I never once felt sold."
"His read on how to position my experience, prep for interviews, and negotiate the offer was excellent."
Moving isn't disloyalty
Firms expect laterals. They don't take it personally. The attorneys who advance fastest aren't the ones who never leave. They're the ones who move when their firm can't support what comes next. Your career isn't built on loyalty. It's built by being deliberate about where you spend your 2,000 billable hours.
Completely. What we discuss stays between us, and if we move forward your resume doesn't reach anyone until you give me a yes for that specific opportunity, in writing.
Yes. ITC practices regularly train strong district court litigators, and your discovery and claim construction experience transfers. The adjustment is pace, since investigations run on schedules district court lawyers rarely see. I'll tell you which groups are adding and how to position your docket.
Firms pay my fee, not you. There's no cost to you at any point in the process.
No. Most attorneys I work with are exploring, not decided. A conversation costs you nothing and tells you a lot.
Both. DC has a strong bench of specialist patent litigation boutiques alongside the big flagship practices. The right answer depends on the work and the life you want, and I'll help you compare them honestly.
I practiced in BigLaw for six years before I switched to recruiting. I don't just know the market, I know what it's like to sit in your chair. I won't waste your time with roles that don't make sense, and I'll be straight with you about what's realistic.
Before I recruited attorneys, I was one. Six years in BigLaw gave me a perspective most recruiters don't have. I know how partners weigh a lateral, how firms think about fit, and what it actually feels like to be the one making this decision.
Nine years and hundreds of placements later, I do one thing: help attorneys who've outgrown where they are find the right next role. Associates, counsel, and partners at AmLaw 100 firms and top boutiques. You set the pace, I keep everything quiet, and I stay focused on what's right for you.
"He introduced me directly to people who were relevant to my experience. I ended up with options that made sense for where I'm going."
15 minutes. Completely confidential. Firms pay my fee, never you.
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