Cantor Colburn
Firm overview:
Full-service IP firm Cantor Colburn serves US and foreign enterprises from its offices in Hartford, Washington, DC and Atlanta. The firm’s patent prosecution team is highly active, ranking fifth for patents out of all US law firms in 2025; attorneys at the firm were responsible for 3,353 utility patents and 451 design patents granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
Cantor Colburn represents a wide range of clients, from Fortune 100 companies and public research universities to high-tech startups in various industries, including chemical, life sciences, automotive, aerospace, and telecommunications.
Some of the firm’s patent litigators are also trial attorneys, who have taken numerous matters to trial with successful results. Technologies the team has litigated include pharmaceuticals, software, LED lighting and medical devices.
Team overview:
Cantor Colburn’s team comprises 100 attorneys and agents. In January 2026, the firm announced that Brad Lawrence, partner and co-chair of the Electrical Engineering Practice, had been elected to serve as the firm’s next managing partner. Lawrence’s background is in patent law, and he remains engaged in advising clients on patent prosecution, portfolio development, and IP strategy.
A UK-based peer recommends Philmore (Phil) Colburn for US patent matters. A former design engineer, Colburn has practised for more than 30 years as an IP attorney and counsels clients ranging from startups to Fortune 50 multinationals on optimising their IP assets.
In January 2026, the firm welcomed patent attorneys LeRoy Ashley III and Jonathan Staudt to its Electrical Engineering Practice Group. The new hires bring technical knowledge and experience in patent prosecution and IP strategy.
Key matters:
- Securing a patent grant for Samsung Display
Cantor Colburn is the law firm associated by the USPTO with the granting of a patent for Pixel Circuit and Display Device, in January 2026. Founded in 2012, Samsung Display Company is a global leader in display technology, specialising in OLED and QD-OLED panels. A subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, the company produces screens for smartphones, TVs, laptops, and automotive applications.
The patent abstract describes: “A pixel circuit includes a light emitting element including an anode electrode and a cathode electrode, a driving transistor including a gate electrode connected to a first node, a first electrode connected to a second node, and a second electrode connected to a third node.”
- Securing a patent grant for Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations
Cantor Colburn is the law firm associated by the USPTO with the granting of a patent for Milling Tool, Method and System to Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations, a company that focuses on drilling wells for oil and gas field operations, in January 2026.
The patent abstract describes: “A milling tool, including an outer housing having a first end and a second end, a blade shifter mandrel movably disposed within the outer housing, a biaser disposed at the first end to bias the shifter mandrel toward the second end.”
Clients:
Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations, Carrier Corporation, Posco, RTX BBN Technologies, Samsung Display
