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Fish & Richardson: A Firm Founded in 1878, Now Anchoring Austin’s Western District Patent Docket

Fish & Richardson traces its founding to 1878 — making it older than the modern patent system’s most foundational cases — and has grown into a global IP firm with more than 350 attorneys and technology specialists across 14 offices in the U.S., Germany, and China. Its Austin office specifically built its reputation on deep familiarity with the Western District of Texas, one of the country’s busiest patent litigation venues.

Origin and Background

Fish & Richardson P.C.’s Austin office is located at 111 Congress Avenue, Suite 810, Austin, TX 78701. Founded in 1878, the firm has grown into a premier global intellectual property law firm with locations spanning Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Minneapolis, New York, San Diego, Washington D.C., and international offices, employing more than 450 attorneys and technology specialists firm-wide. The Austin office’s hiring attorney is David Hoffman.

Practice Concentration

The Austin office’s attorneys are recognized leaders in patent law throughout Texas, with deep, specific knowledge of the Western District of Texas and its substantive orders and scheduling practices, serving both Austin’s growing technology community and innovative clients globally. The firm’s practice spans patent, trademark, and copyright prosecution and counseling alongside a full-service litigation practice, providing advocacy across the entire IP lifecycle. See this Austin Intellectual Property directory for how this global, litigation-tested firm compares to Austin-based boutiques.

Notable Work / Track Record

As a large national firm, Fish & Richardson does not publish an Austin-office-specific results table, and Awesome Attorneys did not identify one. The firm’s 124 Austin-office attorneys selected to Super Lawyers or Rising Stars lists is itself a documented indicator of sustained, broad recognition across its Austin bench rather than a single named attorney’s track record.

Client Voice

Awesome Attorneys did not locate a substantial independent consumer review platform sample specific to the Austin office; the firm’s public reputation is documented substantially through third-party legal rankings and its national litigation record rather than a high-volume review aggregator presence typical of smaller consumer-facing practices. Awesome Attorneys discloses this gap directly.

Beyond the Courtroom

Awesome Attorneys did not identify specific named civic or nonprofit board service tied to the Austin office distinct from the firm’s broader national community involvement.

Recognition for This Austin IP Firm

Fish & Richardson holds U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” Tier 1 regional rankings across multiple IP practice areas including Trademark Law, Technology Law, Patent Litigation, Patent Law, and Intellectual Property Litigation, and 124 of its Austin-office attorneys have been selected to Super Lawyers or Rising Stars lists. Awesome Attorneys independently verified these rankings through the firm’s own published recognitions page and Super Lawyers’ firm profile.

Texas Legal Backdrop

The Western District of Texas, where Fish & Richardson’s Austin attorneys concentrate significant practice, has become one of the most active patent litigation venues in the country, with its own distinct local patent rules, scheduling orders, and judge-specific practices that differ meaningfully from other federal districts. Familiarity with that court’s specific procedures — the exact expertise the firm’s Austin office cites as central to its practice — can materially affect case strategy and timeline in a patent dispute filed there. None of this is legal advice; a specific patent, trademark, or IP matter should be evaluated by a licensed attorney based on the actual facts involved.

Awesome Attorneys Assessment

Fish & Richardson’s clearest differentiator is the combination of a 147-year firm history, genuine global scale (450+ attorneys across 14 offices), and Austin-specific deep expertise in the Western District of Texas’s particular patent litigation practices. The honest trade-off is that a firm of this size and national reputation typically commands premium rates well above smaller Austin boutiques, and clients may work with a broader team rather than a single dedicated attorney throughout a matter. For a company — particularly one facing significant patent litigation risk in the Western District of Texas specifically — that wants a firm with genuine global IP litigation resources and deep local court knowledge, that combination is a strong basis for a shortlist.

Methodology and Sourcing

This profile was researched from Fish & Richardson’s own website (Austin office page and firm recognitions page), the NALP Directory of Legal Employers’ firm profile, Super Lawyers’ Austin firm profile, and U.S. News – Best Lawyers’ firm ranking page.

Publisher Disclosure and Independence Notice

Awesome Attorneys is an independent legal directory and editorial publication. This profile was not paid for, commissioned, or reviewed by Fish & Richardson P.C. or its attorneys prior to publication. Awesome Attorneys may in the future offer sponsored placement products to attorneys and firms, including this one, but sponsorship has no bearing on the editorial content, inclusion, or findings of this profile.