937 Patents Issued Last Year, Up From 822

Merchant & Gould, an intellectual property law firm, is pleased to announce that its patent practice continued to grow in 2009. The firm's total number of issued patents jumped 12%. The firm secured 850 utility patents and 87 design patents during the calendar year, for a total of 937. Merchant & Gould secured 822 patents in 2008.

"Merchant & Gould continues to be one of the most active patent firms in the nation," said Julie Daulton, a patent prosecutor at Merchant & Gould and member of the firm's marketing committee. "We pride ourselves not only in our ability to draft and secure rock-solid patents for our clients, but also to successfully defend those patents in court when necessary."

According to Intellectual Property Today, Merchant & Gould ranked 22nd among U.S. law firms for most patents issued in 2009, of the 356 firms represented.