About Hagens Berman Law Firm

Based in Seattle, Hagens Berman was founded in 1993 by Carl Hagens and Steve Berman with one purpose – to represent plaintiffs in large-scale, complex litigation over big issues that impact the public interest.

Since then, the firm has stayed true to that purpose and has become one of the nation's leading class-action firms, earning a reputation for excellence and innovation representing consumers, investors, inventors and others.

In 2011, Hagens Berman expanded its practice into the field of intellectual property law. We view our IP practice as an extension of the common DNA that guides all of our work; representing plaintiffs in complex litigation that benefits the public interest. Our narrow focus allows us to offer a streamlined decision process, avoiding the conflicts of interest that cause other firms to take months to decide to take a case.

We have an extremely talented team of senior-level intellectual property litigators who specialize in prosecuting patent infringement cases against infringers. They have particular expertise in high-tech industries, such as software and consumer electronics. We also offer alternative fee arrangements that reward success, not process, a rarity among IP litigation firms.

Patents are the lifeblood of the global economy. They foster innovation by allowing anyone, even the smallest company or an individual inventor, to bring an idea to market without fear of their work being stolen by a larger, better funded competitor.

The firm represents a number of clients in high-profile patent cases throughout the United States. Our attorneys also prosecute copyright, trademark and trade secrets cases.

Some examples of our work include:

Nintendo Wii – Hagens Berman represents Shinsedai Company, Limited, a small video game company which revolutionized the video games market by releasing motion-control games years before the release of the Nintendo Wii. We have filed a lawsuit against Nintendo, who we believe copied Shinsedai’s ideas and infringed its patents.

Mission Abstract Data – We represent Mission Abstract Data, the holder of a patent that explained how to use emerging computer technology to store music for radio stations on hard disk drives. We allege that more than 900 radio stations across the United States infringe the patent by using similar systems to store, retrieve and play music.

Green Dot and NetSpend – Hagens Berman filed this patent infringement suit on behalf of Nevada-based Integrated Technological Systems, Inc. (ITS) which claims that two prepaid debit card providers infringe on an ITS patent covering a method for transfers between prepaid debit cards.

Apple – In the mid 1990’s, Dr. Slavko Milekic, a professor at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, invented a touchscreen system for use in museums and trade shows and received a patent for his work. The system, designed based on research of how children interact with touchscreens, includes finger gestures that bear a striking resemblance to the gestures used in various Apple devices, including the iPad and iPhone. We have filed a patent lawsuit against Apple alleging that their devices infringe Dr. Milekic’s patent.