Intellectual Property Department Recognized by IAM Patent 1000

Cozen O'Connor's Intellectual Property Department has again been included in the IAM Patent 1000. Frank Abramonte, Blake Coblentz, Jeremy Dukmen, Keith Fredlake, James Gale, Jeff Gendzwill, Barry Golob, Aaron Lukas, Ph.D., and Edward Weisz were named to the IAM Patent 1000 for 2026.

This is the fourth year Cozen O'Connor's Patent Practice has been named in the rankings. The IAM Patent 1000 2026 guide notes the firm's "seasoned trial capability," ability to "draw on deep scientific backgrounds to handle complex subject matter with confidence," and "strong prosecution and Patent Trial and Appeal Board" knowledge. Cozen O'Connor was also noted for maintaining "a steady prosecution and portfolio management practice spanning chemicals, advanced materials and emerging technologies."

In the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, Cozen O'Connor was recommended for patent prosecution and earned a bronze ranking for litigation. Blake Coblentz, Keith Fredlake, Jeff Gendzwill, Barry Golob, and Aaron Lukas were acknowledged for their work in this jurisdiction. Blake Coblentz and Aaron Lukas were recognized as key figures in handling Hatch-Waxman disputes. Barry Golob was highlighted as "a highly experienced trial lawyer with a broad commercial IP practice." Keith Fredlake and Jeff Gendzwill were acknowledged for co-leading "sophisticated chemical and materials-focused practices."

Frank Abramonte, co-chair of Cozen O'Connor's Patent Prosecution Practice, focuses on patent procurement and portfolio strategizing in electrical, software, and electro-mechanical engineering, as well as medical device-related technologies. In addition, he provides services in licensing, diligence exercises, and validity and infringement studies and opinions, as well as related litigation counseling. He counsels various businesses, from established public companies to early and late stage startup businesses.

Blake Coblentz is co-chair of Cozen O'Connor's Intellectual Property Department and co-chair of the Hatch-Waxman & Biologics Practice. He focuses his practice on patent litigation and counseling for clients in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. He is a registered patent attorney with deep subject-matter knowledge in the areas of biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology, gene synthesis, recombinant DNA technology, immunology, pharmaceuticals, therapeutic methods, diagnostic assays, and vaccines. He counsels pharmaceutical companies in the areas of Paragraph IV design strategies, Hatch-Waxman litigation, and biosimilar market opportunities. His broader experience includes preparing patentability, infringement, and invalidity opinions; prosecuting U.S. and foreign patent applications; developing patent portfolios; advising on complex IP licensing and transactional due diligence; and counseling on trade secret protection, litigation avoidance, and risk management. He represents patent owners and challengers in inter partes reviews before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.

Jeremy Dukmen focuses on helping clients develop and implement comprehensive IP strategies tailored to address their specific business goals, including drafting and prosecuting utility and design patents both in the United States and other countries. He helps clients optimize the use of their resources to protect important commercial products in a range of mechanical fields. Jeremy also helps clients with post-grant issues in the United States and abroad.

Keith Fredlake is a registered patent attorney whose practice includes drafting and prosecuting patent applications; working with clients on design patents; and counseling clients on issues regarding the patentability of inventions, patent rights in foreign countries, and the infringement and validity of U.S. patents. He also regularly performs portfolio review for clients, including freedom-to-operate, invalidity, patentability, and opposition searches. He is also experienced in preparing invalidity and non-infringement options for utility and design patents. His clients are primarily in the chemical and life sciences industry, including chemistry, chemical engineering, oil and gas-petrochemicals, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals.

James Gale is chair of Cozen O'Connor's Trade Secrets, Restrictive Covenants, and Computer Abuse Practice and co-chair of the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice. He focuses his practice on intellectual property litigation and counseling. He is a registered patent attorney with 42 years of experience and has handled hundreds of cases involving patents, theft of trade secrets, restrictive covenants, trademarks, unfair competition, and internet disputes. He has appeared in over 400 federal cases in more than 48 federal district and circuit courts, as well as handled hundreds of injunctions in over 35 different states around the nation.

Jeff Gendzwill is vice chair of Cozen O'Connor's Intellectual Property Department and co-chair of the Patent Prosecution Practice. He is a registered patent attorney who concentrates his practice on global patent protection and strategies for his clients with a focus on counseling, portfolio strategy and management, U.S. and foreign patent prosecution, and post-grant proceedings. His practice spans a wide range of technologies, with a focus on the chemical and life sciences industry, including chemical engineering, chemistry, clean energy, and nutritional/pharmaceutical supplements, as well as mechanical and biomechanical engineering, nanotechnology, physics, composite materials, and medical devices. Jeff also has extensive experience developing aggressive worldwide patenting strategies, adroitly navigating competitors' IP space, and preparing complex patentability, invalidity, non-infringement, and freedom-to-operate opinions. He has represented multiple clients in disputes, both offensive and defensive, before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.

Barry Golob, co-chair of Cozen O'Connor's Intellectual Property Litigation Practice, is an accomplished first-chair intellectual property trial lawyer who focuses his practice on complex patent litigation as well as trade secrets and restrictive covenant matters. Barry has represented clients at all levels of litigation in various fields of innovative technology, including computer software, medical devices, office furniture, the Internet, high-performance alloys and metal matrix composites, insurance, manufacturing, LEDs, telecommunications, and consumer electronics. Using his chemistry background, Barry is also an experienced Hatch-Waxman pharmaceutical patent litigator, both for branded and generic companies. In addition, Barry regularly handles complex trade secret noncompete and nonsolicitation matters for clients in sophisticated industries. He has participated in all aspects of alternative dispute resolution, including arbitrations and mediations, and has developed innovative approaches and strategies to resolve significant disputes to avoid costly litigation.

Aaron Lukas, co-chair of Cozen O'Connor's Hatch-Waxman & Biologics Practice, is a registered patent attorney who concentrates his practice on complex patent cases for clients in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and semiconductor industries. He has handled all aspects of litigation, including pre-suit investigations, fact and expert discovery, dispositive motions, and trial. He also has experience in intellectual property rights matters before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board on behalf of both patent owners and challengers. In addition to patent litigation, Aaron's practice includes representing clients seeking patentability, infringement, and invalidity analyses, as well as developing strategic plans for clients seeking to protect their intellectual property around the world. Aaron has worked with clients in a wide range of high-technology fields, including nanotechnology, semiconductor devices, display technologies, gene synthesis, recombinant DNA technology, diagnostic assays, and pharmaceuticals.

Edward Weisz, co-chair of Cozen O'Connor's Patent Prosecution Practice, practices in all areas of intellectual property law, most recently focusing his work on U.S. patent and trademark prosecution, counseling, and licensing. He prosecutes patent applications, renders legal opinions, and advises clients on infringement, freedom to operate, and validity issues in the electrical, mechanical, consumer products, product packaging, business method arts, medical devices, communications systems, home furnishings, plumbing, table top goods, packaging, telephony (optical and mobile communications) systems, analog and digital circuitry, microelectronics and semiconductor device design, optic and laser technologies (including amplification and optical routing), RF amplification, spectroscopy, automation, and manufacturing processes.

About IAM Patent 1000

The IAM Patent 1000 is regarded as the definitive "go-to" resource for those seeking to identify world-class, private practice patent knowledge. IAM compiles each year's guide after undertaking an exhaustive qualitative research project to identify outstanding firms and individuals across multiple jurisdictions. Factors such as depth of knowledge, market presence, and the level of work on which they are typically instructed are all taken into account, as well as positive peer and client feedback. For the 2026 rankings, IAM conducted approximately 900 interviews over a five-month period with numerous attorneys at law, patent attorneys, and in-house counsel to gather market intelligence. Only those individuals identified for their exceptional skill sets and profound insights into patent matters feature in the IAM Patent 1000.

About Cozen O'Connor

Established in 1970, Cozen O'Connor has more than 1,000 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm counsels clients on their most sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. Representing a broad array of leading global corporations and middle market companies, Cozen O'Connor services its clients' needs through 35 offices across two continents.