Taft IP Practice and Thirteen Attorneys Ranked in IAM Patent 1000 2026

Thirteen of Taft's patent prosecution and patent litigation attorneys based in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio have been recognized in the 2026 edition of "IAM Patent 1000 - The World's Leading Patent Professionals," published by Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) magazine.

This year's edition also recognizes Taft's patent teams in Illinois (bronze), Indiana (recommended), Ohio (recommended).

Illinois

Taft' Patent Team in Illinois is ranked "Bronze - Firms: Litigation".

Taft's Illinois-based individuals ranked "Silver - Individuals: Litigation" are as follows:

• Stephen Auten
• Troy Groetken
• Sanjay Murthy
• Michael Nutter
• Richard Ruzich
• Roshan Shrestha

Indiana

With Indiana as one of five new geographies across the globe to be ranked by IAM Patent 1000 researchers in 2026, Taft Patent Team in Indiana is ranked "Recommended - Firms".

Taft's Indiana-based individuals ranked "Recommended - Individuals" are as follows:

• Robin Dunn
• Jonathan Polak

Minnesota

Taft's Minnesota-based individuals ranked "Recommended - Individuals" are as follows:

• Kristine Boylan
• Gerald Helget

Ohio

Taft Patent Team in Ohio is ranked "Recommended - Firms".

Taft's Ohio-based individuals ranked "Recommended - Individuals" are as follows:

• Philip Bautista
• Eric Gaum
• Amanda Wilcox

The guide performs intensive research and interviews to determine the top patent professionals and practices. Individuals qualify for the IAM Patent 1000 once they receive sufficient positive feedback from peers and clients with knowledge of their practice and the market within which they practice. To view the full rankings, click here.

Click here to learn about Taft IP team's awards and accolades.

Auten is a widely recognized and seasoned attorney in Hatch-Waxman and biosimilar matters, including related patent litigation, and is followed by key industry leaders (brand and generic alike), law firms, analysts, educators, and others on his LinkedIn blog "Hatch-Waxman ANDA Litigation Forum" or HALF, which has over 14,000 members worldwide. He represents clients in the areas of Paragraph IV design strategies, Hatch-Waxman litigation, and biosimilar opportunities.

Bautista is a partner in Taft's Intellectual Property and Litigation Practice groups and a member of the firm's Executive Committee. He is a trial lawyer who has extensive first-chair litigation and trial experience. Having a background in science, Bautista has litigated numerous cases throughout the United States involving trademarks, patents, copyrights and trade secrets.

Boylan practices in the areas of trade secrets, trademarks, copyrights, patents, contracts, and licensing. With her extensive experience, she is known as talented and effective in handling disputes over business interests and concerns involving all types of intellectual property. Boylan has also been recognized by World Trademark Review as one of the top 1000 trademark professionals worldwide.

Dunn represents clients in patent and other intellectual property matters with a focus on electrical, software, and computer technologies. He has significant experience drafting and prosecuting domestic and foreign patent applications, conducting patentability, invalidity, and freedom-to-operate analyses, and drafting written legal opinions involving these technologies and others.

Groetken is known globally as a "go-to" intellectual property attorney for Fortune 100 and 500 clients, assisting them on complex intellectual property matters and strategic global patent portfolio development, implementation, positioning, and enforcement. He also advises clients regarding the acquisition, divestiture, and licensing of core and non-core intellectual property assets.

Gaum has practiced exclusively in the area of intellectual property for 30 years and has extensive experience litigating and trying cases across the country. A licensed patent attorney with a background in electrical engineering and software development, Gaum has experience in litigation, prosecution matters and licensing related to technologies. He has litigated copyright infringement matters related to product labels, books, photographs, websites, software, databases, blue prints, and architectural works.

Helget has been a licensed patent attorney for almost 40 years and focuses his practice in the areas of patents, trademarks, trade dress, licensing, intellectual property litigation, copyrights, trade secrets, and related matters. With a wide range of experience researching, preparing, and prosecuting patent, trademark, and copyright applications, he has prosecuted to issuance more than 1,056 patents in the U.S. alone and has prosecuted over 620 trademark registrations.

Murthy is a nationally recognized trial attorney with experience in close to 20 trials and represents leading life science and technology companies in a broad range of intellectual property disputes in federal district courts, before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and in Section 337 investigations in the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC).

Nutter is a first-chair trial lawyer and registered patent attorney who focuses on small-molecule pharmaceutical patent litigation within the framework of the Hatch Waxman Act and biosimilar patent litigation within the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (BPCIA).

Polak serves as the firm's Intellectual Property Chair and has represented clients in disputes involving trademarks, trade dress, copyrights, rights of publicity, trade secrets, and patents over the course of more than 30 years practicing law. He is truly a national litigator, having litigated in state and federal courts in 25 out of 50 American states and has represented all types of clients, including major corporations, closely-held companies, independent inventors, and celebrity estates.

Ruzich is an internationally recognized patent attorney who focuses on complex patent litigation, representing generic pharmaceutical companies in ANDA litigation under the Hatch-Waxman statutory framework. An accomplished trial and appellate advocate, registered patent attorney, and a frequent lecturer and author, he is known worldwide for his legal work on behalf of his generic clients, including biosimilar sponsors. His experience covers the entire lifecycle spectrum from product selection, Paragraph IV development, and through to market entry, including at-risk launches.

Shrestha focuses his practice on all aspects of intellectual property law, including patent litigation, prosecution, and opinion work in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and electronic material arts. He has a broad scope of pharmaceutical and life sciences capabilities, including Hatch-Waxman litigation and inner parts review proceedings at the USPTO.

Wilcox's practice encompasses the broad IP range of patents, trademarks, trade dress, copyrights, trade secrets, licensing, and litigation. She manages and enforces international trademark portfolios for major brands, including international clearance searches, legal opinions relating to trademark use and registrability, procurement of trademark registrations worldwide, design and implementation of worldwide trademark watches and enforcement strategies, portfolio audits, and U.S. and foreign trademark opposition and litigation proceedings.