Nine Finnegan Partners Recognized in the Inaugural Lawdragon 500 Leading Global IP Lawyers

Lawdragon released its 2025 Leading Litigators in America guide, recognizing nine Finnegan partners for their significant and impactful work in IP law. The 2025 Lawdragon 500: Leading Global IP Lawyers highlights “the rocket scientists, Ph.D.’s, military weapons experts, cancer researchers and engineers who turned their vision to the law.”  The following Finnegan attorneys were recognized:

Erika Harmon Arner is a nationally recognized leader in trial practice before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) and related appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Erika’s practice focuses on patent office trials, client counseling, and litigation, with an emphasis on electronic technology and computer software. She has represented patent owners and petitioners in more than 200 PTAB trials, most as lead counsel, and has successfully argued appeals from PTAB trials to the Federal Circuit, many of which involve issues of first impression. In addition to her extensive experience in patent office and appellate practice, Erika is a well-known authority in the area of patent-eligibility jurisprudence. She consistently ranks as one of the top three female attorneys appearing in PTAB trials and was named a PTAB Litigator of the Year by Managing Intellectual Property. Erika is a leader in the IP bar and a champion for women in IP. She co-founded the Washington, DC chapter of Women in IP Network (WIN) and currently serves as a trustee of the Foundation for Advancement of Diversity in IP Law.

Virginia L. Carron  practices patent and trademark litigation and counseling. Her litigation experience includes numerous U.S. district court trials, trials before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Virginia counsels clients on intellectual property licensing and related transactional matters in both trademarks and patents for several Fortune 500 companies, including serving as the primary outside counsel to Imerys and its worldwide subsidiaries for all intellectual property matters. Her client base also includes a large food and beverage company, an international manufacturer of hand-made cigars, and numerous other international brands across various fields. Virginia has been recognized as one of World Intellectual Property Review’s Top 100 Most Influential Women in IP, an IP Star Top 250 Women in IP and a patent and trademark IP Star in Georgia by Managing Intellectual Property, as well as a leader in Georgia in private practice by Intellectual Asset Management 1000 and as an IAM Global Leader. She was recognized by the Federal Circuit Bar Association and its Charitable and Education Fund for pro bono service contributions, particularly for work on behalf of veterans. 

Joshua L. Goldberg focuses his practice on inter partes review, covered business method, and post-grant review proceedings before the PTAB,  and on ensuing appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. As lead or backup counsel in more than 350 inter partes review (IPR), covered business method (CBM), and post-grant review (PGR) proceedings, Josh represents petitioners and patent owners in proceedings involving patents directed to various technologies, including graphical user interface, telecommunications, cloud computing, mobile applications, electronic banking, industrial manufacturing, automotive, and medical device technologies. Josh complements his PTAB practice with litigation and counseling practices. In his litigation practice, he represents clients in U.S. district courts. In his counseling practice, he helps clients navigate competitors’ intellectual property, providing strategic advice through opinions of counsel on patent infringement, patent validity, and other intellectual property issues. He works with clients to secure their intellectual property with global patent portfolios and counsels them on various matters.

J. Michael (Mike) Jakes concentrates his practice on patent litigation and related counseling and primarily deals with computer, electronic, semiconductor, software, and medical device technologies. He serves as lead counsel in federal district courts and the ITC, before arbitration panels, and on appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Mike has vast experience at the Federal Circuit, having argued more than 50 appeals and prepared and filed briefs in many more proceedings. He has served as both a special master and technical advisor to various U.S. district courts, assisting with claim construction and summary judgment motions on patents covering a wide variety of subjects, and was also a member of the Federal Circuit’s Advisory Council. An industry leader in IP litigation, Mike has been recognized by Intellectual Asset Management as a Global Leader, a leading patent litigator in the D.C. area, as well as nationally before the Federal Circuit and was named one of the top ten business litigators in D.C. by Legal Times. He has ranked among the top U.S. patent lawyers in Legal Media Group’s Guide to the World’s Leading Patent Law Practitioners for nearly a decade.

Yelena Morozova is an experienced patent attorney with technical expertise across different fields of engineering, most particularly in information technology and software, telecommunications, and mechanical. With a professional career spanning across three countries and with more than ten years of legal experience across two continents, Yelena’s unique background enables her to understand cultural nuances and helps her to advise a broad range of clients across the world. Qualified as a patent attorney in the United States and Europe, Yelena focuses her practice on patent procurement and portfolio development in all fields of engineering on both sides of the Pond. Her experience includes patent drafting and prosecution of patent and design applications internationally, developing and implementing IP strategies tailored to business plans, worldwide patent portfolio management, freedom-to-operate searches, and infringement and validity advice. She has been recognized by Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) for her practice in the U.K., notably England and Wales.

Erik R. Puknys is a well-respected and nationally recognized patent litigator with more than three decades of experience in the intellectual property arena. Erik started his legal career as a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) and, shortly after joining Finnegan in 1994, moved cross-country to California to help open an office in Silicon Valley. Since then, Erik has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in district courts around the United States, in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and in the U.S. Supreme Court. He has worked for startups and Fortune 100 companies in a wide variety of technical fields, including software, telecommunications, computer hardware, semiconductors, medical diagnostics, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals. Consistently recognized for his work as a leading patent litigator, Erik has been recognized by The Legal 500 U.S. for patent litigation, and as a leading patent litigator in California by Intellectual Asset Management. A founding member of Finnegan’s sole West Coast office, Erik is currently serving his second term as the Palo Alto office managing partner.

Anand K. Sharma is a first-chair litigator who tries cases before judges and juries across the country, while managing patent portfolios for several multi-billion dollar companies. He works in all areas of patent law, from litigation in U.S. district courts and the ITC to strategic client counseling at the USPTO and leads teams of Finnegan attorneys in litigation and strategic patent planning. Anand has examined dozens of witnesses, argued key motions, and successfully led clients through complex settlement negotiations and numerous mediations. Beyond his litigation practice, Anand has drafted patentability, validity, and infringement opinions, and patent applications. He also counsels clients on strategic patent planning in areas such as patent procurement, post-grant proceedings, interferences, licensing, and pre-enforcement considerations. Anand has been recognized by The Lawdragon on several occasions, most recently in its 2025 Leading Litigators in America guide. He has also received praise from Intellectual Asset Management in its IAM Patent 1000 guide for his litigation practice in the D.C. region.

Mark D. Sweet is a registered patent attorney with extensive experience handling procurement matters before the USPTO, including patent application drafting and prosecution, conducting examiner interviews, filing appeals to and presenting oral arguments before the PTAB,  interference proceedings, reissue proceedings, and reexamination proceedings. Mark also has significant experience in inter partes review and post grant review proceedings. Mark’s technical expertise is diverse and includes working with technologies involving pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals, polymers, industrial coatings and films, and clean energy and renewable resources such as photovoltaics, fuel cells, renewable feedstocks, hydrogen-based fuel, and bioplastics. The Legal 500 U.S. has recognized Mark for his work in patent prosecution, reexaminations, and post-grant proceedings. 

Ningling Wang, managing partner of the firm’s Shanghai office, has over 20 years of experience in multiple intellectual property fields, across various industries. Her extensive experience working with multinational and Chinese companies, includes providing legal advice on IP portfolio management, due diligence, licensing, litigation, and trade secret protection and enforcement. Ningling has been involved in various cases before the ITC and U.S. district courts. She also has represented companies with IP enforcement in China, including judicial and customs enforcement actions. Ningling has been recognized by Intellectual Asset Management as a Global Leader, a leader in patent transactions in China, as well as for patent prosecution. She was named a top IP strategist in the IAM Strategy 300 list, which identifies individuals who are leading the way in the development and implementation of strategies that maximize the value of IP portfolios.

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