The Daily Journal has once again recognized Palo Alto partner Catherine Polizzi and San Francisco partners Michael Ward and Stefani Shanberg as Top Intellectual Property Lawyers in its 2021 edition.

Marking the 12th consecutive year of recognition on this list, Catherine Polizzi is an undeniable leader is the space. She helps emerging and established companies through the challenging process of obtaining patents, and provides strategic, effective portfolio counseling and management, as well as strategic advice surrounding freedom of operation and other forms of IP assessment. Catherine's work for clients Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene, Johnson & Johnson, and a plethora of prominent start-ups highlight another year of her vigorous, creative, and ultra-effective approach to IP strategy and challenges, risk assessment, and due diligence across the country and around the globe.

Global head of the firm's Life Sciences Practice Group, head of the firm's Patent Practice Group, co-chair of the firm's Intellectual Property Practice Group and co-chair of our global Food & Agriculture Industry practice, Michael Ward is one of the foremost figures in the field of crop protection and plant IP, developing multibillion dollar global patent portfolios for some of the world's leading innovators in farming and agtech. He recently helped a client convert distressed agricultural land into productive acreage by growing a new tree-based oilseed crop, and he continues to apply data analytics to help clients identify new plant species and develop predictable and affordable growing processes in the agricultural sector.

Highlighted as a Top Intellectual Property Lawyers every year since 2011, Stefani Shanberg is the go-to advisor for many of the hottest technology companies facing IP lawsuits and has extensive experience in all areas of IP litigation and in complex commercial litigation relating to IP. This past year, she represented Leviton Manufacturing in the International Trade Commission's first ever virtual trial, and also served as lead counsel defending Amazon in several investigations before the ITC.

Profiles for all of the winning lawyers have been featured in a special Intellectual Property Lawyers issue published on April 21, 2021.