Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox PLLC - The Inside View

When you hear ‘IP’, you probably think of intellectual property: patents, copyright and trademarks. Here at Chambers Associate, we think of Sterne Kessler, where this kind of work is the name of the game. In fact, the term resonates beyond the work the firm conducts, how about intellectual peers too! “Most people have industry experience or PhD’s in relevant fields here. So, it seemed more engaging than other firms because people seemed to care about the work more,” explained one junior. With a single outpost in DC, it was the promise of proximity that also drew in our interviewees: “I wanted to be surrounded by a lot of great attorneys, rather than just work in a satellite office.” With this set up, one source felt that “I knew it would be easy to become a part of the team to work with, rather than work for.”

“Sterne Kessler’s reputation for IP is unmatched, they do everything!”

It’s also handy that the firm has quite a bit of street cred in the realm of IP. “Sterne Kessler’s reputation for IP is unmatched, they do everything!” raved one interviewee. “Some firms offer just prosecution but I wanted every aspect so I can discover what I enjoy the most.” According to the firm’s managing partner Mike Ray, this balanced approach is intentional: “Our goal is to have 50% of our hours on litigation and 50% in strategy and counseling work, and this allows us to do neat things.” And it’s working, as over at Chambers USA, the firm tops the pile for patent prosecution work in Columbia for the fifth consecutive year. In fact, they are the only firm holding that title! Not to mention their intellectual property litigation work too.

Strategy & Future

“If you need brain surgery, you go to a specialist and that is what we are for our clients' IP needs…”

Ray outlines that Sterne Kessler is continuing doing what it does best: “We are going to stay focused on IP as it is our domain expertise.” Ray adds, “if you need brain surgery, you go to a specialist, and that is what we are for our clients' IP needs. So, we will continue to balance our prosecution and litigation practices.” This approach really resonated with the juniors, who noted that “litigation work is actively growing” and “Sterne Kessler is in a good position in the market while still being a decent size.”

Juniors also jumped at the chance to mention the firm’s involvement in AI. “There’s a lot of movement in AI across the industry, and here in our electronics team, we are looking into things like patent AI inventions and how the use of AI is going to be used in technology in the future and what that means for our clients,” explained an interviewee. This focus on AI has been embraced by the attorneys. “We are a bunch of people with technical backgrounds, so we enjoy talking about it and gladly do the work!” one enthused.

While working with lawyers with a doctorate or backgrounds in science and engineering is incredibly valuable, the hiring pool can be a difficult one to navigate. Ray confirmed that “it is hard for us in this industry to hire talent with a PhD that is also a lawyer.” To tackle this issue, Ray tells us that the firm actively goes to grad schools and industry events to network with scientific, engineering and technical specialists and patent agents. “We support these graduates by paying for their law school tuition so they can study during the evening. Once complete, they join us as an associate but with super knowledge of the market,” explains Ray.

The Work

When a newbie joins the firm, they will find themselves in one of four groups: electronic; biotechnology and chemistry; mechanical and design groups or trial and appellate. The latter focuses on patent litigation while the others handle prosecution within their respective industries. Work allocation is typically free market, but associates are expected to report weekly to their assigned director (Sterne Kessler’s term for partners). “This set up allows you to try everything and get a feel for what you enjoy,” praised one junior. “I have built skills set in different areas!” Because of the firm’s size, “you naturally build relationships and workflows with directors, which shows their commitment to our development.”

In the mechanical and design group, the work varies from utility and design patents for a range of things that “don’t fit into the other subgroups.” For example, it can cover aerospace, footwear to everyday products like strollers and even toothpicks. There is also some cross team collaboration: “Ifthere is something to do with the hardware in a biotechnology or electronic case, it ends up coming to our group.” The work in this group comes from “a lot of powerhouse clients doing really innovative work.” For juniors, tasks can include drafting patent action responses, staying on top of filings and communicating with clients. “You really have to stay on top of the work like it is your own client,” said an interviewee. Sources told us the work also has an international flavor: “I spend a lot of my time involved in foreign prosecution actions and patents and having to respond in time for application queries, which is busy but exciting.”

The electronics group is one of the firm’s largest, filled mainly with electrical engineering attorneys. “Rob Sterne is still practicing here, and he is one of the best electronics IP lawyers, so the team has built a strong foundation in the market,” noted one associate. The work the group conducts is broad but “tends to be focused on communications, devices and anything related to software.” Day to day, juniors were tasked with post patent proceedings with a little bit of patent preparation, but are usually found supporting seniors with PTAB and district court proceedings. The intentional hiring of technically skilled attorneys adds to the team's expertise: “Everyone in this group has a technical or industry background which makes it more interesting but also really high quality.”

Patent prosecution clients: BioNTech, Volkswagen, Roku. The firm prosecuted a number of patent portfolios on behalf of Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) for small and large molecules associated with intracellular pathways.

The trial and appellate team, or TAG as they call it, is Sterne Kessler’s litigation team for all things patent and trademark. “The prosecution teams help us get the clients with their expertise, then we work with them for all their litigation needs,” explained a junior. The firm’s broad market strength was a perk for sources. “My friends at other firms who have specialties have fewer cases, whereas here we have a nice variety because of the breadth of work,” one insider shared. Juniors don’t tend to have client contact, mostly because a lot of work is within appellate and district courts. So typical tasks include writing discovery letters, reviewing documents, and prepping for trial. “I feel like I am doing real work above my level, which is so rewarding,” boasted an interviewee.

Trial and appellate clients: Meta Platforms, University of Texas, Deckers Outdoor Corporation. The firm represented TwinStrand Biosciences in a federal patent infringement case against Guardant Health.

Pro Bono

Naturally, a lot of the pro bono work at Sterne Kessler is IP-focused. One-way juniors can get involved is through the yearly pro bono clinic, where the firm partners with DC- based businesses that need help with their new IP queries, typically involving trademark work. Other pro bono projects include immigration and veteran work, but for these “you have to go out and put pressure for these opportunities.” While most juniors have that IP expertise, some were keen to try something new. “Getting involved in different work was really interesting and broke up my standard day to day.” To sweeten the deal, associates can bill up to 100 hours of pro bono work towards their billable target.

Pro bono hours

• For all US offices: 1,424
• Average per US attorney: 6

Career Development

From day one, juniors get two support systems: a professional development (PD) adviser and a buddy. The PD adviser is usually a director within their practice, which juniors loved because “they really make sure to introduce you to networking opportunities and client days.” Associates meet regularly with their PD advisers to set goals and outline next steps to achieve them. On the other hand, a buddy is there for those “silly questions you don’t want to ask a director.” This mentor is typically a more senior associate, making them “a good sounding board for things like what to expect in an annual review.”

“There are a lot of people who have grown from bottom all the way up to directors which is encouraging to see!”

When it comes to training, one junior admitted that they were “surprised at the variety despite being a smaller entity in the market.” There are training sessions available on the firm’s internal system, covering both transactional and litigation topics. “The training is for everyone, from junior end up until the senior end,” one source shared. For newbies learning the ropes “watching recordings of a deposition was super helpful to know what to expect before doing my first one, which I was stressed about.” Clearly this support system is working well at Sterne Kessler as “there are a lot of people who have grown from bottom all the way up to directors which is encouraging to see!”

Sterne Kessler is recognized as a Strong Performer for Associate Retention in our 2025 survey.

Inclusion

Our interviewees appreciated gender representation at the firm, highlighting that “there are many women and diverse lawyers here from all walks of life.” However, they did mention that inclusion initiatives could do with some improvement. “We have a couple of events with speakers, but it would be encouraging to see more effort in our affinity networks with both more scheduled get-togethers and better firm involvement,” suggested one insider.

Hours & Compensation

“Sterne Kessler is known for its flexible hours program!”

Billable hours: flexible target (between 1,400 and 2,000 in 100-hour increments from second year onwards) 

“Sterne Kessler is known for its flexible hours program!” a junior mentioned when we asked about the structure. First years have a set billable target dependent on their practice area - 1,900 for prosecution and 2,000 for litigation. But starting in their second year, attorneys can pick their own targets within those ranges. The salary is then pro-rata based on the hours they choose, with 2,000 hours aligning with the market rate. How this flexibility was received depended on the practice group. For those in prosecution, “the tasks are smaller by nature, so you do find you are knocking down hours to around the 1,900 benchmark.” However, those in the trial and appellate group have had a difference experience: “I wanted a more relaxed lifestyle, but it is frowned upon to drop your hours a lot.”

In the main, juniors appreciated this structure: “I know big firms use rigid hour requirements as a way to lay people off but the nice thing about Sterne Kessler is that they are able to decrease your billable target and match the pay to that.” They are realistic about targets, though. If your hours fall below 1,600, “they will reach out and see if you’re ok.” This flexibility helps associates balance work and life. “I like that I am able to flex down for my lifestyle needs such as further education or starting a family,” explained an interviewee, but there is also a bonus up for grabs for those exceeding their hour limit. “The bonus is on top of salary, so it is less pressured and actually makes me work harder!” explained a newbie.

Culture

“…It was nice to know that the managing director wanted to know my name when I started!”

Though plenty join the firms ranks from a technical or scientific background, sources reassured us that “people don’t take themselves too seriously here as there is respect up and down the chain.” This is helped by everyone being housed in the same office: “Everyone wants to know everybody but not in an overbearing way. It was nice to know that the managing director wanted to know my name when I started!”

All of our sources praised laid-back culture, where “you walk through the office, and no one is dressed up in suits.” Sterne Kessler’s remote working policy also contributes to this relaxed atmosphere. “People are working from home 90% of the time and the firm hasn’t shown this going away any time soon, which is appreciated by most attorneys here,” explained one source.

Get Hired 

The first stage: recruitment on and off campus  

OCI applicants interviewed: 16

Interviews outside OCI:  59

Sterne Kessler meets many of its future summer associates at the annual Loyola Patent Law Interview Program (PLI). Sterne Kessler summer candidates also come through a mixture of on-campus interviews, resume collections, job fairs and direct applications. OCIs and job fairs are typically held virtually. OCIs are conducted by directors (partners) and senior associates, and this year took place at Brigham Young University, Emory University, The George Washington University, Georgetown, Harvard, University of Michigan, University of New Hampshire, University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, and the University of Virginia, among others. The firm also attended the Southeast Law School Consortium, the Midwest-California-Georgia Consortium, the National Law School Consortium and the Boston University/Boston College DC Recruitment Program. Those who get invited to an OCI should be prepared for a round of questions based on their CV and cover letter. They will also be asked about their interest in IP specifically. Writing is very important to those reviewing any applications: “We look for clear, concise writing that displays the candidate’s level of understanding of the subject matter he or she is writing about.”  

Top tips for this stage:  

“We’re looking for individuals with a real commitment to both science and the law.”– Hiring sources at the firm  

Callbacks  

Applicants invited to second-stage interview: 21

At the next stage, students have one-to-one or group interviews with a few directors and associates within the practice group the candidate is interested in – biotechnology and chemical, electrical, mechanical and design, or trial and appellate. Historically, the firm offers in-person callback interviews in their Washington, DC office (travel and accommodation covered by the firm). Given the earlier recruiting timeline, we expect that many callback interviews will be held virtually, but it is up to the candidate to choose if they’d like an in-person or virtual callback. Candidates who come for in-person interviews are treated to lunch with a junior associate from the same group for which they are interviewing as part of their interview day.  

Questions in the in-person interviews further drill down into a candidate’s background, their analytical ability, and how their qualifications match the role they are going for. One junior we spoke to had done this by already taking the patent bar. Passing the patent bar is a crucial step for anyone who wants to work as a patent attorney or patent agent, as it demonstrates the necessary expertise to represent inventors and navigate the patent application process – officially it’s called the United States Patent and Trademark Office registration examination. This associate remembered that their interviewer was impressed: “Having already passed the Patent Bar adds value to your resume or interview. It shows everything is moving on the right track.”  

Top tips for this stage:  

"We appreciate it when candidates follow up on items from their initial interview and have done their research. It also goes a long way when a candidate takes the time to understand our practice and the specific practices of the attorneys conducting the interviews." – Hiring sources at the firm  

Summer program  

Offers: 15

Acceptances: 10

The firm tells us that summer associates at Sterne Kessler are given assignments that they would receive as first-year associates – alongside plenty of social events and outings in the DC area. Summers also get feedback from people they work with throughout the program. A final evaluation is given before the summer associates' last day on the program, and they’re given the opportunity to ask questions in response to that and to provide the firm with their own feedback.  

Top tips for this stage:  

“Be engaged and involved during the entire summer program, especially with attorneys and staff across all practice groups. Immerse yourself in the opportunities presented to you.” – Hiring sources at the firm.