"The entire team provides outstanding legal services."
Client quote from Chambers USA
Overview
Today’s business disputes frequently involve, directly or indirectly, computer software and information technology. These disputes routinely turn on the performance of computer hardware and/or software, online transactions, traditional proprietary rights (including domain names and trademarks), and emerging rights in data.
Understanding the technology in IT and the environments in which it is developed, deployed, and exploited can be critical to resolving such disputes successfully. Calfee’s experienced litigation, IT, intellectual property, and commercial lawyers assist clients with their IT disputes throughout the mediation, arbitration, or litigation process in state or federal courts.
Noteworthy
Chambers USA Leading Law Firm Rankings
Since 2004, Calfee has been recognized as a Leading Law Firm for Intellectual Property by Chambers USA, most recently in Band 1 in Ohio (2024).
Clients provided feedback to Chambers USA researchers, "Calfee is esteemed for its handling of IP litigation and portfolio management on behalf of large clients in Ohio and the Midwest and across the USA. The IP team is highly experienced in the engineering, chemical, and biological sectors, with notable abilities in handling matters for consumer products and manufacturing clients. The team is responsive, practical, and extremely knowledgeable."
Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” Rankings
Calfee was selected for inclusion in the 2025 "Best Law Firms" rankings in Information Technology Law (National Tier 3, Regional Tier 1 Cleveland) and numerous Litigation practice areas.
Benchmark Litigation Rankings
Calfee was selected for inclusion by Benchmark Litigation 2025 as a Highly Recommended Law Firm in Dispute Resolution in Ohio. Additionally, 16 of Calfee's Litigation partners have been ranked by Benchmark Litigation as "Litigation Stars" in the U.S. (National), Midwest, and Ohio and as “40 & Under" and "Future Stars" Honorees.
Professionals
Professionals
Experience
Experience
- Represented a software vendor in the construction sector against patent infringement claims, successfully invalidating a patent in federal district court and prevailing on appeal in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
- Represented a public agency in action against a software vendor in the voting technology arena, resulting in a multi-million-dollar settlement.
- Represented a major software vendor in the real estate management industry in successfully enforcing rights in software against a former licensee.
- Represented a software vendor in the clinical trial industry in cross-disputes over proprietary rights in multiple federal district court actions.
- Represented numerous businesses in connection with software license compliance audits by the Business Software Alliance, Software Information Industry Association, and individual vendors (e.g., Microsoft).
- Representing an artist/creator against a violation of proprietary rights in the content of a major video game.
- Represented a developer of MPEG II video codecs in litigation over proprietary rights with multinational telecommunications enterprises; resolved dispute through settlement agreement (including cross‑licenses).
- Represented a public agency in federal court over the failure of a vendor to meet performance requirements in the development and delivery of a large, integrated data collection, management, and reporting system, involving hardware, software, system design, and integration services.
- Represented a major financial services enterprise in the arbitration of a dispute over performance and proprietary rights in custom software for processing and tracking consumer financial information.
- Assisted a large online service provider with responses to a subpoena seeking information concerning the identity of anonymous posters.
Services
Services
Information Technology Performance
Hardware and software performance problems and unsatisfactory online services can be disastrous for both customers and providers. We assist clients with disputes regarding all types of IT products and services, including software development, licensing, implementation, maintenance and support, website design and hosting, IT consulting, ERP system engagements, SaaS/Cloud subscriptions, and Application Service Provider relationships.
Proprietary Rights, Domain Names and Trademarks
Our dedicated IT litigators bring years of intellectual property experience to disputes involving patent, copyright, and trade secret protection for IT assets including hardware, software, business methods, microchips, and content, and reflect the latest developments in the law. We vigorously assert and defend clients’ interests while helping them to achieve business-savvy, cost-effective outcomes.
We also have obtained favorable results for trademark-holding clients under both ICANN’s Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy and the Anti-cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act.
The Internet
As nearly all forms of commercial activity and underlying processing move to the cloud, Calfee is assisting clients with (and helping them to avoid) disputes in areas such as linking, privacy, defamation, data breach, and unsolicited commercial e-mail.
News & Events
News
Events
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