An ITC investigation is one of the fastest, sharpest tools in patent enforcement. Under Section 337, the International Trade Commission can order Customs to keep infringing imports out of every U.S. port, no damages required. We handle both sides of these high-stakes proceedings, whether you are pushing for an exclusion order or defending against one, and our engineering backgrounds help us cut through the technical merits quickly.
Why Choose The ITC
The ITC moves on its own clock. Investigations typically conclude in 15 to 18 months, far faster than most district court cases. The Commission has in rem jurisdiction over imported products no matter who manufactured them abroad, and its exclusion orders are enforced by Customs and Border Protection at every U.S. port. You do not have to prove damages to win relief, and temporary exclusion orders may be available while the investigation is still underway.
Representing Complainants
If you want to keep a competitor's goods out of the country, we build the case from the ground up. That means pre-filing investigation to confirm the merits, complaints drafted to meet the ITC's exacting requirements, and a domestic industry showing that demonstrates real economic activity tied to your patents. We coordinate any parallel district court litigation and negotiate consent orders when settlement serves your goals better than a full hearing.
Defending Respondents
When your products are the target, the clock is your biggest enemy. We move fast to expose weaknesses in the complaint, file motions to terminate, and build invalidity and non-infringement defenses backed by the technical record. We challenge the complainant's domestic industry showing where it falls short, and when it makes sense, we help you design around the asserted patents so an exclusion order loses its sting.
After The Investigation
The fight does not always end at the final determination. We handle enforcement and modification of exclusion orders, advisory opinions on whether redesigned products fall outside an order's scope, and appeals to the Federal Circuit. You get continuity from the people who already know your record cold, which keeps the post-investigation phase from starting over at square one.