Atty. John M. Desmarais
John M. Desmarais is the founding partner of Desmarais LLP.
Profile Summary
About John M. Desmarais at a glance
John M. Desmarais is a patent and ip attorney based in New York, New York, practicing at Desmarais LLP. They have 37+ years of legal experience, licensed to practice since 1989. Admitted to practice in New York (1989), District of Columbia (1989), and California (2018). Educated at New York University (J.D., 1988) and Manhattan College (—, 1985). Recognitions include Lawyer of the Year — Litigation - Intellectual Property (New York City) (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Litigation - Intellectual Property (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Litigation - Patent (2026). Serands clients in New York, NY and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- John M. Desmarais is the founding partner of Desmarais LLP. In 1988, after graduating from NYU Law School, Mr. Desmarais started his career at Fish & Neave
- Then, after practicing in the area of intellectual property litigation and counseling for several years, he left private practice to serve as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York, where for three years (1992-1995) he tried criminal jury trials for the federal government
- After leaving the government, Mr. Desmarais returned to the practice of intellectual property litigation at Fish & Neave, and later joined the New York office of Kirkland & Ellis
- From 1997-2009, he was a partner at Kirkland and served as a member of the Firm Management Committee from 2004-2009
- After 13 years at Kirkland, he left to found Desmarais LLP, an IP trial boutique
- Mr. Desmarais is a member of the bars of California, New York and Washington, D.C., the U.S
- Supreme Court, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, and various other federal district courts and courts of appeal
- Mr. Desmarais is also registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office
- Mr. Desmarais obtained a degree in Chemical Engineering from Manhattan College and a law degree from New York University
Practice Areas Explained
John M. Desmarais's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases John M. Desmarais handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
John M. Desmarais is one of 20,749 patent attorneys indexed nationally. Browse patent attorneys in New York →
IP attorneys protect inventions, brands, and creative work through patent prosecution, trademark registration, copyright, and trade-secret enforcement.
John M. Desmarais is one of 106,079 ip attorneys indexed nationally. Browse ip attorneys in New York →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in New York
Practicing law in New York. Legal matters in New York are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in New York are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate New York state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in New York brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in New York courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
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