Managing IP, a global resource for intellectual property news and analysis, has named Jackson Walker a recommended firm in Texas for both Patent Prosecution and Trade Mark in its 2026 edition of “IP Stars.” In addition, seven Jackson Walker attorneys were recognized among Texas’s leading intellectual property practitioners:
- Brit Nelson – Patent Star
- Brian Prewitt – Patent Star
- Wasif Qureshi – Patent Star
- Nathaniel St. Clair II – Patent Star
- Shannon Zmud Teicher – Trade Mark Star
- Tori Emery – Rising Star
- Chandler Stephens – Rising Star
The 2026 results highlight the breadth and depth of Jackson Walker’s IP team, which represents clients ranging from emerging companies and entrepreneurs to global technology leaders, financial institutions, universities, and iconic consumer brands. The firm’s attorneys advise on all aspects of intellectual property law, including patent prosecution and litigation, trademark portfolio management and enforcement, copyright protection, trade secrets, licensing, and technology transactions.
Each year, a group of impartial judges gathers information about thousands of candidates from firms, clients, interviews, emails, and online surveys. Potential winners are considered and chosen based on their “expertise, workload, market reputation/track record, outcomes achieved for clients, and unique strengths in a given practice area.” Recognition as an IP Star is based on a weighted review of information submitted by firms, publicly available information, and market feedback. More information can be found at IPStars.com.
About Our Intellectual Property Practice
As the largest law firm in Texas, with over 500 attorneys across the state, Jackson Walker is nationally recognized for its Intellectual Property Law and Intellectual Property Litigation experience. The firm has been named a Best Law Firm® by Best Lawyers for over a decade, earning top national and metropolitan rankings in Litigation – Intellectual Property and Litigation – Patent. The firm has also been recognized in the Chambers USA Guide for Intellectual Property and Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets in 2025 and 2026, and has been shortlisted for Managing IP’s Firm of the Year Awards for Patent Disputes and Trademark Disputes since 2025.
Our IP practice primarily focuses on representing some of the world’s technology leaders secure and protect critical patents, trademarks and copyrights both domestically and abroad. Our clients range from single inventors to large multinational companies, including Microsoft Corporation, Dell Inc., Cirrus Logic, and Goldman Sachs, among others. Additionally, we provide counsel to top public and private universities in Texas innovating cutting-edge technologies which stand to transform our lives. To help protect those innovations, many of our attorneys have advanced science and engineering degrees in engineering and are licensed to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
To explore Jackson Walker’s experience in obtaining, protecting, and litigating intellectual property rights in the U.S. and abroad, visit our Intellectual Property practice page. To view the rankings, view Jackson Walker’s page on IP Stars website.
Meet Our Recognized Practitioners
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Brit Nelson has been practicing intellectual property law across a broad spectrum of transactional and litigation matters for over 30 years. Brit assists national and international clients with IP matters involving patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, licensing, domain names, advertising, and misrepresentations and unfair trade practices under state and federal laws. Brit also helps with due diligence and negotiations in corporate mergers and acquisitions and real estate transactions regarding IP rights. His clients benefit not only from over two decades of legal experience but also a prior decade of engineering experience, including as a licensed professional engineer, in the aerospace and metal forging industries. Brit has been recognized by Managing IP as a Patent Star since 2020. |
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Brian Prewitt, who is newly recognized as a Patent Star in Texas, focuses his practice on patent prosecution and intellectual property portfolio development. Brian helps innovative companies secure and protect their technologies through strategic patent counseling and prosecution, representing clients across a variety of technology sectors. His patent prosecution practice includes work for leading companies such as Dell, Cirrus Logic, Forcepoint, and other innovators. In addition to IP Stars, Brian has been recognized by Chambers and Partners for Intellectual Property in Texas since 2014, by The Best Lawyers in America since 2023 for Patent Law and Litigation – Intellectual Property, and by Patexia as a “Top 100 Patent Attorney” in 2024. |
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Wasif Qureshi has been recognized as a Patent Star in Texas since 2014. He focuses his practice on intellectual property litigation, particularly patent disputes. Drawing on his engineering background and extensive litigation experience, Wasif represents clients ranging from startups to Fortune 100 companies and has appeared in more than 200 district court and International Trade Commission patent infringement matters. Wasif also leads Jackson Walker’s IP Litigation group. In addition to his IP Stars recognition, Wasif has been ranked in the prestigious Chambers USA Guide for Intellectual Property in Texas since 2025. |
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Nathaniel St. Clair, II has been recognized as a Patent Star in Texas for the second consecutive year. Nate leads Jackson Walker’s Intellectual Property practice and advises clients on a broad range of intellectual property matters, including portfolio management, enforcement, litigation, and strategic counseling. He represents clients across numerous industries, from technology and financial services to retail and higher education. In 2024, Nate was shortlisted for the Litigator of the Year – Texas award by Managing IP. He was also recently ranked in the Chambers USA Guide for Intellectual Property in Texas. |
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Shannon Zmud Teicher’s deep experience in litigation, prosecution, and licensing brings a unique skill set to her clients’ matters involving trademark, copyright, trade secret, media, advertising, and entertainment. In recognition of her practice, Shannon has been named to The Best Lawyers of America list for commercial litigation, Chambers USA Guide for Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets, and Lawdragon’s list of the 500 leading U.S. Litigators. This is her second consecutive year recognized as a Trade Mark Star in the “IP Stars” list. Recently, she was shortlisted for the Trademark Litigator (South) award by Managing IP for the 2026 Americas Awards. |
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Tori Emery has been recognized as a Rising Star in Texas since 2024. Tori has experience representing clients in complex litigation matters in federal and state courts across the country, working extensively in the areas of intellectual property, media, entertainment, and energy. In addition to IP Stars, Tori has been recognized as a “Texas Rising Star” by Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers since 2024. |
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Chandler Stephens, who is newly recognized as a Rising Star in Texas, advises clients on trademark, copyright, advertising, media, and brand protection matters. Chandler serves clients across a wide range of industries and works closely with Jackson Walker’s trademark and intellectual property team to help businesses protect and grow their brands domestically and internationally. She has also been recognized since 2024 by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for Intellectual Property Law and by Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers as a “Texas Rising Star.” |
