Law firms of all shapes and sizes—large and small, boutique and full-service—have jumped into the intellectual property arena in recent years. In fact, the pandemic ushered in an unusual era, in which demand for both patent prosecution and litigation remained strong, according to IP firm Knobbe Martens managing partner Steven Nataupsky.

Though Nataupsky expects the broader economic downturn to have some effect on patent prosecution, his expectations for 2023 are largely optimistic, with the potential for an uptick in patent litigation. As a result, Nataupsky said he doesn’t expect a severe impact to the business, and that layoffs are something the firm has never done, nor plans on doing.