U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Washington, D.C.
Overview
The Groundwork, Stated Plainly
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is one of the thirteen U.S. courts of appeals and an Article III federal court. Congress established it on October 1, 1982, through the Federal Courts Improvement Act, merging the U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals with the appellate division of the U.S. Court of Claims. The court sits in the Howard T. Markey National Courts Building on Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C.
Unlike the twelve regional circuit courts, whose jurisdiction is defined by geography, the Federal Circuit's jurisdiction is defined by subject matter. It hears designated categories of appeals from federal courts and agencies nationwide, regardless of where the underlying case originated.
Jurisdiction
The Federal Circuit's jurisdiction is nationwide rather than territorial. It draws appeals from U.S. district courts across the country, from the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and from certain federal administrative boards and agencies, in the specific subject-matter categories described below.
What the court hears
The Federal Circuit has exclusive nationwide appellate jurisdiction over patent appeals from federal district courts, meaning no other circuit court hears them. It also hears appeals in trademark registration matters, international trade, government contracts, veterans' benefits, federal personnel and employee matters, public safety officers' benefits claims, and certain monetary claims against the United States arising from the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. It reviews decisions from related administrative bodies, including the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, the U.S. International Trade Commission, and the Merit Systems Protection Board. By statute, it does not have jurisdiction over criminal, bankruptcy, immigration, or state-law matters.
Practicing before the court
Appearing before the Federal Circuit requires separate admission to its bar, distinct from admission to a state bar or to any regional circuit's bar. Attorneys who are not members of the court's bar may seek to appear in a specific case through the court's procedures for admission pro hac vice, typically in association with counsel already admitted to practice before the court.
Attorneys
Admitted to the Federal Circuit
The Federal Circuit's jurisdiction runs by subject matter rather than geography, covering matters from patent appeals to federal contract disputes nationwide. Appearing before it requires admission specific to this court, not a general appellate credential. The attorneys listed below hold that admission.
Matters
Before the Federal Circuit
Admission to this court is a credential; the record below is different. It reflects matters our attorneys have prepared and argued before the Federal Circuit, built through the same depth of preparation behind every appeal, regardless of the presenting facts. Each entry reflects work completed for a client, not a forecast of how a future matter before this court will resolve.
Reversed Default Termination at the Federal Circuit for Defense Supplier
appellate-ruling2026ColoradoWon Federal Circuit Bid Protest Reversal for Health IT Contractor
appellate-ruling2025Colorado
Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict a similar outcome in any future matter. Every engagement is unique and must be evaluated on its own facts and circumstances.
Nationwide reach, no shortcuts
Discuss a Federal Circuit Matter
The Federal Circuit's subject-matter jurisdiction means precedent from one circuit rarely transfers cleanly to this one. Each matter here gets worked through on its own terms, not run against a standard playbook. That same discipline carries across every court where the firm appears, and the full scope of that record sits at our admissions. If a matter is headed to this court, we're ready to talk it through.