Matthew Johnson – Jones Day

As one of the world’s largest law firms, Jones Day employs more than 2,400 lawyers in over 40 offices across five continents. Renowned for its collaborative, client-first approach, the firm emphasizes long-term relationships, professional growth, and integrated service delivery. Within its global intellectual property practice, the Pittsburgh IP Group is advancing the boundaries of patent law and serving as key mentors to the next generation of patent attorneys.

Josh Nightingale (left) | Matthew Johnson | Jones Day | Partner, Intellectual Property and Technology

For Matthew Johnson, the team’s most senior member, patent law wasn’t the original plan—it was a passion discovered mid-journey. With an undergraduate degree in electrical and electronics engineering from Grove City College, Johnson’s academic background pointed toward a future in industry. But it was during his early exposure to patent law that his professional course changed.

“I liked engineering, but I realized I enjoyed the intellectual side of the law even more,” Johnson explains. “I was drawn to the challenge of transforming a technical idea into a legal asset.”

That realization led him to the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where he earned his JD and set his sights on a career that would allow him to fuse his technical skills with legal expertise. He joined Jones Day in 2007 as an associate, where at one point in 2010, he was the sole IP attorney in the Pittsburgh Office. Today, he helps lead a growing team of attorneys, a patent agent, and a top-notch paralegal support staff in working on patent prosecution, IP licensing, and complex Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), patent, and trade secret litigation in forums throughout the U.S. and beyond.

Building a key piece of global IP practice

Over the past 15 years, Johnson and West Virginia University graduate Josh Nightingale have helped shape a close-knit and steadily expanding IP team in Pittsburgh that now includes seven attorneys and a patent agent. The group operates as a “team within a team within a team inside the firm,” benefiting from the client contacts of Jones Day Pittsburgh and the broader reach of Jones Day’s global IP practice, which includes over 200 attorneys across multiple continents.

Front – Amy Frizzell, Erin Rosenfelder, Ashvi Patel, Pranita Dhungana. Back – Christian Roberts, Amy Rupert, Matt Johnson, Josh Nightingale, Marlee Hartenstein, Adam Cook

“Our team is collaborative and supportive,” Nightingale says. “We bounce ideas off one another here in the office constantly. That camaraderie is part of what makes this work fulfilling.  We enjoy working together and doing everything that we can to support our clients and each other.”

The team’s growth is matched by Nightingale and Johnson’s efforts to mentor junior attorneys in Pittsburgh and across the Firm’s many offices. New hires are encouraged to explore various areas of IP law—patent prosecution, licensing, and trade secrets—before specializing. Johnson sees their role as part coach, part advocate.

“We want to bring in smart, driven people and help them figure out where they thrive. Our job is to support them in building practices that are not only successful but also personally meaningful,” he says. “Helping young attorneys find their path is one of the most rewarding parts of our job.”

Most team members do some patent prosecution at the start.  Some, like bioengineers Marlee Hartenstein and Ashvi Patel, eventually dedicate most of their practice to patent and trade secret disputes litigation in district court, the International Trade Commission, and the PTAB.  But all value the lessons learned via patent prosecution: “Learning patent prosecution helps you to be a better litigator because you understand how and why the patent claims are what they are,” said Hartenstein.  Others who retain substantial patent prosecution dockets, like materials scientist Christian Roberts, and Chemists Pranita Dhungana, Adam Cook, and Amy Rupert, use what they learn from litigation in assisting clients with acquiring patents via prosecution. “Understanding how competitors will try to tear down the patents that you help get issued certainly makes you a more effective patent prosecutor,” said Roberts.

“Each of our team members brings a unique patent acquisition perspective that we can tap into as client needs arise,” said Johnson.  “And we’re so lucky to be supported by tremendous staff members like Erin Rosenfelder and Amy Frizzell, who help us to bring client portfolio development desires to reality.

Blazing a trail on the PTAB frontier

While each member of the Pittsburgh IP team’s work involves varying amounts of IP litigation and patent prosecution, the PTAB plays a role in each team member’s practice.  The PTAB is a tribunal within the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office created in 2012. Since its inception, the PTAB has transformed the landscape of patent litigation, particularly through inter partes reviews (IPRs), which allow third parties to challenge the validity of existing patents.

Erin Rosenfelder | Adam Cook

“The PTAB has been a legal frontier,” Johnson notes. “When it was first created, there was almost no case law. It was like the Wild West—lots of uncertainty and opportunity to shape how the process would evolve.”

Jones Day’s IP team has handled several hundred PTAB proceedings over the last 13 years, developing novel strategies and building a deep well of experience in the process.  Both Nightingale and Johnson have officially appeared in well over 100 cases, where almost each of the firm’s 500+ matters has been touched by them in some way. The Pittsburgh IP team also leads the firm’s thought leadership in the forum, publishing nearly 1000 articles on PTAB news, caselaw, and strategy on Jones Day’s PTAB Litigation Blog. The blog has become a resource for clients and attorneys inside and outside the firm, offering insights into evolving patent trends, the practical implications of case law, and emerging issues in patentability.

“Patent law is always changing—new statutes, cases, and interpretations,” said Hartenstein. “One of the great challenges and joys of this practice is helping clients navigate problems no one has ever faced. That’s where creativity comes in, and we can bring maximum value to our clients.”

Fostering a culture of mentorship

The Pittsburgh IP Group’s impact extends far beyond courtroom arguments and claims construction. The team is deeply invested in maintaining a firm culture centered on mentorship, collaboration, and integrity—values they believe are essential to building a long, fulfilling legal career.

Pranita Dhungana, Amy Frizzell, Marlee Hartenstein, Adam Cook

“At Jones Day, we do things for the right reasons. It’s not about ego or individual credit—it’s about working together to get the best outcome for the client. That’s the culture here, and it’s why I’ve stayed,” said Johnson.  “Jones Day’s motto is One Firm Worldwide, and the firm truly means that. We benefit by collaborating with our great firm colleagues and friends worldwide on our clients’ most essential matters.”

But Johnson appreciates the Pittsburgh office’s balance of global reach and local community. The office retains a family-like atmosphere with around 70 attorneys on three floors.

“It doesn’t feel like a massive law firm,” Johnson says. “We have happy hours, we go to baseball games, we grab lunch or go for a run together. Those relationships improve the work and make the hard days easier.”

That sense of camaraderie and shared purpose is significant in an industry known for frequent movement.

“There’s a lot of bouncing around in the legal world—people going in-house, switching firms,” he says. “But our group is different. We support each other, and we’re building something that lasts. This work matters. We’re protecting innovation. We’re helping people bring ideas to life. And we’re doing it in a way that builds lasting relationships—inside the firm and out.”