“We love what we do more than anything else,” Leason Ellis Managing Partner David Leason says of his Westchester law firm, which specializes in intellectual property law. “It’s our passion… it’s that simple.”
That passion caught fire in 2008, when Leason and partner Edward Ellis left their positions at a New York City firm to set up shop in Westchester. As is the case with most startups, their journey was not without a few hiccups. The biggest issue, resulting from the 2008 economic crisis, “was managing cash flow,” says Leason. “Payroll for attorneys, paralegals and [to] train individuals is significant.
“There was really no credit available,” Leason continues, noting that they’d pay the credit card bill daily, to gain back the ability to use it. “We had to build our own capital.” Their efforts paid off, as the company has grown from just four employees in 2008 to 50 employees and 1,900 clients today—including partners in England, Germany, China, Japan, and Uzbekistan.
Now the largest intellectual-property law firm in Westchester, Leason Ellis handles IP portfolios of everything from business brands, designs, and products to legal protection of vaccines and other pharmaceuticals. The firm specializes in patents, trademarks, copyrights, licensing, and portfolio development, while priding itself on “excellent service.” Leason says future plans include “developing our life-sciences practice [and] building out litigation,” in addition to expanding the physical office space at their headquarters in White Plains.
