Firm History

1927 Ezekiel (Zeke) Wolf begins his patent practice at 10 State Street, Boston, with his wife, Ray, as his secretary. Zeke was one of the first patent lawyers with a technical background to practice in Boston.

1948 Zeke decides to enter private practice full-time.

1955 George Greenfield joins the father/son team in May and works primarily on mechanical cases. He has excellent connections through his family and comes on board with several clients. In October, Zeke's health prevents him from practicing, so David and George formalize their partnership arrangement.

1960 The firm has established a diverse trademark and copyright practice, as well as a strong presence in chemical and medical technology, and has prosecuted a family of medical instrument patents, including a patent on the Littman stethoscope, still in standard use.

1961 The U.S. Supreme Court case, Aro Mfg. Co. v. Convertible Top Co., is argued and won by David Wolf and becomes the seminal case on the doctrine of permissible repair and related issues.

1970 By 1970, the firm is representing Tootsie Roll Industries as well as several national retail chains and has a strong presence in the footwear industry.

1977 Ed Perlman, who later serves as Managing Partner, joins as the firm's first associate.

1985 The firm has 15 lawyers.

1988 The firm establishes the first technology specialist program in New England and hires its first "tech spec" – James Morris, now a shareholder.

1995 David Wolf and George Greenfield celebrate 40 years in practice together.

1996 Name partner, Stan Sacks, becomes Of Counsel.

2000 The firm formalizes its structure into specialized practice groups dedicated to specific areas of IP practice: Biotech, Chemical, Electrical & Computer Technologies, Litigation, Mechanical, and Trademark.

2002 The firm celebrates its 75th birthday.

2006 The Pharmaceutical Practice Group is added as a core group.

2008 George Greenfield steps into Senior Counsel status and is honored with a party, special tribute book, and his own magazine cover!

1927 - 1947 Zeke’s clients include Andrew Alford, later inducted into the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame, Reginald Fessenden (in photo), first to transmit voice across the Atlantic and inventor on over 450 U.S. patents in sophisticated radio transmission and sonar, and Radio Shack, a client from its beginnings as a single store in downtown Boston.

1952 Zeke's son, David, graduates from Harvard Law School and joins his father in September at 68 Devonshire Street, Boston, where their office consists of two rooms. David handles the chemical practice and Zeke does the electrical work. David bills $100.00 per day.

1958 The firm files one of the first genetic engineering related patent applications.

1961 Stanley Sacks, husband of David Wolf’s cousin, joins the firm and works primarily on chemical related cases.

1963 The firm outgrows its space at 68 Devonshire and moves to 185 Devonshire.

1972 The firm changes its name to Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks. All six partners eat lunch together every day.

1979 The firm again outgrows its space and moves down the street to 201 Devonshire.

1987 The firm moves to 1½ floors of the Federal Reserve Building and makes the strategic decision to grow the firm. The first attorney dedicated entirely to IP litigation is hired.

1989 The firm has 21 lawyers and one tech spec. The firm hires its first executive director and other non-lawyer administrative staff.

1995 The firm obtains the largest reported jury verdict in a Massachusetts trade secret case (over $5 million) in Foster-Miller v. Babcock & Wilcox Canada, a decision which becomes the leading authority in the First Circuit on trade secrets.

1998 The firm serves as co-counsel and primary architect of the landmark Federal Circuit case, State Street Bank & Trust Company v. Signature Financial Group, Inc., which establishes the patentability of software and opens the door to business method patents.

2002 The firm mourns the passing of its friend and colleague, Stan Sacks, at the age of 68.

2004 The firm moves upstairs into newly-designed space on four floors of the Federal Reserve Building.

2007 The firm celebrates its 80th birthday as our youngest tech spec and oldest attorney listen to a speech by our Managing Partner.

2008 The firm expands into a fifth floor in the Federal Reserve Building in late 2008.