Charley Brown Named Chair of Ballard Spahr's IP Department

Ballard Spahr Partner Charley F. Brown has been named Chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Department effective July 1, 2026, firm Chair Peter Michaud announced today.

As Department Chair, Charley will build from a position of strength and lead a team of more than 70 IP attorneys and IP professionals. Forty-seven of those attorneys and business professionals have scientific and technical degrees, including many with doctorates in fields including engineering, chemistry, molecular biology, neuroscience, and pharmacology.

“Our IP Department is flourishing and its clients are busier than ever,” Peter said. “Charley will expand on the Department’s growth to elevate our well-deserved reputation for legal excellence and client service even further.”

Under Charley’s leadership, the IP Department will continue to capitalize on opportunities created by the January 2025 combination between Ballard Spahr and Lane Powell. That combination has expanded the Department’s work with clients in the Pacific Northwest, particularly startups and entrepreneurs.

A registered patent attorney with deep experience in both patent prosecution and IP litigation, Charley’s practice encompasses patent, copyright, trademark, and trade secret disputes; strategic patent prosecution; client counseling; and opinion work. He provides end-to-end support for clients’ IP portfolios, including prosecution, maintenance, analysis, diligence, and enforcement. He co-edited Artificial Intelligence & Intellectual Property, a treatise published in October 2025 by Practising Law Institute (PLI) for which many attorneys from Ballard Spahr were contributing authors. Charley joined Ballard Spahr in 2008 when the firm combined with noted Atlanta IP boutique Needle & Rosenberg.

The IP Department and its attorneys are regularly cited for excellence by leading legal and IP publications. In June, 13 of its attorneys—including Charley—were recognized in the 2026 edition of IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Professionals and in February, nine were included in the 2026 World Trademark Review 1000 (WTR 1000), an annual guide identifying the leading professionals and firms in obtaining, protecting, managing, enforcing, and monetizing trademarks. Last month, Charley received the Atlanta IP Inn of Court’s Pro Bono Award in recognition for his long-running work with Georgia Pro Bono Assistance & Training for Entrepreneurs and New, Talented, Solo Inventors (PATENTS), a Georgia Lawyers for the Arts program that helps solo inventors, nonprofits, and small businesses find patent agents and attorneys to help draft and file patents on a pro bono basis.

Lynn E. Rzonca, who led Ballard Spahr’s IP Department for more than eight years, will serve as IP Department Vice Chair.

“I’m honored to take on this role at a time when our IP Department is so strong,” Charley said. “Lynn’s leadership has positioned us exceptionally well, and I look forward to working with her and with our entire team as we continue serving clients at the highest level. Our firm and department are destinations for top talent, and strategic, carefully considered growth across our key areas—IP litigation, patent prosecution, and trademarks and copyrights—will be a priority for me. I also look forward to expanding and deepening our department’s work with the firm’s Industry Teams, like Life Sciences, Manufacturing, and Technology.”

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