Independent lawyer rankingsEvery fact traceable to a sourcePayment never changes a ranking

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked intellectual property lawyers in West Palm Beach, Florida are Joseph William Bain “Joe” (LexRank 84.00), Michael Kenneth Dixon (84.00) and Gregory Alan Nelson (82.60).

This ranking lists 5 intellectual property lawyers in West Palm Beach, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. All 5 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Intellectual Property Law by The Florida Bar, a credential held by 4.9% of Florida lawyers in any field. Their experience ranges from 6 to 43 years in practice.

Lawyers ranked
5
Fully verified
5 of 5

The ranking

Ordered by organic LexRank score; paid placements are labelled and never affect a position. How we rank

  1. No change

    Joseph William Bain “Joe”

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 36 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 25.0)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.3)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
  2. No change

    Michael Kenneth Dixon

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 25 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 25.0)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.3)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
  3. No change

    Gregory Alan Nelson

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 43 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 82.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20). 1.40 points behind #2, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 25.0)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.3)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)

    1.40 points behind #2 (Michael Kenneth Dixon): Data quality −1.4.

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  4. No change

    Peter Allen Chiabotti

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 23 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 81.60: strongest in Experience (27.6/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20). 1.00 points behind #3, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 27.6/30 (ranking avg 25.0)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.3)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)

    1.00 points behind #3 (Gregory Alan Nelson): Experience −2.4.

  5. No change

    Jodi-Ann René Tillman “Jodi”

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 6 years experience
    • Intellectual Property
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 57.45: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (4/20) and Experience (7.2/30). 24.15 points behind #4, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.7)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
    • Experience 7.2/30 (ranking avg 25.0)

    24.15 points behind #4 (Peter Allen Chiabotti): Experience −20.4, Professional credentials −3.8.

Data sources behind the scores

Every score on this page is calculated from facts backed by these sources. Each profile shows which source supports which fact and when it was last checked.

  • floridabar.org · Official / regulatory · 5 profile pages53 facts for 5 lawyers

Intellectual Property market in West Palm Beach

LexRanked tracks 5 lawyers in intellectual property law in West Palm Beach, Florida. 5 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 10, 2026.

Lawyers
5
Law firms
0
Verified professional data
5 of 5
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
25 years5 lawyers

Calculated by LexRanked from its own records on ; data verified . Ratings and review counts count only when backed by a source; figures from fewer than three profiles are withheld. All lawyers in West Palm Beach

What sets these West Palm Beach lawyers apart

All 5 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Intellectual Property Law by The Florida Bar, which only about one in twenty Florida lawyers achieves in any field. Florida Bar board certification requires at least five years of practice, substantial involvement in the field, peer review by other lawyers and judges, continuing legal education and a written exam, and it must be renewed every five years. The figures below come from each lawyer's Florida Bar profile.

Fact about the 5 ranked lawyers Figure
Board Certified in Intellectual Property Law 5 of 5
Years in practice 6 to 43 (median 25)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school University of Florida, Fredric G. Levin College of Law (4 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a West Palm Beach office address and intellectual property as a practice area on record. It compares 5 intellectual property lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. How we rank.

Florida rules to know

Patents and copyrights are governed by federal law, while Florida law protects trade secrets and offers its own trademark registration; the filing deadlines run from 3 to 6 years.

Rule What it means
Copyright lawsuits Within 3 years after the claim accrued (17 U.S.C. § 507(b))
Patent term 20 years from the filing date of the application, subject to maintenance fees (35 U.S.C. § 154(a)(2))
Patent damages No recovery for infringement committed more than 6 years before the lawsuit (35 U.S.C. § 286)
Trade secrets Within 3 years after the misappropriation is discovered or should have been discovered (Fla. Stat. § 688.007)
Florida trademark registration Lasts 5 years and can be renewed within the 6 months before it expires (Fla. Stat. § 495.071)
Court Where cases are heard
State court circuit Palm Beach County is in Florida's Fifteenth Judicial Circuit

How to choose among these lawyers

Confirm the license, ask who will handle your matter, and get the fee terms in writing before you sign.

  1. Look up the lawyer in The Florida Bar's directory and check the bar number shown on their LexRanked profile.
  2. Ask whether the lawyer you meet will handle your matter personally, and how many matters like yours they have handled recently.
  3. Ask how they charge and what costs are extra, and get the agreement in writing.

Further reading

Sources for the rules above

Frequently asked questions

How long does a patent last?

A utility patent runs for 20 years from the date the application was filed in the United States, as long as the maintenance fees are paid.

How long do I have to sue for copyright infringement?

Three years after the claim accrued, under 17 U.S.C. § 507(b).

How long do I have to sue over a stolen trade secret in Florida?

Three years after the misappropriation was discovered, or should have been discovered with reasonable diligence, under section 688.007. A continuing misappropriation counts as a single claim.

Who certifies intellectual property lawyers in Florida?

The Florida Bar certifies lawyers in Intellectual Property Law after at least five years of practice, peer review and a written exam.

What does Board Certified in Intellectual Property Law mean?

It is a credential from The Florida Bar for lawyers with substantial experience in the field who have passed peer review and a written exam. 5 of the 5 lawyers in this ranking hold it; 4.9% of Florida lawyers hold a board certification in any field.

Which court handles cases in West Palm Beach?

State court cases in Palm Beach County are heard in Florida's Fifteenth Judicial Circuit.

How is this ranking ordered?

By the LexRank score, calculated only from facts with a cited source: experience, practice-area relevance, awards on record such as board certification, professional credentials, data quality and location. Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Payment never changes a position.

Do client reviews affect the LexRank score?

Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Reviews are shown on profiles for information only, and Reputation counts only awards on record, such as board certification. How we rank

Which lawyers are verified?

5 of the 5 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Joseph William Bain “Joe”, Michael Kenneth Dixon, Gregory Alan Nelson, Peter Allen Chiabotti and Jodi-Ann René Tillman “Jodi”.

About this ranking

Last updated
Methodology
LexRank v1.2 - deterministic, reproducible scoring
Editorial review
LexRanked editorial team,
Independence
Positions are never sold. Paid placements, if any, are labelled and do not affect scores.