Desmarais
Firm overview:
IP specialist Desmarais was founded in June 2010 with three partners, a secretary and a legal assistant. The firm now employs more than 80 lawyers across three US offices, with a robust trial practice, strong appellate practice, and successful inter partes review (IPR) and International Trade Commission (ITC) practices.
Operating from New York, San Francisco and Washington, DC, Desmarais focuses on the litigation of complex, often technology-driven disputes. The firm handles all stages of litigation and has successfully obtained trial results for its clients—both plaintiffs and defendants—in dozens of patent infringement cases, as well as cases involving other IP practice areas. Some of its high-profile clients have included Apple (in its patent clash with Masimo), Google, IBM and Ravgen.
Desmarais has tried cases before juries and judges throughout the country, as well as before administrative bodies and arbitration panels. The firm has briefed and argued cases before numerous appellate courts, and its attorneys have participated in more than 20 ITC investigations. Desmarais lawyers are familiar with how those investigations interplay with district court and Patent Trial & Appeal Board (PTAB) proceedings.
Highlights for the firm in recent years include being part of the team that defeated a $4 billion damages claim for Samsung in a patent dispute with Demaray.
Team overview:
Founding partner John Desmarais “is probably the best that I’ve come across,” says a high-profile peer. “I haven’t tried a case against John, but I’ve gotten right to the day before we picked a jury, and I’ve seen him in the courtroom—he’s pretty impressive.”
Desmarais was recognised as Patent Litigator of the Year by the 2025 Life Sciences Patent Network (LSPN) Awards, organised by WIPR sister title LSIPR. His notable representations include acting as lead trial counsel for Apple in its jury trial against Masimo, and for Ravgen in its high-profile dispute with LabCorp.
Other team members who act on high-stakes patent matters include New York partner Leslie Spencer, who represents clients in federal courts as well as the PTAB. Her work highlights include helping Dolby Laboratories successfully resolve a multi-jurisdictional patent dispute with Intertrust Technologies, where Intertrust had claimed $2 billion in damages.
Key matters:
- Federal Circuit win for Ravgen
Desmarais represented Ravgen in its patent dispute with Labcorp over foetal DNA testing. In January 2025, Labcorp failed to overturn a $373 million verdict after the Federal Circuit upheld the validity of a key Ravgen patent.
- Defeated $4 billion damages claim for Samsung
In 2024, Samsung secured a significant victory in its semiconductor dispute against US chip technology company Demaray.
A Texas district court rejected patent infringement claims put forward by Demaray, dismissing a $4 billion damages award.
A Desmarais team, along with counsel from Kirkland & Ellis, represented Samsung.
In January 2026, the parties dismissed the remaining questions in the dispute.
- Ravgen v Natera
The team also represented Ravgen in its patent dispute with Natera, which resulted in Natera being found liable for infringement, and an award of $57 million to Ravgen.
Clients:
Apple, Google, Ravgen, Samsung
