Kirkland & Ellis
Firm overview:
Revered trial lawyers Kirkland & Ellis have extensive experience in the venues across the US where patent infringement cases are most often litigated, including district courts, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the International Trade Commission (ITC) and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). The calibre of the firm’s Patent Infringement Litigation practice has attracted some household-name brands to seek its representation, in lawsuits over business-foundational technology.
With a focus on trial readiness, Kirkland hones in on trial strategy and themes from the beginning of a case, with the expectation that strong trial-based case development optimises favourable settlements and outcomes. This approach is enabled by the firm’s bench of experienced trial lawyers and the training of junior lawyers. In addition, the firm’s appellate attorneys brief and argue high-stakes cases in the Federal Circuit and the US Supreme Court.
Team overview:
Kirkland’s team includes eight former US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) patent examiners. Seventy-three percent of the firm’s patent litigation attorneys have technical backgrounds.
Notable litigators with patent experience at the firm include Ellisen Shelton Turner, who serves as lead trial counsel on major patent and trade secret matters. Turner has acted for Gilead Sciences, Abbott Diabetes and other high-profile clients in patent-related litigations.
IP litigator Gregory Arovas has represented numerous leading technology companies in patent and trade secrets matters, including Intel, Samsung, Sony, IBM, Lenovo, and Siemens.
Key matters:
- Lenovo and Motorola in SEP dispute
Kirkland represented Lenovo and Motorola Mobility in a high-profile standard-essential patent (SEP) dispute with Ericsson.
In April 2025, Lenovo and Ericsson reached an agreement on a global patent cross-licence and settled all pending litigation. The dispute had spanned the US district courts, UK courts, the US International Trade Commission (ITC), Federal Circuit, and more.
- Dyson v SharkNinja
Dyson and SharkNinja settled a patent dispute over cyclonic vacuum technology in January 2025. The parties asked courts in Massachusetts and Texas for 45 days to finalise the deal, which dismissed two patent infringement lawsuits.
Kirkland and Ellis’s Bryan Hales, Jay Emerick and Caitlin Dean (now at Fish & Richardson) represented Dyson along with Melissa Smith of Gillam & Smith.
Clients:
Dyson, Lenovo, Samsung
