Kirkland & Ellis
Firm overview:
Peers count Kirkland & Ellis among the small group of law firms “most adept at handling complex global trade secrets matters”. Kirkland, which sits at the top of the Global Big Law tree with annual revenues of more than $6 billion, has litigated the full range of trade secrets disputes, from outright theft to violation of various agreements.
Widely regarded as one of the preeminent firms in trade secrets litigation, Kirkland’s team has extensive jury and bench trial experience, and a sophisticated appellate practice that has acted for both plaintiffs and defendants across diverse industries. Over the years, the firm has been called upon to represent Virgin Cruises, Boeing and IMG in trade secrets matters.
Team overview:
Recognised in the industry for his trade secrets capabilities, high-stakes trial lawyer Michael De Vries has secured over $2.5 billion in plaintiff jury verdicts and settlements for clients in IP litigations. These include an $855 million jury verdict for Cognizant in a trade secret and copyright case, and a $765 million verdict for Motorola.
Also widely considered to be active and accomplished in trade secrets matters, Adam Alper is a leading member of the firm’s IP litigation group. Alper focuses his practice primarily on patent and trade secrets disputes and represents clients in the semiconductor, telecom, computer hardware and pharmaceutical industries.
Los Angeles partner Sharre Lotfollahi is a “super smart, very knowledgeable" attorney, according to an industry peer. Lotfollahi, who has served as first-chair on two trials, focuses her practice on disputes involving patent, trade secret, trademark, and copyright, and has represented clients operating in varied technology areas.
In August 2024, the firm bolstered its trade secrets capabilities with the addition of former US attorney and trade secrets litigator Laura Vartain Horn. Earlier that year, Vartain Horn served as the lead prosecutor on charges brought against an individual for stealing Google’s supercomputing and AI technology, and was also the lead prosecutor who secured federal convictions against the man who attempted to kidnap then-speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and assaulted her husband.
Key matters:
- Motorola v Hytera
A Kirkland team, led by Michael De Vries, is legal counsel for Motorola in its high-profile, high-stakes battle with Hytera. Motorola sued Hytera for trade secrets misappropriation and copyright infringement in 2017, and in January 2025 Hytera pleaded guilty to stealing digital mobile radio trade secrets.
Initial damages of $764.6 million were later reduced by an Illinois district court to $543.7 million. Both parties appealed, and the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit upheld $135.8 million in compensatory damages and $271.6 million in punitive damages under the DTSA. The appeals court also ordered a recalculation of copyright damages, reducing the initial $136.3 million award to reflect the Copyright Act’s domestic limitations.
The case is Motorola Solutions v Hytera Communications, US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, 22-2370.
- Lionbridge & HIG v TransPerfect
Kirkland represents HIG Capital and Lionbridge Technologies in the defence of trade secret litigation brought by TransPerfect Global, which arose from HIG and Lionbridge’s participation as a bidder in the auction sale of TransPerfect.
The team won summary judgment in full in 2022, which was affirmed by the Second Circuit in January 2024.
Partners Aaron Marks (New York), George Hicks (Washington, DC) and Kristin Rose (Los Angeles) led Kirkland’s team on the case.
Clients:
HIG, Lionbridge, Motorola
