Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP is pleased to announce that a 21-attorney intellectual property (IP) group has joined the firm from Ropes & Gray LLP. Building upon the firm’s strategic focus of identifying nationally acclaimed patent litigators to bolster the existing team, this addition cements Sheppard Mullin's position as one of the largest and most preeminent patent litigation practices in the United States.
The team includes some of the country’s leading patent trial litigators including partners Steven Pepe—former Ropes & Gray intellectual property litigation practice group chair—David Chun, Jim Davis, Kevin Post and Matthew Shapiro, along with 16 special counsel and associates. Their clients are among the world’s most innovative companies in the technology, semiconductors, telecommunications and life sciences sectors. The group joins and expands Sheppard Mullin’s New York, Silicon Valley, Seoul and Washington, D.C. offices.
“Sheppard Mullin’s Intellectual Property practice has long been a destination for global businesses seeking to protect their important IP assets,” said Luca Salvi, chair of Sheppard Mullin. “In recent years, we have strategically hired top-of-market patent litigation teams across the country—from Silicon Valley to Dallas, Houston, Chicago and Washington, D.C.—to build a market-leading practice. Given the changing competitive landscape in the current and future global environment, we believe that protecting intellectual property assets is the core value of business in the future, and the addition of this group further solidifies the firm’s reputation as a global patent litigation powerhouse.”
“We now have one of the largest patent litigation practices in the country. This best-in-class trial team strengthens and expands our expertise and global reach, further benefiting our clients in courts and tribunals around the world,” said Steven Schortgen, co-leader of the firm’s Intellectual Property practice group. “We could not be more thrilled to welcome this exceptional group to the firm.”
The intentional growth of the Intellectual Property practice at the firm is evident not only with this 21-attorney team but also the recent addition of IP partners David Fournier, Allison Glasunow and Kourtney Mueller Merrill from Perkins Coie. Sheppard Mullin’s renowned Intellectual Property practice now boasts more than 130 lawyers around the globe, nearly half of whom hold advanced technical degrees.
“Bringing our entire team to Sheppard Mullin was an easy choice,” said Pepe. “In addition to the firm’s global reputation in IP litigation, Sheppard Mullin is committed to growing and investing in the practice throughout the United States and in South Korea, where we have many clients. The firm offers the kind of scale, vision and entrepreneurial culture that aligns with the increasingly complex and global nature of IP litigation and will serve our clients well.”
“Many of us also have worked with lawyers from Sheppard Mullin throughout our careers. Knowing the people here, along with the firm’s outstanding collaborative culture, was a strong attraction,” Pepe added. “Our team is thrilled be a part of the firm’s shared vision of being the preeminent IP litigation practice in the United States and globally.”
Based in New York, Pepe—the former chair of Ropes & Gray’s IP Litigation practice—is an accomplished trial lawyer who has litigated patent cases for over 25 years, serving as lead or co-lead counsel in more than three dozen cases, spanning multi-jurisdictional disputes in nearly every significant patent jurisdiction, including the International Trade Commission (ITC), the Eastern District of Texas, the District of Delaware, the Eastern District of Virginia, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). He specializes in complex infringement cases and has achieved numerous successes for companies in computer technology, semiconductors, telecommunications, consumer products and mechanical systems. He represents a wide range of clients, from Fortune 500 companies in high-profile “bet-the-company” litigations to smaller matters for rapidly growing start-up technology companies. He also advises clients on licensing and FRAND issues and has handled multiple PTAB proceedings for both patent owners and petitioners. Pepe earned his B.S. from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, his J.D., cum laude, from Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center and his LLM from The George Washington University Law School.
Based in Silicon Valley, Chun focuses on litigating patent infringement, trade secret misappropriation and copyright infringement matters in both trial and appellate courts, as well as in connection with government enforcement actions. He represents a broad range of domestic and international clients across technologies including semiconductors, flash memory, wireless mobile devices, hearing aid signal processing, online gaming, hard disk drives, alternative fuels, software interfaces, medical devices, business methods and consumer products. He is known for navigating highly technical disputes and advising clients in complex, multi-jurisdictional IP matters. He earned his B.S. from Columbia University and his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law.
Based in Silicon Valley, Davis represents intellectual property owners and challengers in high-stakes disputes before U.S. district courts, the ITC, the Federal Circuit and the USPTO across a broad range of technologies including semiconductors, analog circuits, wireless and SEPs, consumer electronics, network security and medical devices. He has argued and litigated multiple precedent-setting matters before the Federal Circuit, including issues related to claim construction, certificates of correction, covered business method proceedings and patent validity challenges. A leading PTAB practitioner, Davis has handled more than 250 post-grant proceedings, including inter partes and ex parte reviews. In addition, he advises clients on global IP strategy, licensing, enforcement and litigation coordination. He earned his B.S. degree, with honors, from the University of Illinois and his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Illinois College of Law.
Based in New York, Post represents high-technology and life sciences companies in complex patent litigation spanning a wide range of technical fields, including wireless and cellular communications, video coding, electronics, software, network security, e-payments, imaging systems, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. He has litigated cases involving SEPs, FRAND licensing disputes, breach of contract claims and patent portfolio strategy. Post advises clients at all stages of IP litigation, from licensing and diligence through trials, and is known for his deep technical fluency and strategic insight in high-stakes matters. He earned his A.B. from Duke University and his J.D. from The George Washington University Law School.
Based in New York, Shapiro brings more than 13 years of experience handling cases in all major patent forums, including patent-focused district courts, the ITC and the PTAB. He represents clients throughout all phases of litigation, from pre-suit investigations through appeals and has managed complex, large-scale matters across diverse technologies, including industrial systems, consumer electronics, automotive components and consumer products. Shapiro also has significant experience with post-grant proceedings before the USPTO and advises clients on the interplay between U.S. litigation and Unified Patent Court proceedings. He earned his B.S.E., summa cum laude, from University of Connecticut and his J.D., with honors, from The George Washington University Law School.
About Sheppard Mullin’s Intellectual Property Practice Group
Sheppard Mullin is a leader in the protection of intellectual property rights, as well as in assisting our clients to exploit their commercial potential. The group has significant expertise in all laws governing patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, false advertising, unfair competition, counterfeiting and grey marketing. We also possess significant experience litigating in common forums for patent litigation, including in California, Delaware and the Eastern District of Texas, as well as before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board in inter partes review proceedings. Our prosecution and counseling team develops global IP portfolios, prepares opinions and performs product clearance. We perform IP due diligence for investors and acquirers of target IP. Our diverse client base ranges from Fortune 50 and multinational corporations to innovative start-ups and individuals across a wide spectrum of industries.