Irell & Manella LLP

Stephen Payne is a trial and appellate litigator focusing on complex commercial and intellectual property litigation. Stephen has significant trial experience, including six recent jury trials in federal court that resulted in verdicts totaling over $1.2 billion for Irell’s clients. He also has significant experience representing clients through all stages of the pre-trial process, including pre-litigation investigation, discovery, working with expert witnesses, and motion practice.

Stephen also litigates matters on appeal and has both challenged and defended district court and Patent Office rulings in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Stephen has been recognized on the list of “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch” every year since 2021. He serves as a member of Irell’s Hiring Committee and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Orange County Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.

Prior to joining Irell, Stephen clerked for the Hon. Sandra S. Ikuta of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He earned his J.D., with highest honors, from the University of Chicago Law School, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif and served as comments editor for The University of Chicago Law Review. While in law school, Stephen worked as an extern in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California.