Morrison Foerster is recognized for its appellate presence, particularly in handling IP disputes within the Federal and Ninth Circuits. The firm is frequently instructed by life sciences and technology companies to manage patent reversals and non-infringement affirmations. Leadership is shared by a trio of practice heads: Washington DC-based Deanne Maynard and Brian Matsui, and Joseph Palmore, who splits his time between Washington DC and New York. While Maynard has argued 14 cases before the US Supreme Court and Matsui specializes in patent appeals before the Federal Circuit, Palmore represents clients in securities class actions and commercial disputes. San Francisco-based Aileen McGrath handles complex litigation before California state appellate courts and is set to argue a significant employment case before the California Supreme Court on behalf of Home Depot.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘The appellate team is top-notch, smart, thoughtful, and articulate.’
- ‘Aileen McGrath and Joseph Palmore are smart, talented, and excellent on their feet in oral arguments.’
Key clients
- C. R. Bard, Inc.
- Celanese International Corporation
- Cloudera
- F5, Inc.
- McKesson Corporation
- Nikon Americas, Inc.
- Novartis, Inc.
- Pillar Biosciences
- Teradata, US Inc.
- UPS
- Walmart
- Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Joseph Palmore
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Practice head
Deanne Maynard; Joseph Palmore; Brian Matsui
Other key lawyers
Aileen McGrath; Seth Lloyd