The ‘very impressive’ trade secret group at Kirkland & Ellis LLP is well-equipped to advise its portfolio of renowned clients on the range of non-contentious and litigious matters. There are no formal practice heads but the group is well-regarded for its ’very deep bench’ of specialist attorneys. Key practitioners on the West Coast include San Francisco-based IP litigation expert Adam Alper, who is renowned for his abilities representing clients namely in the semiconductor, telecoms, computer hardware and pharma industries in particular, in complex disputes; in LA, Michael De Vries has noteworthy expertise handling high-stakes IP disputes – the pair are noted for their ‘great technical backgrounds’. Also on the West Coast, Akshay Deoras in San Francisco and Los Angeles-based Sharre Lotfollahi are names to note. Dale Cendali has notable experience representing clients in high-profile IP matters, Joshua Simmons is focused on media and tech-related IP disputes, while Leslie Schmidt also has significant trial experience; the three are based in New York. An example of the group’s high-stakes workload is its representation of Cognizant TriZetto Software Group, Inc. in a multifaceted matter of alleged misappropriation, unfair competition and breach of contract against Syntel in a healthcare tech context wherein hundreds of millions of dollars were at stake – Alper, De Vries and Simmons successfully co-headed the matter.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘One of the best IP and trade secret teams I've worked with. They are extremely smart and focused with a very deep bench of talent. Able to tackle and support all issues across a far-flung global trade secret litigation effort.’
‘Adam Alper and Mike De Vries lead a team of extremely talented individuals - too many to name.'
'Adam and Mike are engaged and responsive to client needs. They stay actively involved in our cases over the long haul.'
'Their bench is very deep, from IP lawyers with great technical backgrounds, to an appellate team that can vigorously defend your victories. A very impressive group all round.’
Key clients
- Comet Technologies
- Inventus Power, Inc.
- LivePerson, Inc.
- Medidata Solutions
- MicroPort Scientific Corporation
- Motorola, Inc.
- TriZetto and Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp.
- Unisys Corp.
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