Nikhil R. Krishnan

Practice & Technical Focus. Nikhil R. Krishnan is an IP litigator at Kirkland & Ellis LLP whose practice centers on patent and trade secret litigation in federal district courts, the ITC, and the PTAB. Per his firm bio, he has a background in electrical engineering and computer science and has handled matters spanning semiconductor chip design, networking devices, online advertising, e-commerce, enterprise software, video conferencing, garage door operators, and biopharmaceutical production, plus contract disputes arising from data breaches. The tracked case list (one appearance, defendant-side, backup counsel) aligns with the defense work visible in public dockets, including representing PayPal in the In re PersonalWeb Technologies MDL (N.D. Cal.) and Intel in MOSAID Technologies v. Intel (D. Or.).

Side & Representative Matters. Although the tracked appearances skew defendant-side, public filings show Krishnan has worked both sides of the docket. He has appeared for Samsung as plaintiff/petitioner in Staton Techiya LLC v. Samsung Electronics (E.D. Tex.), including at the January 2023 Markman hearing and in related IPR proceedings (IPR2022-01106, IPR2024-01034), and for plaintiff Impact Engine in Impact Engine, Inc. v. Google LLC (S.D. Cal., closed August 2022). I could not verify any trial verdicts or Federal Circuit outcomes from public sources; the notable matters identified appear to have resolved by settlement, dismissal, or are ongoing.

Firm Context & PTAB/IPR Experience. Krishnan has been with Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago based on all verified docket filings and his firm profile; I found no reliable evidence of prior firm affiliations. He appears regularly in PTAB practice — his firm bio lists PTAB work, and his Samsung representations include substantive IPR petition and stipulation filings, indicating meaningful inter partes review experience.

Bar & Education. Admitted in California (2014) and Illinois (2016); registered to practice before the USPTO. J.D. with honors, University of Chicago Law School (2014); B.S. in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, UC Berkeley (2009). Named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch (2026) for IP and patent litigation.