Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing

Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing (AZA) is a Houston-based trial boutique known for its formidable track record in complex commercial litigation and intellectual property disputes. The firm has expanded its footprint by opening a Dallas office in January 2026. Chambers USA and IAM Patent 1000 consistently rank AZA as a top intellectual property litigation firm in Texas, recognizing it as a "Houston trial boutique" that excels in patent infringement cases. AZA frequently handles high-stakes litigation for multinational corporations while also representing individuals and mid-sized businesses.

AZA's IP litigation practice spans a wide range of technologies and industries, including telecommunications, digital security, digital media, OLED displays, semiconductors/chipsets, financial services, internet communications, mobile devices (hardware & software), medical devices, oil & gas/oilfield services, chemistry, and biochemistry. The firm's IP team includes lawyers with technical backgrounds in electrical engineering, software, and biochemistry, which aids in explaining complex technical concepts to judges and juries.

While the firm states it represents both plaintiffs and defendants in IP cases and accepts cases based on their merits rather than a preference for either side, the provided case data indicates a strong focus on plaintiff-side representation, with all three tracked appearances as plaintiff's counsel. Notably, AZA has secured significant plaintiff verdicts, including a $78.5 million jury verdict against Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. in a patent infringement case related to automatic content recognition in Samsung Smart TVs. Another tracked case, Network-1 Technologies, Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al., also involved patent infringement. In Wapp Tech Limited Partnership et al. v. Bank of America Corporation, AZA served as lead counsel for the plaintiff. The firm has also been involved in licensing campaigns and has negotiated numerous licenses.

AZA has a recognized practice before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). A Patexia Inc. study in 2018 ranked AZA as the seventh best-performing law firm nationally in a study of over 1,100 firms active in Inter Partes Review (IPR) patent cases, and 16th best-performing among firms representing patent owners. Key partners in AZA's intellectual property group include Jason S. McManis, who heads the IP practice, and Demetrios Anaipakos and Amir H. Alavi, who have been recognized for their IP expertise. Other notable IP litigation partners with technical backgrounds include Weining Bai, Masood Anjom, Justin Yee-Jin Chen, Scott W. Clark, and Brian Ervin Simmons.