Alston & Bird

Alston & Bird: Patent Litigation Summary

Date: 2026-05-01

Analyst: Senior U.S. Patent Litigation Analyst

Alston & Bird LLP is a major U.S. law firm headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with over 900 lawyers across 13 offices in the United States, Europe, and the UK. A prominent "BigLaw" firm, it ranked 44th on The American Lawyer's 2026 Am Law 100 list based on gross revenue. The firm maintains a large and diversified intellectual property practice, which includes a dedicated IP Litigation Group of over 80 attorneys. Its IP practice is nationally recognized by publications like Chambers USA and Best Lawyers in America.

The firm's patent litigation practice covers a wide spectrum of technologies, including telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, software, biochemistry, and mechanical engineering. Alston & Bird represents clients in federal district courts nationwide, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Recent notable work includes securing complete defense jury verdicts for clients such as T-Mobile and Ericsson in a $253 million infringement case in the Eastern District of Texas (2025) and for Nokia in multiple patent trials. The firm has also achieved significant plaintiff-side results, including a jury trial victory for flooring manufacturer Unilin.

While the provided case list shows a defense-side appearance, Alston & Bird's public record demonstrates a robust practice representing both plaintiffs and defendants. According to a 2025 Patexia report, the firm ranks among the top 10 most active firms for representing defendants and in the top 15 for performance on behalf of defendants. The same report also recognized the firm's success on the plaintiff side. This balanced practice includes defending major operating companies against infringement claims and asserting patents for innovating companies.

Alston & Bird has a substantial practice before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), handling inter partes review (IPR) and post-grant review (PGR) proceedings for both patent owners and petitioners. The firm's approach integrates IP litigators with patent prosecutors to manage these specialized validity challenges. It has been consistently ranked as a top firm for representing patent owners before the PTAB by Unified Patents and is recognized nationally for its PTAB litigation practice by publications such as Managing IP. Key partners in the firm's broader IP litigation practice include Mike Newton and Natalie Clayton, who have been recognized as leading practitioners.