Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US is a distinguished global law firm, recognized as a BigLaw entity and frequently associated with the "Magic Circle" of leading UK firms. Headquartered internationally, the firm maintains a significant US presence with offices in New York, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Boston. With over 2,800 lawyers across 30 worldwide offices, Freshfields is a prominent player in the legal industry. The firm's overall standing is underscored by its rankings in Chambers USA 2026, which identifies it as a leading firm in the United States across various practice areas.

The firm's patent litigation practice has expertise in complex technology areas, including cutting-edge digital, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, telecommunications, media, and hi-tech disputes, notably those involving standard essential patents (SEPs). In its tracked US patent litigation matters, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US has exclusively represented defendants, appearing in one case on the defendant's side.

A notable case where Freshfields acted as lead counsel is EXPRESS MOBILE, INC. v. SAP SE, filed in the Northern District of California in December 2020. This litigation involved patents related to "Browser Based Web Site Generation Tool and Run Time Engine" and "methods and apparatus for web site generation," aligning with the firm's expertise in digital and web technology. As of the current date, a definitive public outcome specifically for Freshfields' involvement in EXPRESS MOBILE, INC. v. SAP SE in the Northern District of California has not been identified through public records.

While Freshfields has a robust global patent litigation practice, particularly prominent in Europe with the Unified Patent Court (UPC) for pharmaceutical, biotech, and SEP disputes, specific public information detailing a significant volume or notable cases within its US PTAB or IPR practice is not readily available. Firms frequently engaged in PTAB proceedings often appear in industry rankings or statistical reports for their post-grant review activities; however, Freshfields US is not prominently featured in such publicly available data regarding a dedicated, high-volume PTAB practice.

Douglas H. Ely is noted in the firm's tracked cases as having served as Lead Counsel. Jonathan R. DeFosse, also listed in connection with the tracked case, is now a partner at Sheppard Mullin, focusing on IP litigation and PTAB proceedings. Menachem Kaplan is another IP litigation partner based in Freshfields' New York office.