Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer (HSF Kramer) is a global BigLaw firm, formed on June 1, 2025, through the merger of Herbert Smith Freehills and Kramer Levin. Headquartered in London and Sydney, the firm maintains a significant international footprint with approximately 2,700 lawyers, including 630 partners, across 26 offices worldwide, including key U.S. locations in New York, Northern California (Silicon Valley), and Washington, D.C. As of 2024, the legacy Herbert Smith Freehills was ranked 33rd globally by revenue, and the combined entity is positioned as a top 20 firm worldwide with revenues exceeding US$2 billion.

The firm's patent litigation practice specializes in high-stakes disputes involving complex technologies. Its IP litigation expertise spans diverse sectors, including cybersecurity, networking, semiconductors, telecommunications, computer science, electrical arts, life sciences, and pharmaceuticals. The practice handles matters related to software, medical devices, electro-mechanical devices, and broader electrical and computer technologies, addressing both patent enforcement and defense.

HSF Kramer demonstrates a balanced approach in its patent litigation practice, representing both patent owners seeking to enforce their rights and companies defending against infringement allegations. The firm's tracked appearances reflect this duality, with roughly an even split between plaintiff-side (4 cases) and defendant-side (5 cases) engagements.

Key engagements include the multi-forum litigation involving Centripetal Networks. The firm represented Centripetal Networks in district court litigation against Palo Alto Networks, securing a $151.5 million jury verdict for direct patent infringement in the Eastern District of Virginia in February 2024, which Palo Alto Networks plans to appeal. However, in related inter partes review (IPR) proceedings and appeals, Centripetal faced adverse rulings. For instance, the Federal Circuit affirmed an invalidity ruling against a Centripetal cyberanalysis patent (US10503899B2) in November 2024, and in April 2026, upheld PTAB decisions finding most claims of Centripetal's patents against Keysight Technologies invalid. The widely reported $2.75 billion judgment for Centripetal against Cisco Systems in 2020 was later vacated on appeal, with a final Centripetal patent related to that dispute subsequently invalidated by the PTAB in June 2026.

The firm possesses a notable practice before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) for IPRs and post-grant proceedings. Partners James Hannah and Jeffrey H. Price have been recognized for their PTAB expertise, with Mr. Hannah ranked among the top attorneys in Patexia's 2025 PTAB Intelligence Report, and Mr. Price acknowledged as a top inter partes review practitioner by Docket Navigator in multiple years.

Prominent IP litigation partners include Paul J. Andre, co-chair of the Intellectual Property practice and managing partner of the Silicon Valley office; James Hannah, an internationally recognized litigator known for high-stakes intellectual property disputes and IPR trials; and Lisa Kobialka, a seasoned trial lawyer with extensive experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in complex IP and business litigation across various industries. Jeffrey H. Price and Jenna Fuller also contribute significantly to the patent litigation team, with Mr. Price focusing on federal district court and USPTO proceedings, particularly IPRs, and Ms. Fuller handling complex technology cases across federal courts and the USPTO.