Keker, Van Nest & Peters

Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLP is a highly respected litigation boutique headquartered in San Francisco, California, founded in 1978. With approximately 135 attorneys as of July 2025, the firm is known for its litigation and intellectual property prowess. It consistently ranks among the top firms in Vault's Litigation Boutique Law Firm and Intellectual Property Boutique Law Firm categories. Chambers USA also recognizes Keker, Van Nest & Peters as a high-caliber practice for patent litigation in California and for intellectual property nationwide, particularly for "bet-the-company trials." The firm is noted for its willingness and ability to take on complex, high-stakes civil and criminal cases across the nation.

The firm's IP litigation specialty lies primarily in technology, including software, smartphone technology, and semiconductors. This is evident in its representation of leading global innovators like Google, HTC, and SanDisk in patent disputes. Their expertise also extends to trade secrets, copyrights, and trademarks, handling disputes for clients in technology and life sciences. Notably, Keker, Van Nest & Peters is at the forefront of emerging intellectual property litigation concerning artificial intelligence, representing clients such as OpenAI in copyright class actions related to generative AI applications.

Keker, Van Nest & Peters primarily defends operating companies in patent litigation. The firm has a strong track record as defense counsel, appearing on the defendant side in 8 out of 10 tracked cases. This includes representing Google LLC in B.E. Technology, L.L.C. v. Google LLC and Uber Technologies, Inc. in X One, Inc. v. Uber Technologies, Inc. The firm also took on a plaintiff role in two tracked cases, including Intellectual Ventures I LLC v. Symantec Corp. and SanDisk Corporation v. IPValue Management, Inc. et al.

The firm has achieved notable outcomes in high-profile cases. For example, Keker, Van Nest & Peters represented Google in a patent and copyright infringement trial brought by Oracle Corporation, a case billed as the "smartphone trial of the century." Although the jury found Google infringed on some lines of Oracle copyright code, the case was considered a sweeping victory for Google with zero damages. They also secured a defense verdict for Twitter Inc. in VS Technologies LLC v. Twitter Inc., protecting the company from a $40 million damages claim. In 2024, the firm represented X (formerly Twitter) in a patent licensing dispute with Adeia, which settled in June 2024.

While the firm's website and general descriptions highlight its litigation prowess, there is no specific mention of a notable PTAB/IPR practice in the provided information or search results. Information regarding their involvement in inter partes review (IPR) or post-grant review (PGR) proceedings is not readily available through the provided sources.

Key partners in the firm's IP litigation practice include Robert A. Van Nest, who is consistently recognized as a nationally prominent trial lawyer handling high-stakes IP disputes, including patent infringement and copyright controversies. Other significant partners in IP litigation include Ajay S. Krishnan, Leo L. Lam, and David J. Silbert, who have played lead counsel roles in tracked patent cases.