Kelly Hart & Hallman

Kelly Hart & Hallman, LLP is a nationally recognized business law firm headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, with additional offices in Austin and Midland, Texas, as well as Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana.. The firm is a significant regional presence, operating with over 160 attorneys and has been recognized by Chambers USA as a leading firm..

The firm's Intellectual Property Litigation practice is known for handling complex patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret disputes across various industries, including banking, manufacturing, healthcare, and technology. Their patent litigation experience spans technology areas such as semiconductors, memory, data storage, smartphone functions, mobile and online banking, and point-of-sale payment and security systems. Their case experience includes defending major technology companies like Dell Technologies, Intel Corporation, Cirrus Logic, Apple Inc., and Sony Group Corporation in patent infringement suits [cite: case list].

Kelly Hart & Hallman primarily operates on the defendant side in patent litigation, having appeared as counsel for defendants in seven out of eight tracked cases. The firm explicitly states its role in protecting and enforcing clients' IP rights, representing a diverse client base that includes Fortune 500 companies and some of the world's largest technology entities. This defendant-focused approach is evident in cases like Greenthread LLC v. Intel Corporation and HBCU Messaging US LP v. Apple Inc. [cite: case list].

Notable patent litigation engagements include representing defendants in the Greenthread LLC patent cases against technology giants such as Intel Corporation and Sony Group Corporation, where J. Stephen Ravel served as Lead Counsel [cite: case list]. The firm also served as local counsel for Apple Inc. in HBCU Messaging US LP v. Apple Inc., an ongoing patent infringement action concerning mobile messaging patents [cite: case list, 29, 30]. Although a distinct outcome for DataTreasury Corporation v. Wells Fargo & Company is not immediately available, the broader DataTreasury litigation involved significant proceedings concerning check imaging patents, including a Federal Circuit decision in 2008 related to arbitration.

Kelly Hart & Hallman's patent litigation practice extends to Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) proceedings. The firm's involvement in IPRs, particularly in defending clients against such challenges, is reflected by active IPRs related to cases like HBCU Messaging US LP v. Apple Inc.. A 2026 Patexia Patent Litigation Intelligence Report recognized Kelly Hart among the "Top 10 Best Performing Patent Litigation Law Firms" and a "Top 25 Most Active Patent Litigation Firm," ranking highly for its defense-side performance and activity.

Key partners in the firm's IP litigation practice include J. Stephen Ravel, who has extensive experience defending technology companies in patent matters, particularly in the Western District of Texas. He was involved in six of the firm's tracked patent cases, often in a lead or local counsel capacity [cite: case list]. D. Neal Kelly Jr. has also served as local counsel in significant patent disputes. [cite: case list].