Morrison Foerster

Morrison Foerster (also known as MoFo) is a prominent global law firm headquartered in San Francisco, California, with approximately 1,021 attorneys across 17-19 offices in the United States, Asia, and Europe. Recognized as a BigLaw firm, it ranked #40 on The American Lawyer Am Law 200 in 2025 and #24 in the Vault Law 100 for 2026-2027, highlighting its standing among top-tier legal practices.

The firm operates a robust intellectual property litigation practice, noted as a "patent litigation powerhouse" for high-stakes disputes across the technology, life sciences, and consumer products sectors. Its expertise spans a wide array of technical areas, including semiconductors, software, blockchain, e-commerce, virtual reality, wireless standards, and life sciences IP litigation, encompassing large molecule drugs, gene therapies, BPCIA, and Hatch-Waxman/ANDA matters. Morrison Foerster is also recognized for its proficiency in copyright, trademark, and trade secret litigation.

Morrison Foerster maintains a balanced approach in its patent litigation, representing both plaintiffs and defendants. Out of five tracked appearances, two were on the plaintiff side and three on the defendant side. The firm's attorneys frequently act as lead counsel for both patent owners and challengers, demonstrating versatility in complex disputes.

Notable representations include Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Accord Healthcare, Inc. et al. where Joseph C. Gratz served as lead counsel, and Smart Speaker LLC v. Amazon.com Services LLC, a patent infringement case where Matthew R. Stephens was lead counsel and Brian C. Nash was a partner, involving associated IPR filings. Individually, firm attorneys have achieved significant outcomes; for instance, Brian C. Nash has secured complete summary judgment wins and favorable settlements in high-value patent cases. Daralyn J. Durie, a top trial lawyer, was lead counsel for Google in the seminal Google Books copyright litigation where Google prevailed on summary judgment. Joseph C. Gratz's cases have established key precedents in Internet law, including an appellate victory concerning DMCA removals on social media platforms. Matthew R. Stephens has secured summary judgment wins and significant settlements in various IP matters.

The firm possesses a substantial Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) and Inter Partes Review (IPR) practice, regularly appearing before the PTAB and the International Trade Commission (ITC). Morrison Foerster's patent attorneys have handled hundreds of post-grant matters, leveraging a team that includes over 80 U.S. Patent and Trademark Office admitted lawyers and agents, and a former PTAB judge, to manage parallel proceedings and deliver favorable results for both patent owners and challengers.

Key partners leading the IP litigation practice include Brian C. Nash, who chairs the firm's global Intellectual Property Litigation Group and is managing partner of the Austin office. Daralyn J. Durie is recognized among the top intellectual property trial lawyers nationally. Joseph C. Gratz is known for his work in copyright, patent, and AI law, representing major tech companies. Matthew R. Stephens is a prominent partner in the IP Litigation group, recognized for his work across various IP disputes.