Munger, Tolles & Olson

Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP is a premier American law firm, widely regarded as a litigation powerhouse despite its relatively small size of approximately 200 attorneys. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the firm also operates offices in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Rather than being a specialized IP boutique, Munger, Tolles & Olson is an elite full-service firm that consistently ranks at the top of industry surveys for selectivity and overall quality, including a record number of first-place finishes on The American Lawyer's "A-List." Its national practice is known for taking on the most complex, high-stakes disputes for a sophisticated client base.

The firm’s patent litigation practice handles complex disputes across a range of technologies, including life sciences, semiconductors, and software. The group is particularly known for matters where patent law intersects with antitrust and copyright issues, leveraging the firm's broader strengths in these areas. Munger, Tolles & Olson's appellate practice, ranked among the best in the nation by Chambers USA, is also frequently involved in precedent-setting intellectual property cases before the Federal Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. The firm has an active practice before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), representing clients in inter partes review (IPR) proceedings.

According to its public-facing materials, the firm’s patent practice focuses on "defending innovation against unearned opportunists," suggesting a preference for representing operating companies on the defense side. The firm highlights defensive victories for major technology companies like Google and Intel. However, the authoritative case list shows the firm has also acted as plaintiff's co-lead counsel for Intellectual Ventures I LLC, a prominent patent assertion entity, in litigation against Trend Micro Inc.

The tracked case, Intellectual Ventures I LLC v. Trend Micro Incorporated et al., was a multi-year dispute where Munger, Tolles & Olson represented the plaintiff. Public court records indicate that the patents IV asserted against Trend Micro were ultimately declared invalid by the district court under 35 U.S.C. § 101, a ruling that was later affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Key partners listed in that matter include Glenn D. Pomerantz, a nationally recognized trial and antitrust lawyer, and Kelly M. Klaus, a highly-regarded IP and media and entertainment litigator.