Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe: Patent Litigation Summary

Firm Overview:
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP is a major global law firm ("BigLaw") with a strong focus on the technology, energy, and finance sectors. Founded in 1863 and headquartered in San Francisco, Orrick operates more than 25 offices across the United States, Europe, and Asia. The firm is consistently ranked among the top U.S. law firms, with The American Lawyer placing it #8 on its 2025 "A-List". Chambers and Partners also recognizes Orrick's Intellectual Property practice with a national ranking for its capabilities in patent, copyright, and trademark litigation.

IP Litigation Specialty & Side Preference:
Orrick's patent litigation practice is known for handling complex, high-stakes competitor disputes for major companies in the technology and life sciences sectors. The firm's expertise spans a wide range of technologies, including software, semiconductors, consumer electronics, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals. The firm represents clients on both the plaintiff and defense side of patent infringement and trade secrets cases. This is consistent with the provided data showing the firm acting as plaintiff counsel for Visa. Publicly available information showcases a robust practice defending established technology companies and life sciences innovators, as well as representing plaintiffs in enforcing their IP rights.

Notable Cases and Outcomes:
Orrick has secured significant victories in high-profile patent disputes. The firm successfully represented Sonos in its patent infringement battle against Google, resulting in an ITC exclusion order for certain Google products. In the life sciences arena, Orrick was instrumental in overturning a $2.5 billion patent verdict for Gilead Sciences against Merck's Idenix unit and reversing a $1.2 billion judgment for Gilead subsidiary Kite Pharma. The firm also won a $17+ million jury verdict for Continuous Composites in a patent trial concerning 3D printing technology. While the provided data lists a single representation for Visa, Orrick's broader public record demonstrates a pattern of significant trial and appellate outcomes for a diverse client base.

PTAB / IPR Practice:
Orrick maintains a highly active practice before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). The firm reports handling over 175 inter partes review (IPR) proceedings in the last five years, representing both patent owners and petitioners. Their website notes a track record of successfully invalidating patent claims in 82% of its petitioner-side IPRs that reached a final decision and preserving claims in 72% of its patent-owner-side decisions. This demonstrates a substantial and successful PTAB practice that complements its district court and ITC litigation efforts.

Key Partners:
The firm's intellectual property group is led by seasoned trial lawyers. Clement S. Roberts, based in San Francisco and listed in the provided case data, is the head of the firm's broader IP division. The IP litigation practice is co-led by Los Angeles-based Alyssa Caridis and Sheryl Koval Garko in Boston. Other prominent partners mentioned in legal directories include Jared Bobrow in Silicon Valley, known for complex technology cases, and David Gindler in Los Angeles, who specializes in representing major biotech companies. Steven Routh in Washington, D.C., is also noted as a highly experienced first-chair trial lawyer focused on patent infringement.