Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton

Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP is an international full-service law firm headquartered in Los Angeles, with 16 offices across North America, Europe, and Asia. Recognized as an AmLaw Top 100 firm, it ranked 48th on The American Lawyer's 2025 Am Law 200 with over $1.2 billion in gross revenue for 2024, and employs over 1,200 attorneys worldwide. Chambers USA 2025 has recognized the firm with 38 practice rankings, including in Intellectual Property: Patent Litigation.

The firm's intellectual property litigation practice specializes in high-stakes disputes across various technology sectors, including semiconductors, software, wireless communications (4G/5G, Wi-Fi standards), video codecs, medical devices, and advanced electronics. They are also known for their experience in standard-essential patent (SEP) and FRAND disputes. Sheppard Mullin handles complex IP matters in federal district courts, the International Trade Commission (ITC), the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), and the Federal Circuit.

Sheppard Mullin works both sides of patent disputes, representing both patent owners and challengers. While the provided case data shows a slight emphasis on plaintiff-side representation (5 plaintiff cases vs. 3 defendant cases), the firm explicitly states its role in defending operating companies against Non-Practicing Entities (NPEs) and has been recognized as a top-performing firm for patent litigation defense.

Notable engagements from the firm's tracked cases include representing Rare Breed Triggers Inc. as lead counsel, where a preliminary injunction was secured in a patent infringement case involving firearm trigger technology. The firm also represented Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. as plaintiff in a case against Headwater Research LLC, concerning mobile device data management and wireless communication optimization technologies. Additionally, Sheppard Mullin secured a significant $170.6 million verdict against the U.S. government (Transportation Security Administration) in SecurityPoint Holdings v. United States, a patent dispute over airport security technology.

The firm possesses a robust PTAB and IPR practice, guiding clients through post-grant challenges such as inter partes reviews (IPRs) and ex parte re-examinations. Their team develops business-driven strategies combining petitions, defended claims, and parallel litigation. Key partners in the firm's patent litigation group include Steven Pepe, who previously chaired Ropes & Gray's IP litigation practice before joining Sheppard Mullin with a 21-attorney team in September 2025, and Harper Batts, who has extensive experience in over 35 CBM and IPR proceedings. Steven Schortgen and Wynter Deagle co-lead the firm's Intellectual Property practice group. Other prominent attorneys include Bradley C. Graveline, who served as lead counsel in the SecurityPoint case, and James L. Davis, Jr.