Shook, Hardy & Bacon

Patent Litigation Practice Summary: Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.

Date: 2026-05-07

Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. is a large, full-service law firm with origins in Kansas City, Missouri, and a significant national presence, including offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. While a broad-service AmLaw 100 firm, it is particularly well-regarded for its litigation capabilities, earning national rankings for its work in product liability and mass torts. Its intellectual property group is also highly ranked, with Chambers USA awarding the practice a "Band 1" designation in Missouri for over a decade. The firm's IP practice includes over 60 attorneys and more than 60 patent prosecutors, patent agents, and Ph.D. analysts.

The firm's patent litigation practice handles a mix of technologies, with particular experience in software, telecommunications, computer hardware, health care IT, and medical devices. The tracked cases show activity in software-related disputes for clients like AMC Entertainment and CrowdStrike. The firm's website highlights its experience defending against non-practicing entities (NPEs) in districts known for patent litigation, such as the Eastern District of Texas and the District of Delaware. This aligns with the provided case list, which shows a 2-to-1 ratio of defense-side to plaintiff-side representations. However, the firm also achieves significant plaintiff-side results, having secured jury verdicts and settlements exceeding $1 billion for patent holders.

The provided data shows B. Trent Webb as lead counsel for AMC Entertainment and counsel for CrowdStrike, while Jason R. Mudd served as lead counsel for plaintiff Intercom, Inc. The firm's broader practice highlights significant victories for both plaintiffs and defendants. On the plaintiff side, Shook has secured nine-figure jury verdicts and settlements. As defense counsel, the firm has obtained complete jury verdicts of invalidity and noninfringement in cases seeking over $100 million in damages and has invalidated numerous patents through motion practice. The firm's representative clients include major technology and consumer brands such as Microsoft, Sprint, Ford, and Garmin.

Shook, Hardy & Bacon maintains a robust Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) practice, handling hundreds of post-grant proceedings since the America Invents Act was enacted. The firm reports a high success rate, claiming a nearly 90% institution rate and over 90% claim cancellation rate post-institution when representing petitioners. When defending patent owners, the firm notes a 70% denial of institution rate. This practice is a core component of its litigation strategy, used to both challenge patents asserted against its clients and defend patents for clients asserting infringement claims. Key partners in the Intellectual Property practice include B. Trent Webb, who co-chairs the IP Practice Group and has served as lead trial counsel in over 150 IP cases, and Jason R. Mudd, a partner with extensive experience in district court litigation, ITC proceedings, and post-grant reviews.