Sullivan Blackburn Pratt

Sullivan Blackburn Pratt, now operating as Sullivan Pratt LLP, is a San Francisco-based litigation boutique. The firm, headquartered in San Francisco, California, specializes in complex civil litigation, including intellectual property, bankruptcy, and employment matters. There are no public AmLaw or Chambers rankings specifically for this firm.

The firm's patent litigation experience, based on tracked appearances, includes cases involving augmented reality (AR) technology, location-based services, and mobile applications. Its primary focus, as evidenced by the case data, leans towards representing plaintiffs in patent disputes. However, Managing Partner Christopher D. Sullivan has experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in complex civil litigation, which encompasses intellectual property matters.

A notable case for the firm was NantWorks, LLC et al. v. Niantic, Inc., case number 3:20-cv-06262, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Sullivan Blackburn Pratt served as lead counsel for the plaintiff, NantWorks, LLC, alleging infringement of patents related to augmented reality technology used in mobile applications such as Pokémon Go. The district court, however, granted summary judgment in favor of Niantic, invalidating one of NantWorks' key patents (U.S. Patent No. 10,664,518) under 35 U.S.C. § 101, finding its claims directed to an abstract idea. This ruling was affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on April 23, 2026, regarding U.S. Pat. No. 10,664,518 and U.S. Pat. No. 10,403,051.

While a founding partner, Matthew K. Blackburn, who had experience in inter partes review (IPR) and post-grant review (PGR) matters, departed the firm in September 2023 to join Lewis Roca, current public information does not specifically detail a standalone PTAB or IPR practice for Sullivan Pratt LLP. The firm's key intellectual property litigation partners include Managing Partner Christopher D. Sullivan, recognized for his expertise in complex financial and deal-related litigation, and Stacey L. Pratt, a partner with significant experience in complex commercial litigation and appellate matters. Other partners include Roxanne N. Bahadurji and Quentin A. Roberts.