Kirkland & Ellis LLP

The ‘very impressive’ trade secret group at Kirkland & Ellis LLP is well-equipped to advise its portfolio of renowned clients on the range of non-contentious and litigious matters. There are no formal practice heads but the group is well-regarded for its ’very deep bench’ of specialist attorneys. Key practitioners on the West Coast include San Francisco-based IP litigation expert Adam Alper, who is renowned for his abilities representing clients namely in the semiconductor, telecoms, computer hardware and pharma industries in particular, in complex disputes; in LA, Michael De Vries has noteworthy expertise handling high-stakes IP disputes – the pair are noted for their ‘great technical backgrounds’. Also on the West Coast, Akshay Deoras in San Francisco and Los Angeles-based Sharre Lotfollahi are names to note. Dale Cendali has notable experience representing clients in high-profile IP matters, Joshua Simmons is focused on media and tech-related IP disputes, while Leslie Schmidt also has significant trial experience; the three are based in New York. An example of the group’s high-stakes workload is its representation of Cognizant TriZetto Software Group, Inc. in a multifaceted matter of alleged misappropriation, unfair competition and breach of contract against Syntel in a healthcare tech context wherein hundreds of millions of dollars were at stake – Alper, De Vries and Simmons successfully co-headed the matter.