Firm’s Litigation Practice Selected for Exemplary, Cutting-Edge Defense Work
LAWFUEL – Law News Network – DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary US LLP’s Litigation practice has been recognized in the National Law Journal’s (NLJ) second annual “Defense Hot List.” The firm was praised for its handling of numerous high-stakes disputes for a roster of high-profile clients throughout the U.S.
To compile their list, the NLJ sought nominees with at least one prevailing win in a bench or jury trial which either set significant precedent or included significant financial stakes since July 1, 2005. The “Hot List” winners also needed an impressive overall track record and had to devote at least 50 percent of the firm’s litigation resources to defense work.
“I am pleased with our inclusion in the NLJ list as it highlights our depth and our continued ability to achieve major defense victories for our clients,” said Robert J. Mathias, partner and joint global leader and U.S. chair of DLA Piper’s Litigation practice. “Following our 2005 merger, we brought together three distinct trial practices, each with its own set of strengths and unique characteristics. Since that time, we’ve worked diligently to integrate those groups into a single practice with unmatched depth, experience and credentials. We are honored to receive this validation for those efforts.”
Three of the firm’s noteworthy cases are highlighted in the NLJ’s “Hot List.” While the publication notes that the firm has handled high-profile trials for clients across a wide variety of industries, two of the featured cases involved intellectual property litigation.
“Over the past 18 months, we have focused heavily on leveraging the depth of our IP litigation capabilities which were bolstered significantly by our merger,” said John Allcock, global co-chair of DLA Piper’s Intellectual Property practice group. “As a result, we’ve successfully handled a number of critically important, high-stakes IP litigation cases and our track record in this area has been impeccable.”
The cases highlighted as part of the “Hot List” include:
Mantz v. St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co.
Neil Dilloff, partner in the firm’s Baltimore office and lead counsel, defended St. Paul Fire in a case in which West Virginia doctors sought $1 billion in compensatory and punitive damages. In three hours of deliberation, the jury declared that St. Paul Fire acted with the blessing of the state insurance commissioner.
Gateway v. Hewlett-Packard Co.
Lead counsel John Allcock, partner in the firm’s San Diego office, successfully concluded one of the nation’s largest and longest-running intellectual property disputes after a two-week trial before an administrative law judge. The case, involving computer architecture, settled while on appeal.
MediaTek Inc. v. Zoran Corp.
The firm, with Mark Fowler, partner in the firm’s East Palo Alto office and lead counsel on the case, won an International Trade Commission ruling that Zoran’s optical disc controller chips did not infringe on MediaTek’s patents. Another order banned U.S. entry for MediaTek chips that infringed Zoran’s patents.
DLA Piper’s Litigation Practice group consists of more than 600 attorneys in 59 offices worldwide, with 23 in the U.S. The firm’s litigation attorneys include thirteen members of the American College of Trial Lawyers (including a past president), two former United States Attorneys, numerous former Assistant United States Attorneys, two former Deputy State Attorneys General, a former federal judge, numerous partners who are listed in The Best Lawyers in America and in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Business Lawyers, and a partner recently featured in The American Lawyer’s “45 Under 45.”
About DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary
DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary has 3,100 lawyers and 59 offices in 22 countries throughout the U.S., U.K., Continental Europe, Middle East and Asia. It has leading practices in commercial, corporate and finance, human resources, litigation, real estate, regulatory and legislative, and technology, media and communications.
