Desmarais LLP

What Desmarais LLP does

Desmarais LLP is a New York-headquartered, full-service intellectual property litigation boutique founded in June 2010 and organized as a New York limited liability partnership. The firm operates from three offices (230 Park Avenue, New York; 101 California Street, San Francisco; 1899 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C.) and employs approximately 80 attorneys, scaling from a founding team of 3 partners plus 2 support staff. Its practice is concentrated on complex, often technology-driven IP disputes spanning patent infringement litigation (both plaintiff and defense), ITC Section 337 investigations, PTAB and post-grant proceedings, Federal Circuit appellate advocacy, trade secret disputes, and antitrust matters arising from technology conduct. Client work is organized around two vertical segments — High-Tech (computer processors, memory, networking, semiconductors, software) and Life Sciences (pharmaceuticals, biotech, medical devices, Hatch-Waxman/ANDA and BPCIA matters).

The firm serves a bifurcated client base comprising Fortune 100 corporations that retain the firm on their most consequential IP matters (IBM, Microsoft, Google, Intel, Cisco, Lucent Technologies, ViiV Healthcare, Sun Pharmaceutical, Harbour Antibodies, OPEX Corporation, Abiomed) alongside smaller entities and individuals seeking to enforce IP rights (e.g., Ravgen in successive prenatal genetic testing matters). Desmarais has generated an aggregate outcome footprint of more than $4 billion in verdicts and settlements, anchored by the $1.54 billion Lucent v. Microsoft jury verdict, the $1.25 billion-plus-royalties ViiV/Shionogi settlement against Gilead, and the $272.5M Ravgen v. LabCorp verdict including a willfulness finding, among numerous other nine-figure outcomes. The firm pairs this track record with elite industry recognition — Vault's No. 1 IP Boutique (2020), consecutive Chambers USA rankings (2023-2026), IAM Patent 1000, IAM Strategy 300, Managing IP IP Stars, Benchmark Litigation, and finalist status across Managing IP Americas and Life Sciences Patent Network awards.

Commercially, Desmarais has explicitly abandoned the traditional billable-hour model in favor of alternative fee arrangements tailored to client objectives, reflecting a premium, partner-led engagement model in which a lean team of trial-experienced lawyers handles matters across district courts, the ITC, the PTAB, and the Federal Circuit. Demand generation relies on legal directory rankings, peer referrals, professional-association leadership (NYIPLA presidency, AIPLA membership), and earned media coverage of major verdicts rather than traditional marketing — a structure that aligns incentives with sustained trial outcomes. The firm maintains a parallel pro bono practice focused on veterans' benefits appeals before the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and the Board of Veterans' Appeals (with documented 100% success rate since 2010 alongside The Veterans Consortium), underscoring institutional commitment to non-fee-generating work that supports lateral recruiting and Chambers/IAM-style public-service credentials.

Name

Desmarais LLP

Legal name

Desmarais LLP

Website

https://desmaraisllp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Desmarais LLP is a New York-headquartered intellectual property litigation boutique founded in 2010, representing Fortune 100 companies and select smaller entities in complex patent, ITC, PTAB, and appellate matters across technology and life sciences sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intellectual Property Litigation Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

IP Litigation & Dispute Resolution (BPAHAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management (BPAHAMAA)

Keywords

• Intellectual property litigation
• Patent litigation services
• ITC proceedings
• Appellate IP practice
• Trade secret litigation

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: Desmarais LLP is a law firm that provides legal representation in intellectual property litigation matters. The firm employs flexible and innovative fee arrangements tailored to client interests, having abandoned the traditional billable-hour approach in favor of arrangements more closely aligned with client objectives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Desmarais LLP is a specialized intellectual property litigation boutique that represents Fortune 100 corporations and smaller entities in complex patent infringement disputes, ITC Section 337 investigations, PTAB post-grant proceedings, appellate advocacy at the Federal Circuit, and trade secret matters. The firm tries cases before juries, judges, and the International Trade Commission across the technology and life sciences sectors.

Product overview

Desmarais LLP is a law firm specializing in intellectual property litigation services. The firm provides legal representation in patent infringement disputes, representing both plaintiffs and defendants in complex technology-driven cases. Practice areas include Intellectual Property Litigation, Appellate Practice, International Trade Commission proceedings, High-Tech, Life Sciences, Post-Grant proceedings, and Trade Secrets. The firm operates as a legal services provider rather than a technology product company, offering services through its offices in New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Intellectual Property Litigation Full-service representation in complex patent infringement lawsuits tried before juries and judges in U.S. district courts. Covers both plaintiff and defense representations for Fortune 100 corporations and smaller entities across technology and life sciences sectors.
• Appellate Practice Patent and IP appellate advocacy at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and other appellate courts. Includes substantive direction and development of intellectual property law through argued appeals.
• International Trade Commission (ITC) Proceedings Section 337 investigations and unfair import proceedings before the International Trade Commission, including exclusion orders and cease-and-desist orders against infringing imported products.
• High-Tech Patent Litigation Patent litigation services focused on high-technology sectors including computer processors, memory, networking equipment, semiconductors, software, e-commerce, blockchain, and location-based services.
• Life Sciences Patent Litigation Patent litigation services for pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies. Includes Hatch-Waxman/ANDA litigation, biosimilar (BPCIA) disputes, antibody patents, prenatal genetic testing patents, and photodynamic therapy systems.
• Post-Grant Proceedings Representation in post-grant proceedings including inter partes review (IPR), post-grant review, and Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) matters before the USPTO.
• Trade Secrets Litigation Representation in trade secret misappropriation and technology-related contract disputes, including litigation involving confidential information and proprietary technology.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1.54 billion record-setting patent jury verdict for Lucent Technologies
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Veterans ConsortiumcoreOthers · 1 July 2020Desmarais LLP has worked with The Veterans Consortium since 2010, being part of its National Volunteer Corps. The firm has achieved favorable outcomes in 100% of its cases representing the organization before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. In 2019, the firm spent more than 1,400 pro bono hours working with The Veterans Consortium. Raymond Habbaz and Thomas Derbish were specifically highlighted for their pro bono work helping veterans secure previously denied benefits.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Irell & Manella: Boutique IP litigation firm with a strong patent trial practice serving technology and life sciences clients. Comparable to Desmarais LLP in size, IP focus, and track record of major verdicts.
• Fish & Richardson: National IP-focused law firm with a leading patent litigation practice and major trial capabilities. Directly comparable to Desmarais LLP in core patent trial work, plaintiff and defense representation, and Fortune 100 client base, though Fish operates at significantly greater scale.
• Mintz: IP-focused law firm with deep patent litigation and life sciences practices, including Hatch-Waxman work. Comparable to Desmarais LLP in IP specialization and technology/life sciences client focus, though larger and broader in scope.
• Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner: Premier IP boutique with deep patent litigation, PTAB, and ITC practices. Closely comparable to Desmarais LLP in being an IP-specialist firm with a top-tier patent trial bench, serving technology and life sciences clients in high-stakes disputes.
• Susman Godfrey: Top-tier litigation boutique with a respected IP and complex commercial trial practice. Comparable to Desmarais LLP in trial-focused culture and willingness to take on plaintiff-side mega-cases.
• Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan: Litigation-only global firm widely regarded for IP litigation and bet-the-company disputes. Directly comparable to Desmarais LLP in handling high-stakes patent trials, though Quinn Emanuel is much larger and diversified across non-IP litigation.

Broad incumbents

• Latham & Watkins: Global full-service firm with a major IP litigation practice; recently hired Desmarais partner David Shaw. A direct competitor for Fortune 100 IP trial work but with materially greater geographic and practice-area breadth.
• WilmerHale: Global full-service firm with a top-ranked IP litigation practice and strong appellate capabilities. Comparable to Desmarais LLP in handling complex technology-driven disputes, but offering broader corporate and regulatory services.
• Cooley LLP: Tech-focused full-service firm with a substantial patent litigation practice serving technology and life sciences clients. Comparable client base to Desmarais LLP, with the added ability to handle corporate, financing, and regulatory work for the same clients.
• Kirkland & Ellis: Global full-service firm with a top-ranked IP litigation practice and multiple former Desmarais lawyers (Paul Bondor, Atifah Safi). Competes for the same patent trial mandates at greater scale and with broader service offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Desmarais LLP