The Legal 500

Within Copyright, Irell & Manella LLP is a third tier firm,

Irell & Manella LLP is noted for ‘its expert substantive knowledge and recognition by the copyright Bar and courts’. The full-service copyright practice has dedicated transactional and litigation attorneys across its Los Angeles and Newport Beach offices, with a strong entertainment focus. Clients clients include Viacom, ABC, NBC/Universal and CBS. Of counsel David Nimmer is a ‘recognized pre-eminent copyright scholar, practitioner and commentator’, and litigates on behalf of entertainment, publishing and hi-tech sector clients. Nimmer recently led as co-counsel for the plaintiff in Reed Elsevier v Muchnick, a copyright infringement dispute between publishers and freelance writers in relation to literary works being made available in an electronic database. An appeal at the Second Circuit reversed a district court decision certifying a $18m settlement to the plaintiffs. Trial lawyer Steven Marenberg has high-profile IP and entertainment litigation experience, with clients including film director Peter Jackson, Universal Group and Warner Brothers Pictures.

Within Patent litigation: full coverage, Irell & Manella LLP is a second tier firm,

With a team that provides ‘excellent business acumen, knowledge, advice and results’, clients turn to West Coast-based Irell & Manella LLP for ‘the most complex and highest-exposure patent cases’. Morgan Chu is a well-known and highly respected patent trial counsel, and together with Andrei Iancu ‘provides top-class customer service’. Perry Goldberg and Ben Yorks are also highly regarded. The team covers a range of sectors, though it has a particular focus on the hi-tech sector. Chu, Goldberg and Iancu represented TiVo in a high-profile dispute with EchoStar regarding digital video recording devices, with recent rulings finding in favor of TiVo and awarding additional damages amounting to $400m to date, as well as a US Court of Appeals hearing that affirmed EchoStar was guilty of patent infringement; the litigation remains ongoing. Additional clients include eBay, Skype and Tessera; the team acted as co-counsel for the latter in an appeal win which affirmed a previous ITC ruling that various semiconductor chip manufacturers had infringed Tessera’s patent. The team added to its IP litigation expertise in 2010 through the lateral hire of patent re-examination specialist Greg Gardella from Fish & Richardson P.C..

Within Leading trial lawyers Leading trial lawyers

Within M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m), tier 4

Irell & Manella LLP has offices in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California. The practice has experience representing companies in technology, computer hardware and software, communications, cable, entertainment, healthcare, biosciences, retail, manufacturing, energy, gaming, real estate development and finance. The group’s experience includes representing an international media company in connection with its sale of Miramax Films to Filmyard Holdings, advising the majority owners of the National Football League’s St Louis Rams in the sale of their interests in the team, and assisting Metropolitan West Asset Management in the acquisition of its business by the TCW Group. Los Angeles-based Eric Webber represented a privately-held national healthcare company in connection with the dispositions of its interests in several major hospital joint ventures for approximately $50m, and was counsel to a privately-held Southern California electronics company in connection with three major acquisitions in one year, totaling approximately $125m.

Within Domestic tax: West Coast, Irell & Manella LLP is a third tier firm,

Irell & Manella LLP’s tax practice group is substantially based in Los Angeles with a smaller team in Newport Beach. The firm was founded in 1941 with a significant tax component, and the tradition persists; the department provides highly effective all-round business tax advice. In recent representative matters, Elliot Freier, of counsel, provided tax counsel to telecom equipment-maker CPI International on the sale of the company to Comtech Telecommunications for cash and stock consideration of approximately $470m. Kevin McGeehan advised NYSE-listed casino operator Pinnacle Entertainment, on the tax aspects of the offering of $350m 8.75% senior subordinated notes and the refinancing of existing high-yield debt securities. Rob Zeitinger is expert in tax issues affecting the aviation sector. The tax practice group has advised US Biodiesel, CDS Holdings and Pinnacle Entertainment.