Morrison Foerster > San Francisco, > Firm Profile
Morrison Foerster Offices
425 MARKET STREET
SAN FRANCISCO CA 94105-2482
CALIFORNIA
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Morrison Foerster > The Legal 500 Rankings
United States > Intellectual property > Patents: licensing Tier 1
Morrison Foerster focuses on patent licensing in regard to three central areas, namely technology, life sciences and financial services, offering subsector specialty groups in key disruptive tech fields. Practice head Aaron Rubin’s practice focuses on advising established and emerging companies in a number of data- and technology-intensive sectors in relation to software and cloud computing licensing, among other issues. Tessa Schwartz advises on a range of strategic transactions and commercial agreements, while William Schwartz is experienced in representing companies in business transactions and counselling with regard to IP issues. Another key name is Justin Haan, with his expertise in cutting-edge technologies. New York’s Anthony Ramirez strengthens the team with particular expertise in regard to digital media and content, among others. Lawyers are in San Francisco unless otherwise stated.Practice head(s):
Aaron Rubin
Other key lawyers:
Tessa Schwartz; William Schwartz; Justin Haan; Anthony Ramirez
Key clients
Autodesk
BOOK Token
eBay
Gemini Trust
onsemi
Salesforce
SoftBank
Uber Technologies
Unity Software
VMware
Special New Fruit Licensing Ltd
Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc.
CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Limited
Unity Technologies
Work highlights
- Advised Unity in connection with its approximately $4.4 billion acquisition of ironSource.
- Represented SoftBank Group Corp. and SoftBank Vision Fund in the proposed $65 billion sale of UK-headquartered multinational semiconductor and software design company Arm Limited to U.S. chip company NVIDIA.
United States > Real estate > Real estate finance Tier 1
Housing a ‘seasoned bench of attorneys with deep knowledge and a unique command of the real estate finance practice area‘ Morrison Foerster is well-equipped to handle sophisticated financing for hotel, office, condo, industrial, life sciences, student housing, senior living, and residential developments. Construction loans, conventional mortgages, loans involving interest rate swaps, net lease and other credit lease financing, are growing areas of activity. From New York, Mark Edelstein chairs the global real estate group and is an expert in CMBS loan arrangements, mezzanine financing, preferred equity, and complex intercreditor and co-lender agreements. As co-head of the distressed real estate practice, he is also well-placed to advise on debt restructurings and bankruptcies of high-profile real estate companies and developers. Both Edelstein and leader of the US practice, Jeffrey Temple , also in New York, are ‘standout attorneys in the industry‘- Temple’s practice spans all transactional work, and frequently advises on loan restructurings and workouts. For construction financing and securitized lending, Keith Print and of counsel Tushna Gamadia, are the other key New York-based attorneys. In Miami, fellow co-chair, Thomas Fileti is the go-to counsel for REIT clients.Practice head(s):
Mark Edelstein; Jeffrey Temple; Thomas Fileti
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The team is extremely knowledgeable and offers creative solutions to unique real estate financing transactions. I tend to use MoFo for more complexed and structured transactions.’
‘The firm’s team is really well regarded. They are thought of as industry leaders, hosting seminars and accepted by many lenders.’
‘Jeff Temple and Mark Edelstein are key leaders for the practice. They are always available to strategize and work through complex issues.’
‘Jeff Temple and Mark Edelstein-both are standout attorneys in the industry. Their personal involvement overall, in deals , latest topics and with clients. They are a go to firm for us.’
‘MoFo is the industry leader for representing banks and lenders.’
‘Very personable, attentive and strong legal/market understanding.’
‘Great temperament, top tier knowledge and they greatly help the closing process/understand firms they work with.’
‘Morrison Foerster has a seasoned bench of attorneys with deep knowledge and a unique command of the real estate finance practice area. They bring a highly trained legal perspective and business understanding to every deal at every stage and every turn. The team is thoughtful, careful and deliberate, and pays meticulous attention to detail. They consider every angle but always remain practical and commercial in their approach with a well-developed sense of the big picture and are able to craft workable solutions and reach reasonable compromises.’
Key clients
Capital One
CIBC World Markets
Citigroup
GLP
HSBC
ING
JPMorgan
M&T Bank
PCCP
PNC
Santander
Société Générale
SoftBank
Sound Point Capital Management
Standard Chartered
TIAA/Nuveen
Tishman Speyer
Wells Fargo
Work highlights
- Represented Société Générale and Standard Chartered Bank in a $2.11 billion senior secured portfolio mortgage financing of 155 industrial properties located in 19 states comprising 30.6 million square feet.
- Represented Wells Fargo in its role as the administrative agent and lead arranger of a |$1.8 billion construction loan for an office and retail tower located at 50 Hudson Yards.
- Represented JP Morgan Chase Bank as the largest secured lender in the chapter 11 cases of Professional Financial Investors, Inc. (PFI) in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California.
United States > Finance > Fintech Tier 2
Morrison Foerster is noted for its ‘strength of knowledge across multiple areas,’ including technology, regulation, and business. The firm has a longstanding track record for representing major clients in the technology industry, including fintech disruptors and payments companies, who benefit from its strong cross-border capabilities. The firm’s well regarded regulatory and enforcement team includes Maria Earley, alongside practice co-chairs Crystal Kaldjob and the ‘exceptional‘ Jeremy Mandell in Washington DC. Clients also reserve ‘specific praise‘ for the team co-chair Jeffrey Silberman in New York, who has strong credentials for advising on bank and fintech partnerships, and whose ‘level of care is extraordinary and hard to find‘. Haimavathi Marlier in New York is noted for her experience in SEC enforcement proceedings, having previously been a former SEC Senior Trial Counsel, and also co-chairs the firm’s fintech and cryptocurrency task force. Of counsel Evan Minsberg has also developed a good name on the technology transactions and regulatory front.Practice head(s):
Crystal Kaldjob; Jeremy Mandell; Jeff Silberman
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The team at Morrison Foerster works like an extension of our team. They think critically about our legal, regulatory, and business challenges and priorities, and work quickly and creatively to solve our problems and push our business forward. We appreciate their strength of knowledge across multiple areas: technology, regulation, and business. It is clear the team truly cares about the success of our business and people, and they are willing to put in the time and effort to help us succeed.’
‘Our main partner is Jeff D. Silberman who deserves specific praise. He acts like a true member of our team. He thinks critically about our business, vision, challenges, and plans, and he works collaboratively with us to push our team forward. This level of care is extraordinary and hard to find, and we are very grateful. Combined with his level of knowledge in the industry, he has been an invaluable asset and team member.’
Key clients
American Bankers Association
Arca Funds
BHG Money (formerly Bankers Healthcare Group)
Bessemer Venture Partners
Binfinity
Capital One
Chainalysis Inc
CoinRoutes
Divvy
Elevate Credit
Experian
Galaxy Digital
Ideanomics
Inter-American Investment Corporation and Inter-American Development Bank)
Launch Capital LLC
Moody’s
Ness Well
Ocrolus
OpenInvest
Percapita Group
Signature Bank
SoftBank
Temasek
Upside, Inc.
Webster Bank
XBTO Trading
Work highlights
- Providing regulatory and transactional support to Percapita, a mission-driven emerging company, in structuring lending and payment products and services (e.g., deposit accounts, earned wage access products and a rewards-based credit card).
- Represented NakedWines in an investigation by a task force of California District Attorneys concerning alleged violations of California’s Auto-Renewal law.
- Advised Non-fungible Technologies, Inc. (NFTech), a company that enables the financialization of non-fungible assets, commonly referred to as non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, via a blockchain-enabled protocol, in the completion of its Series A financing.
United States > Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (full coverage) Tier 2
Morrison Foerster‘s intellectual property litigation practice combines patent counseling with litigious prowess, providing clients with an integrated global service. The firm continues to expand, opening an office in Austin in 2022, while the acquisition of litigation boutique Durie Tangri LLP, led by standout figure Daralyn Durie, further strengthened the team. The group has strengths across all sectors, particularly in life sciences and tech, and has recently secured one of the largest settlements awarded in a life sciences patent case for Chugai. Notably, the team has also secured victories for Seagen Inc, Spotify, VMware, Xilinx, Target, and Intel Corporation. Richard Hung in San Francisco leads the team alongside Bita Rahebi in Los Angeles and Mark Whitaker in Washington DC. Michael Jacobs, based in San Francisco, is another key figure in the team.Practice head(s):
Richard Hung; Bita Rahebi; Mark Whitaker
Other key lawyers:
Michael Jacobs; Arturo González; Matthew Kreeger; Alex Yap; Daralyn Durie
Testimonials
‘One of the top patent litigation firms in the country. The go to firm if one needs to take the case to trial and win. Unlike many top-tier firms where the whole firm has only one-star trial attorney, Morrison & Foerster has multiple top-notch trial attorneys. It is also one of the few firms that can effectively scale and conduct multi-jurisdiction litigation efficiently.’
‘Richard Hung is a pragmatic litigator who is focused on delivering strategic business leverage for his clients, at the same time he is innovative and proactive in his litigation approach. Rich has been my outside counsel at three different companies over the past 15 years. He has never overstaffed his teams and the teams are always well balanced with deep subject matter expertise.’
‘Bita Rahebi is a go-to resource for all patent litigation matters, including other intellectual property litigation.’
‘Richard Hung is clearly an expert in his field and is aggressive in his representation of clients against patent trolls.’
‘The firm is a preferred firm for complicated litigation with a lot of moving parts and many possible strategic paths. Their completeness of thought/analysis gives comfort that all the issues are well analyzed before choosing a strategy or direction
‘My primary interactions are with Richard Hung. Other interactions are with Artuoro Gonzales, Michael Jacobs, Bita Rahebi, Matthew Kreeger, and Alex Yap.’
‘Richard Hung possesses the rare combination of technical excellence and unsurpassed legal knowledge that enables him to both prepare a team leading up to trial as well as serve as the lead at trial. He also possesses the ability to correctly calibrate a legal strategy depending on the perceived impact and risk to a client’s business and then properly staff a team for the matter in accordance with that calibration. He continues to shine as a leader of the MoFo IP litigation team.’
Key clients
Celanese International Corporation
Cimarex Energy Co.
Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.
Seagen
Palo Alto Networks
Renesas Electronics
Spotify
Target
Driscoll’s, Inc.
VMware
Lululemon USA Inc.
Virtru Corporation
ARM Ltd. (owned by Softbank)
Malvern Panalytical, Inc.
Intel Corporation
SolarWinds
Teradata
Walmart
Work highlights
- Represented Chugai Pharmaceutical Co in a $775 million patent litigation settlement.
- Represented Seagen in securing a $41.8 million verdict in a patent infringement trial in the Eastern District of Texas.
- Represented VMware in an ongoing high-profile patent infringement lawsuit involving virtual system optimization software filed by Cirba Inc. and Cirba IP in the U.S. District Court of Delaware.
United States > Media, technology and telecoms > Technology transactions Tier 2
Morrison Foerster has an all-encompassing technology practice with a good track record for representing global clients on cross-border transactions. Patent and technology licensing and acquisitions feature prominently on the agenda, as does advice on joint ventures and development projects, outsourcing, strategic alliances, and distribution and supply agreements. The team also has good credentials for support on related M&A and private equity work, and is noted for its strong portfolio of Asia-based technology clients. Aaron Rubin leads the team from the well-stocked San Francisco office, which also includes Tessa Schwartz , William Schwartz, Justin Haan and firm chair and corporate partner Eric McCrath. Other key partners include Stephanie Sharron and Daphne Higgs in Silicon Valley, Vivian Hanson in New York and Matthew Karlyn in Boston.Practice head(s):
Aaron Rubin
Other key lawyers:
Vivian Hanson; Stephanie Sharron; Tessa Schwartz; William Schwartz; Eric McCrath; Justin Haan; Daphne Higgs
Key clients
Autodesk
BOOK Token
eBay
Gemini Trust
onsemi
Salesforce
SoftBank
Uber Technologies
Unity Software
VMware
Work highlights
- Advised Unity, a leading platform for creating and operating interactive, real-time 3D (RT3D) content, in connection with its approximately $4.4 billion acquisition of ironSource, a leading mobile content and business platform.
- Represented SoftBank Group and SoftBank Vision Fund in the proposed $65 billion sale of UK-headquartered multinational semiconductor and software design company Arm Limited to U.S. chip company NVIDIA.
- Advised Endurance Acquisition Corp. on its $813 million combination with SatixFy Communications Ltd., an Israeli vertically integrated fabless semiconductor chip company for next-generation satellite communication systems.
United States > Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers Tier 3
Arturo González – Morrison Foerster. Based in the firm’s San Francisco office, Arturo González represents both plaintiffs and defendants in a broad range of litigation including commercial, class actions and mass torts, patents, and trade secrets. The last year has seen Gonzáles heavily active once again, winning a summary judgment on behalf of technology company Lime in a highly contested breach of contract action, as well as representing a number of former Wisk Aero employees in a high-profile trade secret misappropriation case.United States > Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: pharmaceuticals and medical devices Tier 3
Leveraging broad-based overarching life sciences prowess, which includes litigation, regulatory and patents expertise, Morrison Foerster is a popular choice among pharma and medical devices manufacturers, handling work throughout the product life cycle. Most of the firm’s strength in the sector is centered around its West coast offices, with San Diego-based partner Erin Bosman regularly acting as national coordinating and trial counsel in life sciences class action cases, including her ongoing work for MicroPort Orthopedics, both nationally and throughout Europe, in product liability cases relating to alleging injuries from hip or knee replacement implants. Leveraging significant private practice experience, as well as strong technical understanding she developed in her previous role as a medicinal chemist at Pfizer, ‘exceptional’ San Diego-based partner Julie Park has excellent credibility with clients in the sector. New York-based partner David Fioccola co-heads the class actions and mass torts team alongside Bosman.Practice head(s):
Erin Bosman; David Fioccola
Other key lawyers:
Julie Park; Tiffany Cheung; Purvi Patel; Alexis Amezcua; William Tarantino; Grant Esposito; Jessica Grant; Alexandra Barlow
Testimonials
‘This is an exceptional team that has deep domain experience, is highly strategic and doesn’t ever miss a detail. The team works exceptionally well together and is well balanced in knowledge and capabilities.’
‘Erin Bosman is at the top of the ticket and is one of the finest attorneys I have ever known. She is an outstanding strategist, knows the law and has exceptional oral and written communication skills.’
‘The exceptional Julie Park is quite adept at managing a case and client role relationships.’
Key clients
Etsy
McKesson Corporation
MicroPort Orthopedics Inc.
Northrop Grumman
Prelude Fertility, Inc.
Unilever
Work highlights
- Representing McKesson in MDL and state court proceedings comprising thousands of cases arising out of plaintiffs’ allegations that they suffered permanent hair loss after being treated for breast cancer with Taxotere.
- Representing MicroPort Orthopedics in dozens of product liability cases pending around the country alleging injuries from hip or knee replacement implants.
- Representing Prelude and Pacific MSO in a class action resulting in arbitration proceedings involving 200 households.
United States > Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: toxic tort Tier 3
San Francisco-headquartered Morrison Foerster is particularly effective at helping clients navigate the onerous legal and regulatory burdens facing them as a result of California’s position as an environmental standard bearer. The state’s Proposition 65 law accounts for much of the work flow, both from a compliance as well as litigation perspective. Indeed, the firm has over the years secured a number of high-profile successes in enforcement actions brought under the Act, including the only unanimous Proposition 65 decision ever reached by the California Supreme Court. In San Francisco, William Tarantino has been central to much of this work, effectively liaising with regulators on behalf of his clients, as well as providing robust defense strategies in pursuant enforcement actions, in addition to private actions. San Diego-based Erin Bosman co-heads the class actions and mass torts group alongside New York-based partner David Fioccola .Practice head(s):
Erin Bosman; David Fioccola
Other key lawyers:
Julie Park; Tiffany Cheung; Purvi Patel; Alexis Amezcua; William Tarantino; Grant Esposito; Jessica Grant; Alexandra Preece Barlow; Krista deBoer;
Key clients
Etsy
McKesson Corporation
MicroPort Orthopedics Inc.
Northrop Grumman
Prelude Fertility, Inc.
Thinx Inc.
Unilever
Work highlights
- Advising Northrop Grumman in its $1bn+ environmental and toxic tort litigation alleging personal injury and property damage claims from alleged environmental contamination in Bethpage, New York arising from work during WWII building fighter planes for the Navy.
- Representing McKesson in multidistrict litigation and state court proceedings comprising thousands of cases arising out of plaintiffs’ allegations that they suffered permanent hair loss after being treated for breast cancer with Taxotere.
- Representing Clorox Company in relation to highly publicized claims that the Clorox-owned prenatal vitamins contained excessive levels of heavy metals.
United States > Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense Tier 3
Morrison Foerster has experienced securities litigators across the country handling class actions, derivative cases, merger-related matters and SEC investigations. Jordan Eth San Francisco leads the securities litigation, enforcement, and white-collar defense group along with co-chair of the fintech and cryptocurrency task force Haimavathi Marlier in New York and co-head of the FCPA and global anti-corruption practice James Koukios in Washington DC. Eth is ‘a superstar with actual trial experience, who is even-handed, calm and very direct’. In San Francisco, Anna Erickson White ‘advises with confidence and ease on difficult issues and decisions throughout the litigation process’. She is handling parallel securities class actions for enterprise data platform company Cloudera, Inc., concerning statements about its products’ cloud capabilities and its merger with its former rival, Hortonworks. Jamie Levitt and Michael Birnbaum in New York also play key roles in the practice. Joel Haims and Mark Foster have left the firm.Practice head(s):
Jordan Eth; Haimavathi Marlier; James Koukios
Other key lawyers:
Anna Erickson White; Ryan Keats; Jamie Levitt; Michael Birnbaum
Testimonials
‘We’re fortunate to be working with an incredibly smart, experienced and responsive team of securities litigators at MoFo. They help us navigate complex issues in a strategic and pragmatic fashion with the highest level of professionalism. With their guidance, we’ve been able to achieve great results in challenging litigation matters.’
‘Anna Erickson White’s many years of experience in complex securities litigation shines through in her work. She advises with confidence and ease on difficult issues and decisions throughout the litigation process, always keeping us timely apprised and well-informed of developments, issues and strategy options. With Anna, we know we are getting “best in class” representation.’
‘Ryan Keats has been a key member of our team at MoFo, always both highly responsive and proactive in our matters. He keeps us well-informed and prepared at all stages of litigation and does so with the highest level of professionalism.’
‘MoFo fields a competent and capable team in support of litigation.’
‘Jordan Eth is a superstar. He has actual trial experience – extremely rare in securities litigation. He is even-handed, calm and very direct. Very helpful in cutting through the noise with board members.’
Key clients
Acer Therapeutics Inc.
Amazon.com, Inc.
BlackBerry Limited and its former CEO, CFO, and CLO
Cabaletta Bio, Inc.
Cloudera, Inc.
Farmland Partners Inc. and its CEO and CFO
Farmland Partners Inc.
Goldman Sachs and Citigroup
Launch Capital LLC
Monster Beverage Corporation
Oracle Corporation
Pivotal Software Inc.
Precision Castparts Corp.
TP ICAP
Vidul Prakash, former CFO of View, Inc.
Work highlights
- Advised Farmland Partners, Inc., its CEO, Paul Pittman, and President, Luca Fabbri in a long-running federal securities fraud class action which led to our client winning a summary judgment.
- Defending BlackBerry Limited, and certain of its former officers, in consolidated securities fraud class actions pending in the Southern District of New York relating to statements that BlackBerry and its officers made about the launch of BlackBerry 10 devices in the first part of 2013, and BlackBerry’s accounting for revenues and inventory associated with those devices.
- Representing Pivotal and its executives in federal and state securities litigation matters. The plaintiffs alleged that Pivotal misled investors about the capabilities of its software products and sales projections before its IPO.
United States > Energy > Renewable/alternative power Tier 4
United States > Environment > Environment: litigation Tier 4
Under the leadership of William Tarantino, Morrison Foerster’s environmental litigation practice has a strong track record in environmental remediation litigation and related class action lawsuits. It is often involved in superfund cases and represents clients before California’s administrative agencies and in state and federal courts. Proposition 65 is another key area of focus, and the practice has been handling these cases for 25 years. Tarantino is experienced in contentious matters pertaining to hazardous substances, mass torts, and consumer product safety and is supported by Erin Bosman, who has similar experience and also handles class actions. Named attorneys are based in San Francisco.Practice head(s):
William Tarantino
Other key lawyers:
Erin Bosman; Grant Esposito
Key clients
Mars, Inc.
Commerce Trust Company, as trustee of Seven Springs Limited Partnership
Clearwater Seafoods
C&D Technologies Inc.
Clorox Company
Etsy, Inc.
Norcal Harvesting LLC
Northrop Grumman
Mexilink, Inc.
Zinzino AB
Work highlights
- Advising Northrop Grumman in environmental and toxic tort litigation, including a putative class action and approximately 20 mass tort matters, seeking in excess of $1bn.
- Represented Commerce Trust Company, as trustee of Seven Springs Limited Partnership, for over ten years in connection with an investigation and cleanup of trichloroethylene (PCE) contamination at a former laundromat in South Lake Tahoe, California.
- Represented C&D Technologies in a complex, 10-year multi-party environmental remediation litigation brought by the Orange County Water District seeking remediation of a regional plume of volatile organics.
United States > Environment > Environment: regulatory Tier 4
Under the leadership of San Francisco’s William Tarantino and Susan Mac Cormac, the environmental group at Morrison Foerster handles regulatory issues and contentious matters. By virtue of its west coast presence, the practice has considerable experience of dealing with regulatory authorities in California and is particularly active in the manufacturing, utilities, alternative energy, transportation and real estate sectors. It offers clients strong expertise in compliance programs, emergency responses and consumer products law.Practice head(s):
William Tarantino; Susan Mac Cormac
Key clients
Mars, Inc.
Commerce Trust Company, as trustee of Seven Springs Limited Partnership
Clearwater Seafoods
C&D Technologies Inc.
Clorox Company
Etsy, Inc.
Norcal Harvesting LLC
Northrop Grumman
Mexilink, Inc.
Zinzino AB
Work highlights
- Advising Northrop Grumman in environmental and toxic tort litigation, including a putative class action and approximately 20 mass tort matters, seeking in excess of $1bn.
- Represented Commerce Trust Company, as trustee of Seven Springs Limited Partnership, for over ten years in connection with an investigation and cleanup of trichloroethylene (PCE) contamination at a former laundromat in South Lake Tahoe, California.
- Represented C&D Technologies, a market-leading producer of power conversion and storage of electrical power products, in complex, 10-year multi-party environmental remediation litigation brought by the Orange County Water District seeking remediation of a regional plume of volatile organics.
United States > Tax > International tax Tier 5
Morrison Foerster handles tax matters related to sovereign investors, wealth funds, public sector pension plans and other state-owned institutions. The firm has experience in advising both issuer and large financial institution clients on a broad range of capital market transactions, derivatives and financial instruments. New York-based practice head Anthony Carbone focuses on tax planning strategies for business, investment and capital market transactions. Babak Nikravesh left for Greenberg Traurig LLP in September 2023.Practice head(s):
Anthony Carbone
Other key lawyers:
Shane Shelley
Testimonials
‘The team is extremely knowledgeable and very focused on solving problems. They focus their efforts on listening to the clients tax objectives and finding the most tax efficient solution.’
‘Shane Shelley is one of the brightest tax minds I have worked with in my career. Most tax attorneys are either good with technical tax matters or commercial application of the rules. Shane excels at both. He has the rare ability to simultaneously think like a tax expert and a business leader. That unique combination of skills provides his client with a very efficient process and a very commercial outcome.’
Key clients
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec
Cambridge Quantum
Investment Management Corporation of Ontario
New Zealand Superannuation Fund
Sjätte AP-Fonden
SoftBank Group Corp
Unity Technologies
Work highlights
- Advised Queensland Investment Corporation in relation to its investment in Transformation Capital Fund III.
- Advised Swedish public pension fund Sjätte AP-Fonden in connection with multiple fund and investment opportunities.
- Represented SoftBank Group Corp. and SoftBank Vision Fund in the proposed $65 billion sale of Arm Limited to U.S. chip company NVIDIA.
United States > Intellectual property > Copyright
United States > Intellectual property > Patents: prosecution (including re-examination and post-grant proceedings)
Morrison Foerster‘s ‘diverse’ team has experience in advising its clients on the full spectrum of patent counseling and prosecution services, with a significant focus on and expertise in related life sciences work for such well-known biotech organisations such as Genentech. It has bases across the country, with key name Jonathan Bockman heading the Washington DC team. The team is headed by specialist in crop protection and plant IP Michael Ward, who works from both San Francisco and Boston respectively. Palo Alto’s Catherine Polizzi leads on many of the team’s most significant matters and is noted as being ‘exceptional in her knowledge of complicated biopharmaceutical technologies’. Palo Alto’s Janet Xiao is described as ‘excellent’.Practice head(s):
Michael Ward
Other key lawyers:
Catherine Polizzi; Jonathan Bockman; Karen Potter; Janet Xiao; John Chapman; Jie Zhou; Anita Choi
Testimonials
‘Catherine Polizzi is exceptional in her knowledge of complicated biopharmaceutical technologies, patent law and the value of intellectual property to the biopharmaceutical industry. One of the things I appreciate about Catherine is her demeanour – she treats her clients as peers, recognizing that she has knowledge and experience they do not and vice versa. This recognition of the client as a partner permeates the firm and results in the most fruitful collaborations.’
‘Anita Choi is extremely pragmatic and efficient and takes the time to get to know the technology in order to provide very surgical legal assistance as-and-when needed. We highly recommend Anita and are grateful for her collaboration with us.’
‘Catherine Polizzi and John Chapman stand out and have worked very closely with me on IP at different companies. Even when working on complex new methods, they’ve been successful at getting imorigant claims granted,’
‘An excellent legal team that is highly responsive and extremely competent. Particularly strong in the strategic planning of an IP portfolio and prosecution of patent office actions. They are a diverse group with women and people of color at all levels, which makes for a much more well-rounded practice. Billing is very conservative and accurate with no waste seen by our company at all.’
‘The Morrison Foerster team has great breadth of knowledge regarding patent prosecution, both in and outside the US. They are well acquainted with the minutiae of patent practice in countless jurisdictions. The team includes partners, associates, and technical advisors, and each individual brings unique skills, experience, and expertise to our matters.’
‘Janet Xiao and her team are excellent. Everything runs very smoothly and thoroughly under Janet’s command. She understands the life sciences industry so I don’t waste time explaining commercial relevance of work we instruct. She and her team are also creative, deep thinkers.’
‘The team are collaborative, curious, and have relevant technology experience. I have appreciated having ease of communication with the team both from a technology perspective, and from a client relationship perspective. I have confidence that the team can competently handle IP matters ranging from a variety of technologies, which is not always the case when engaging with other law firms.’
‘Karen Potter impresses me by how knowledgeable she is about our IP portfolio, and the status, prioritization, and business objectives of each of our matters. She manages a talented group of IP practitioners, who have a variety of experience and expertise. She is communicative, honest, and curious about the technologies she helps us protect.’
Key clients
10x Genomics
Abraxis Bioscience
Aimmune Therapeutics
Ally Bridge Group
Alpine Immune Sciences
Aspen Neuroscience
Bayer
Benson Hill
Bristol-Myers Squibb; Juno Therapeutics and Celgene (acquired by BMS)
California Table Grape Commission
Cartography Biosciences
Cartography Biosciences
CG Oncology, Inc.
Cornell University
Cytokinetics
Dewpoint Therapeutics
Driscoll’s
Dynavax Technologies
Enza Zaden
Eureka Therapeutics, Inc.
Genentech
Gilead Sciences
Hofseth Biocare
Inari
Indapta Therapeutics
Invaio
Johnson & Johnson
Juno Therapeutics
Lyndra Therapeutics
Magic Leap, Inc.
Maze Therapeutics
Pillar Biosciences
Pliant Therapeutics
Praxis Biotech
Santen Pharmaceutical Co.
Seagen
SNIPR Biome
SoFresh
Terviva
Triastek, Inc.
Tropic Biosciences
Work highlights
- Providing strategic patent counseling and prosecution services to Genentech, developing the company’s strategy for its multibillion-dollar portfolios, including blockbuster cancer drugs Kadcyla, Perjeta, Gazyva, and Tecentriq.
- Acting as counsel to Driscoll on vital patent strategy that keeps the company at the top of the ultra-competitive berry market, representing them in a dispute with California Berry Cultivars regarding strawberry breeding and plant patent rights.
- Representing Ally Bridge Group, a global healthcare investment management firm focused on high-impact life science innovation, since its inception to conduct IP due diligence on its investment deals.
United States > Intellectual property > Trade secrets (litigation and non-contentious matters)
The team at Morrison Foerster, noted for its ‘deep knowledge and real experience’ of trade secrets, has global intellectual litigation co-chairs San Francisco-based Richard Hung, LA-based Bita Rahebi and Washington DC’s Mark Whitaker, alongside trade secrets group co-leads Kenneth Kuwayti and Bryan Wilson ,who both work from the Palo Alto office, at its helm. January 2023 marked the merging of the firm with Durie Tangri LLP, which resulted in the significant additions to the San Francisco office of partner and specialist technology and life sciences litigator Daralyn Durie; experienced trade secrets attorney with a strong client portfolio Ragesh Tangri; experienced high-stakes litigator with a technology focus Tim Saulsbury; Eugene Novikov who has experience in relevant technology, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical companies cases; and Eric Wiener who is experienced in representing high-profile clients in high-value cases. The team has particular expertise in technology-related high-stakes work across industry sectors for renowned clients, notably representing Walmart in a matter concerning the alleged misappropriation of technology used for Walmart Pay.Practice head(s):
Richard Hung; Bita Rahebi; Mark Whitaker; Kenneth Kuwayti; Bryan Wilson
Other key lawyers:
Arturo González; Eric Tate; Daralyn Durie; Ragesh Tangri; Tim Saulsbury; Eugene Novikov; Eric Wiener
Testimonials
‘Deep knowledge and real experience.’
‘Ken Kuwayti and Bryan Wilson are experts on the law, strategic, and expert in execution.’
Key clients
Archer Aviation
AROA Biosurgery Limited
National Institute of Aviation Research at Wichita State University (NIAR)
RoadSync Inc.
Snap-on, Inc.
Teradata Corp.
Walmart Inc.
Work highlights
- Defended the National Institute of Aviation Research successfully at Wichita State University (NIAR) in a trade secret case filed in the U.S. District Court for Southern District of California.
- Defending 17 former Wisk Aero (“Wisk”) employees who now work at Archer in a high-profile, bet-the-company trade secret misappropriation cases brought by Wisk.
- Representing Walmart in a case filed by Fintiv alleging the misappropriation of trade secrets relating to Walmart’s mobile payment technology, including Walmart Pay, one of the leading mobile payment applications in the United States.
United States > M&A/corporate and commercial > Venture capital and emerging companies
Morrison Foerster fields a ‘well resourced team that his highly proficient within their domains‘. The firm has established a long track record representing global investors and disruptive companies across a wide range of technology and life science sub-sectors. All stages of the investment journey are catered for, and the team has established particularly good connections with some of the market’s most active incubators, in addition to major global funds such as Softbank. Practice co-heads Murray Indick (‘more than a lawyer to our fund, he is a thought partner’) and Steve Rowles respectively lead the team from San Francisco and San Diego. Other key individuals include Silicon Valley-based Timothy Harris, praised for his ‘ability to quickly come up to speed in complex financing situations and add value immediately‘, and San Diego’s Jim Krenn, in whom clients have ‘100% trust‘. Susan Mac Cormac in San Francisco is noted for her energy and clean technology experience.Practice head(s):
Murray Indick; Steve Rowles
Other key lawyers:
Timothy Harris; Susan Mac Cormac; Jim Krenn
Testimonials
‘Timothy Harris is the primary attorney. Overall, Tim is fantastic and has become our preferred attorney, especially for deals involving high complexity, interpersonal sensitivity, and short timeframes. Tim has many strengths, but there are several that stand out. He has an ability to quickly come up to speed in complex financing situations and add value immediately, which we have rarely if ever seen matched by other attorneys that we work with.’
‘Well resourced team that his highly proficient within their domains. I’ve been particularly impressed with how the team has engaged with all levels of our company (analysts to CEO) as true partners to get the information needed to produce their work. They manage our case extremely well and have proven to be ahead of their peers when it comes to appreciation of the evolving commercial M&A and regulatory landscapes.’
‘Responsiveness, thoroughness of counsel, and the humanity of the team – particularly when it comes to “being there” during tough economic times or during other times of adversity.’
‘What keeps us with MoFo over the years is Jim Krenn and his team. I have 100% trust in him and I know that he will always provide me with the advice I need.’
‘The MoFo team – led in my case by Murray Indick – are top-notch lawyers and, more importantly, provide strategic and risk mitigating advice that goes well beyond paperwork. They are thought partners, and this is so valuable. With MoFo I have gotten the best of the best of legal services. I could not be happier.’
‘Murray Indick is more than a lawyer to our fund, he is a thought partner. And an indispensable one. Before working with Murray I thought lawyers completed paperwork/ did compliance but with Murray I get someone who is a mentor and thought leader for me in venture capital. I consult with him for any non-investing big structural decision and to mitigating long term existential risks to the business.’
‘The team is more than just a legal team, they understand how business is done in the start-up world, and what companies prioritize (speed & efficiency). They are also very good at leveraging legal tech for efficiency and encourage their clients to do so.’
‘Murray Indick (who we work with primarily) is a fantastic legal partner. He focuses on the core issues that we need to handle from a business perspective and is always trying to help us achieve our business objectives quickly & efficiently. He often recommends 3rd party providers who can do a better job at a lower cost in regulatory matters (which has worked out very well for us).’
Key clients
Verkada, Inc.
9am Health
Fever Labs
SpinLaunch
Fictiv
Creyon Bio
Carlsmed
SoftBank
Geneos Therapeutics
Foxen Holdings
Squadra Ventures
NextSense, Inc.
Moxion Power
Work highlights
- Advised Verkada, a technology company, in its $205 million Series D financing. The company is now valued at $3.20 billion.
- Advised SpinLaunch, a space technology company, in its $71 million Series B financing.
- Advised Fever in its $227 million Series E financing. The company is now valued at over $1 billion.
United States > M&A/corporate and commercial > Private equity buyouts: large deals ($500m+)
With a major private equity presence in the business hubs of New York and California, the team at Morrison Foerster is noted for its specialist knowledge across key industries including technology, food and agriculture, healthcare, and ADG. The practice also boasts standout experience in SPAC and de-SPAC transactions, PIPEs, and other creative investment models. In New York, Mitchell Presser leads the team and is a trusted advisor to MGG Investment Group, Freedom 3 capital, and Pain Schwartz partners. Also leading the team in San Francisco is Patrick Huard, who represents PE firms and their portfolio companies in public and private acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, and divestitures. Omar Pringle continues to develop his impressive practice in representing SoftBank Group, with the assistance of San Francisco-based ESG specialist Susan Mac Cormac , in a $9bn SPAC investment in WeWork’s merger with BowX. Aly El Hamamsy brings extensive experience in cross-border M&A and joint ventures, while Dario Avram advised Alpine Investors in its acquisition of Wilson Language Training. Joseph Sulzbach is a key up-and-coming name. Lawyers are located in New York unless stated otherwise.
Practice head(s):
Mitchell Presser; Patrick Huard
Other key lawyers:
Susan Mac Cormac; Aly El Hamamsy; Dario Avram; Joseph Sulzbach; Omar Pringle
Key clients
Aliment (formerly Pontifax Agtech)
Alpine Investors
Altamont Capital Partners
Antarctica Capital
Anzu Partners
Aqua Capital
Crescent Cove Advisors LP
DigiCert, Inc.
Doxim, Inc.
Emerson Collective
Fidelio Capital AB
Freedom 3 Capital, LLC
Generate Capital Inc
Generation Investment Management
GI Partners
Gryphon Investors
Huck Capital/Ventures
Macanta Investments
Main Post Partners
MGG Investment Group LP
Paine Schwartz Partners
Palladium Equity Partners
Presidio Investors
Pivotal Investment Corporation III
Pulse Agri Investments Ltd.
San Francisco Equity Partners
SoftBank Group Corp.
SoftBank Vision Fund
Silver Crest Acquisition Corporation
Tinicum L.P.
Tene Capital
Vector Capital
Verdane Capital Advisors
Vimian Group AB
Virgo Investment Group
Work highlights
- Advised SoftBank Group Corp. and SoftBank Vision Fund in the proposed $65 billion sale of UK-headquartered multinational semiconductor and software design company Arm Limited to leading U.S. chip company NVIDIA.
- Advised Main Post Partners in connection with the acquisitions of Total Label USA, LLC, provider of complex pressure sensitive, extended content and booklet labels utilizing flexographic, letterpress, digital and hybrid printing technologies.
- Advised private equity firm Tinicum and its portfolio company TSL Engineered Products in connection with the sale of Advantek, a leading provider of highly engineered carrier tape and associated protective packaging products, to Cornell Capital.
United States > M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: large deals ($1bn+)
Bringing together ‘sophisticated, world-class M&A lawyers with a deep bench of technology experience‘, Morrison Foerster is especially well positioned to handle major deals in the tech space, but also excels in M&A involving the food, automotive, industrial, life sciences and financial services sectors. With deep California roots, the firm is a go-to destination for tech giants and Silicon Valley-based work with Brandon Parris in San Francisco leading on M&A, hostile takeovers and spin-offs for regional and global clients. In the same office, chair Eric McCrath is a prolific dealmaker who handles a mix of private and public M&A in the tech, media, gaming and consumer products sectors. The New York office also fields a dedicated team of M&A and private equity lawyers overseen by Spencer Klein, who has successfully closed numerous mergers, asset acquisitions and divestitures. Managing partner of the Miami office Randy Bullard is widely recognized for his cross-border capabilities. The firm recently expanded into Texas with the opening of its Austin office and arrival of corporate partner Steve Tyndall from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP in March 2022.Practice head(s):
Spencer Klein; Brandon Parris
Other key lawyers:
Eric McCrath; Mitchell Presser; Omar Pringle; Joseph Sulzbach; Teresa Tate; Steve Tyndall; Randy Bullard
Testimonials
‘They are extremely close to clients and go the extra mile to provide business-oriented and precise advice.’
‘Randy Bullard – great sector and negotiation skills.’
‘MoFo’s team combines sophisticated, world-class M&A lawyers with a deep bench of technology experience that is unique in the market.’
‘Randy Bullard has decades of experience negotiating complex cross border transactions with a tech focus. He is my go-to counsel for LatAm transactions with a tech focus.’
‘I’ve primarily worked with MOFO in the casino gaming M&A space. They are efficient and have a best in class knowledge of their clients and their clients’ industry. They intuitively understand the issues that drive deals and their clients’ decision-making process. This leads to an extremely high success rate in terms of not only completed deals, but also deals that are accretive in the long term.’
‘I’ve worked primarily with Brandon Parris. Simply put, he drives successful deals through an efficient, pragmatic approach that combines best in class legal and industry knowledge with a fundamental understanding of clients. This guidance empowers smart business decision-making.’’
‘MoFo excels in the ability to bring solutions to a variety of topics that usually appear in the context of large M&As. The firm navigates from corporate to tax, from labor to regulatory which, indeed, allow the General Counsel to have a clear visibility on what are the options and risks associated with each decision.’
‘Randy Bullard is certainly the best in class partner at MoFo. Randy is a very senior partner who can advise on multiple matters and spot issues that were not foreseen by other partners.’
Key clients
Alpine Investors
ATN International
Autodesk
Axalta Coating Systems
Bow River Capital
Boyd Gaming
eBay
Fidelio Capital AB
Fremont Macanta
Gemini Trust
Greenlane Holdings
Kahoot!
Kamakura
LiveKindly
MGG Investment Group LP
onsemi
Paine Schwartz Partners
Rubicon Technology Partners
Santen Pharma
Sigma Defense Systems
SoftBank
Southwest Gas
Special New Fruit Licensing
Tene Capital
Tinicum L.P.
Trailhead Capital
Unity Technologies
Upland Software
Vimian Group AB
Work highlights
- Advised Unity Software Inc. in connection with the definitive agreement under which ironSource will merge into a wholly owned subsidiary of Unity via an all-stock deal.
- Advised Silver Crest Acquisition Corporation, a publicly traded SPAC backed by an Asia-based private equity firm, on its $1.4bn business combination with TH International Limited.
- Represented SoftBank Group Corp. and SoftBank Vision Fund in the proposed $65bn sale of UK-headquartered multinational semiconductor and software design company Arm Limited to leading U.S. chip company NVIDIA.
United States > Media, technology and telecoms > Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection)
Morrison Foerster specializes in global privacy compliance advice, involving cross-border transfers of data, localizations of data and security issues concerning large-scale outsourcing transactions, as well as data breach class actions. Team head and New York-based Miriam Wugmeister assists international companies with multinational compliance and data security incidents, often co-leading breach preparedness and incident responses to cyber-attacks with San Francisco-stationed Alex Iftimie. Regulatory and compliance matters for a range of clients in the media, retail and entertainment industries forms part of Kristen Mathews practice in New York, while Boston-based Julie O’Neill is the name for intersecting privacy and consumer protection law issues as well as privacy matters concerning cutting edge technology. Likewise, New York-based Marian Waldmann Agarwal advises clients on the impacts of existing and upcoming AI regulation and the Schrems II decision. Privacy litigator Tiffany Cheung, who works in the San Francisco office, defends various media and entertainment companies against BIPA and VPPA putative class actions. From the Los Angeles office Purvi Patel adds a dimension to the practice, defending clients against collection, use and disclosure of personal information claims. Washington DC-stationed Melissa Crespo offers a niche practice, routinely advising healthcare sector clients on privacy and cyber incident responses.Practice head(s):
Miriam Wugmeister
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Julie O’Neill is fantastic. She is detailed and thorough and her guidance has always been exceptional. She provided very practicable and executable guidance. I would recommend her to others in need of privacy advice.’
‘Alex Iftimie was great. Very personable, accessible and knowledgeable.’
‘Kristen Mathews stands out as one of the most skilled and competent lawyers we have ever worked with. She is unmatched among any cyber law lawyer and collaborates deftly across teams.’
‘Kristen Mathews is a tremendous support. She spends a great deal of effort investing in successful solutions for my business.’
‘Alex Iftimie has a unique understanding of how to navigate difficult external contact points in a cyber incident.’
‘This team offers an excellent diversity in skill sets, knowledge base, and the associates are extremely capable. This allows a one-stop solution. ‘
‘The firm truly work to understand the business and its needs and feel much more like colleagues than outside counsel.’
‘Excellent cyber team! Very informed and a good grasp of global matters.’
Key clients
adidas
American Bankers Association
Ally Bridge Group (HK) Limited
Bumble
Carlos Lopez & Associates, LLC
Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Line Corporation
Pfizer
Prudential
Salesforce
Samsonite
Snap-on, Inc.
Target
Unity Technologies
Warner Music Group
Work highlights
- Representing Bumble Inc. and certain of its affiliates in five high-profile privacy class actions related to two popular dating apps, Bumble and Badoo.
- Representing Warner Music Group in 10 data breach class actions filed in California and New York.
- Advising American Bankers Association on privacy issues.
United States > Media, technology and telecoms > Telecoms and broadcast: transactions
United States > Media, technology and telecoms > Advertising and marketing: litigation
Morrison Foerster has a nationally focused advertising practice, focusing primarily on the technology, retail, and food and beverage sectors. It handles a range of lawsuits relating to deceptive or false advertising claims, with California’s False Advertising Law, the California Consumers Legal Remedies Act, and the Lanham Act being areas of particular expertise for the firm. Also of note is the firm’s capabilities in TCPA class action litigations. Erin Bosman, who is based between San Diego and San Fransisco, co-heads the team alongside David Fioccola, based in New York. In San Fransisco, Tiffany Cheung is noted for her expertise in class action litigations relating to marketing claims, while Claudia Vetesi specializes in advertising and litigation matters in the food and beverage industry, including those involving class action lawsuits. Meanwhile, Los Angeles-based Purvi Patel has significant experience handling CCPA-related litigation and compliance matters.Practice head(s):
Erin Bosman; David Fioccola
Other key lawyers:
Key clients
McKesson
Evolve Biosystems, Inc
Nature’s Path
Bumble Inc.
Chobani
Mexilink
Unilever
Premier Nutrition Corp.
Suja Green Juice
Work highlights
- Successfully represented McKesson in a Telephone Consumer Protection Act fax case in the northern district of California.
- Representing Nature’s Path in a class action lawsuit regarding alleged false advertising relating to protein claims on various plant-based food products.
- Advising Evolve Biosystems and the Regents of the University of California in their litigation against Abbott Laboratories in the northern district of Illinois in a dispute relating to three patents on novel infant probiotic supplements and false advertising claims.
United States > Media, technology and telecoms > Outsourcing
With a US-wide and strong global reach, Morrison Foerster works on outsourcing mandates, including a wide range of cross-border matters. The group also frequently works on global ERP deployments, banking as a service and facilities management outsourcing mandates. Chair of the sourcing practice, Vivian Hanson, in New York, works on multijurisdictional intersecting IT and intellectual property matters across a variety of industries, including financial services and life sciences. Experienced senior of counsel Joan Warrington is a key contact for clients in the retail financial services seeking advice on payment processing and merchant services arrangements. San Francisco-stationed Aaron Rubin, chair of the tech transactions group, assists established and emerging tech-driven companies, namely SaaS, cloud computing, AR, AI and e-commerce clients. Matthew Karlyn, in Boston, is the go-to for clients in the life sciences space. Anthony Ramirez is a name to note for outsourcing transactions involving software development, machine learning and cloud-based technology.Practice head(s):
Vivian Hanson
Other key lawyers:
United States > Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional
Morrison Foersterbenefits from in-depth expertise of negotiating on fiduciary aspects of investments by pension plans and non-qualified retirement benefits. The team’s roster of clients includes companies across the healthcare, technology, and private equity space, who approach the firm for advice on compensation and benefits aspects of cross-border M&A. From New York, Domnick Bozzetti leads the group, regularly working with public companies in preparing executive compensation disclosures for annual proxy statements and IPOs. Joshua Lerner is also New York-based, focusing on executive compensation issues arising in corporate transactions and restructurings, having joined from McDermott Will & Emery LLP in May 2022. Counsel Brooke Monahan operates out of Phoenix, handling employment law matters, and associates Yuan Xia and John O’Neill are key names in the San Francisco office.Practice head(s):
Domnick Bozzetti
Other key lawyers:
Marvin Swift; Joshua Lerner; Brooke Monahan; Yuan Xia; John O’Neill; Olivia Stitz
Key clients
SoftBank Group
eBay
onsemi
Grant Thornton LLP
RH
ARM Limited
Visa
Vonage
Dunn & Bradstreet
Fannie Mae
GLP
Southwest Gas
Alpine Investors
Work highlights
- Represented SoftBank Group Corp in connection with executive compensation aspects of WeWork’s $9 billion merger with BowX Acquisition Corp.
- Advised Grant Thornton LLP on the executive compensation aspects of the sale of its Public Sector Advisory practice to Guidehouse.
United States > Antitrust > Cartel
With a client roster that includes major corporations and individuals from the healthcare, tech, and financial services sectors, Morrison Foerster offers strong in-house experience from governmental agencies, with team co-chair Lisa Phelan‘s lengthy tenure as a senior DOJ enforcer standing out as a notable example. Phelan, a leading authority in criminal antitrust matters, takes the lead on major criminal investigations and litigation, representing multinational clients in high-profile international cartel actions. David Cross is another key litigator with a focus on monopolization and price-fixing matters. Co-chair Alexander Okuliar and David Shaw also have significant in-house experience from the Antitrust Division, specializing in civil enforcement and government-facing antitrust matters, respectively, while Megan Gerking leverages her experience as a DOJ trial lawyer to successfully represent healthcare and energy companies in criminal antitrust investigations. Eliot Adelson, based in San Francisco, focuses on cross-border cartel work, while Bonnie Lau, also in San Francisco, is an active litigator with an emphasis on multidistrict litigations. Unless otherwise stated, all lawyers are based in Washington DC.Practice head(s):
Alexander Okuliar; Lisa Phelan
Other key lawyers:
Key clients
Target
UPS
Salesforce
Tencent Holdings Limited
Clorox
Etsy
Unity Software
Axalta Coating Systems
Matsuo Electric Co, Ltd.
McGrath RentCorp
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals
SoundCloud
ON Semiconductor
DSP Group, Inc.
ShowingTime.com
Teradata
SoftBank Group Corp. & Arm Limited
Nexstar Media Group, Inc
Ceres
Tiz Inc. d/b/a Provi
Tractable.ai
Restoration Hardware
Fujitsu
Work highlights
- Representing Provi in an antitrust case filed in the federal district court in Illinois that alleges Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits and Republic National Distributing Company have conspired in a group boycott and monopolization to eliminate competition.
- Representing Nexstar Media Group, Inc in an antitrust investigation by the DOJ and follow-on class action litigation related to the broadcast television spot advertisement market.
- Representing Matsuo Electric Co in its defense of a price-fixing cartel class action.
United States > Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense
The team at Morrison Foerster is principally known for its experience in defending clients in litigation concerning Sherman Act price-fixing and monopolisation claims particularly in the tech and life sciences space, and is increasingly advising digital platforms on antitrust matters such as algorithmic pricing systems. The team is jointly headed up by Washington DC-based Alexander Okuliar who represents clients in competition advocacy and litigation and Lisa Phelan, a criminal investigations, litigation and enforcement specialist. Also in DC is trial lawyer David Cross and Mary Kaiser, who represents domestic and multinational companies in a range of antitrust and competition matters including IP-related claims, class actions and other complex litigation. Situated in the firm’s San Francisco hub are Eliot Adelson and expert in antitrust litigation Bonnie Lau, who has extensive experience defending class actions, multidistrict litigation in a range of industries including tech, financial services and manufacturing.Practice head(s):
Alexander Okuliar; Lisa Phelan
Other key lawyers:
David Cross; Mary Kaiser; Eliot Adelson; Bonnie Lau; Megan Gerking; Michael Miller; Natalie Fleming Nolen
Key clients
Target
UPS
Salesforce
Tencent Holdings Limited
Clorox
Etsy
Unity Software
Axalta Coating Systems
Matsuo Electric Co, Ltd.
McGrath RentCorp
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals
SoundCloud
ON Semiconductor
DSP Group, Inc.
ShowingTime.com
Teradata
SoftBank Group Corp. & Arm Limited
Former CEO of G4S
Nexstar Media Group, Inc
Ceres
Tiz Inc. d/b/a Provi
Tractable.ai
Restoration Hardware
Fujitsu
Work highlights
- Representing Provi in an antitrust case filed in the federal district court in Illinois that alleges Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits and Republic National Distributing Company have conspired in a group boycott and monopolization to eliminate competition.
- Representing Nexstar Media Group, Inc in an antitrust investigation by the DOJ and follow-on class action litigation related to the broadcast television spot advertisement market.
- Representing Matsuo Electric Co., Ltd in its defense of a price-fixing cartel class action.
United States > Dispute resolution > International litigation
Morrison Foerster draws on expertise across practice areas including intellectual property, antitrust, white collar and class action defense. The team, co-chaired by Christine Wong and Bradley Wine based in San Francisco and Austin respectively, has acted on a range of litigation matters involving injunctions, product liability, patent and copyright infringement cases, as well as antitrust violations, with a focus in jurisdictions across Asia. Technology and life sciences are sectors of expertise for the team. Nathaniel Mendell joined the firm from the US Attorney’s Office in early 2022.Practice head(s):
Christine Wong; Bradley Wine
Other key lawyers:
Key clients
Snap-on, Inc.
Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd
Teradata
MicroPort Orthopedics Inc.
Matsuo Electric Co, Ltd.
Murata Manufacturing
BlackBerry Limited
TP ICAP
Celanese International Corporation
ARM Ltd.
Former CEO of G4S
Fujitsu America, Inc.
United States > Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense
With a ‘very deep bench of former government attorneys’, Morrison Foerster stands out for its broad white-collar practice, which includes a number of former high-ranking government officials and federal prosecutors. Among the firm’s areas of expertise are securities fraud, insider trading, and FCPA violations alongside digital currency fraud and antitrust violations. New York-based Carrie Cohen and Ruti Smithline regularly advise clients on cross-border issues and government-facing investigations. In Washington DC, Charles Duross focuses on white-collar criminal matters, while James Koukios is noted for his extensive trial experience. Christine Wong and Craig Martin, both in San Francisco, are further key names. The firm was joined by New York’s Peter Skinner from Boies Schiller Flexner LLP in May 2022, who is praised for being ‘adept at Bank Secrecy Act matters’.
Practice head(s):
Carrie Cohen; Charles Duross; Christine Wong; Craig Martin; James Koukios; Ruti Smithline
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Very deep bench of former government attorneys.’
‘Edward Imperatore is one of the most experienced FCPA and securities prosecutors to come out of the government recently.’
‘Pete Skinner is very adept at Bank Secrecy Act matters.’
‘MoFo has done a fantastic job of recruiting from the top of the DOJ Fraud Section’s litigating units. With leadership from the FCPA and MIMF units, MoFo has successfully captured a real breadth of experience.’
‘James Koukios and Charles Duross are at the very top of the pyramid for anti-corruption matters.’
Key clients
Odebrecht
California Attorney General’s Office (CA AG)
Gree Electric Appliances Inc. of Zhuhai
Novartis
Recology, Inc.
Timothy Thibault
Jean-Paul Van Avermaet
Joe Pientka III
Work highlights
- Advising the California AG and leading its independent review of DOJ’s public release of confidential personal information for approximately 200,000 individuals contained in a firearm-related database maintained by DOJ.
- Represented Novartis before DOJ and SEC in connection with an alleged bribery scheme in Greece.
- Representing Timothy Thibault, recently retired Assistant Special Agent in Charge at the FBI’s Washington Field Office, in connection with investigations being conducted by DOJ’s Office of Inspector General the Office of Special Counsel, and Republican senators and congressmen.
United States > Healthcare > Life sciences
The ‘highly collaborative, diverse and exceptionally skilled' team at Morrison Foerster represents a number of international pharmaceutical companies and emerging biotech players. Practice head Michael Ward, who divides his time between San Francisco and Boston, has a great deal of experience in managing IP portfolios. California based practitioner Catherine Polizzi utilizes her ‘exceptional‘ knowledge of biopharmaceutical technology to advise on IP portfolio development and acquisitions. Also based in California, Janet Xiao - praised by clients as being a ‘creative, deep‘ thinker - focuses on cross-border transactions between the US and China, primarily advising biopharmaceutical companies.
Practice head(s):
Michael Ward
Other key lawyers:
Catherine Polizzi; Janet Xiao; Stacy Cline Amin; Lisa Silverman
Testimonials
‘The team is highly collaborative, diverse and exceptionally skilled. I have never encountered an oversized ego here. The firm approaches every matter they handle thoughtfully and seriously.’
‘Catherine Polizzi is exceptional in her knowledge of complicated biopharmaceutical technologies, patent law and the value of intellectual property to the biopharmaceutical industry.’
‘Janet Xiao is always on top of the detail, and her advice is commercial, always on time and rigorous in its analysis.’
‘Besides producing great work, the life science practice is communicative and easy to work with.’
‘Janet Xiao and her team are excellent. Everything runs very smoothly and thoroughly under Janet’s command. She understands the industry, and she and her team are creative, deep thinkers.’
‘The team is collaborative, curious, and have relevant technology area experience. I have confidence that the team can competently handle IP matters ranging from a variety of technologies.’
Key clients
10x Genomics
9amHealth
Abraxis Bioscience
Alpine Immune Sciences
Axcella
Arcellx
AllyBridge Group
Bayer
Bluesphere Bio
Bard (f/k/a C.R. Bard)
Carlsmed, Inc.
Chugai
CSPC Pharmaceutical Group
Cartography Biosciences
CG Oncology, Inc.
Cornell University
DNA Genotek; OraSure Technologies, Inc
Dewpoint Therapeutics
Eureka Therapeutics, Inc.
Evolve Biosystems
Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research
Genentech
iPharma Limited
Johnson & Johnson
Kindred Biosciences
McKesson Corporation
MyChem
Novartis
Orbimed Advisors
Owlet
Praxis BioTech LLC
Pillar Biosciences
Rakuten Medical
Sequlite Genomics
Sandoz
Santen Pharmaceuticals
SNIPR Biome
Seagen
Triastek, Inc.
Work highlights
- Advised Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. on securing a USD$775 million patent litigation settlement. The case concerned Chugai’s patented recycling antibody technology and Alexion’s accused product, ravulizumab, which is marketed by Alexion as ULTOMIRIS.
- Represented Seagen Inc. in a patent infringement trial in the Eastern District of Texas against global pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd.
- Advised Genentech on the development of the company’s strategy for its multi-billion-dollar portfolios. The firm also led several matters that have allowed Genentech to obtain patent-term extensions for its key drugs.
United States > Tax > US taxes: non-contentious
Morrison Foerster is routinely engaged by leading global companies and emerging start-ups, as well as financial and strategic institutional investors. Practice head Anthony Carbone is well-versed in all manner of tax issues, ranging from M&A, reorganizations, fund formations, and leveraged buyouts. In San Francisco, Bernie Pistillo primarily handles transactions with a strong cross-border element. San Diego-based Shane Shelley‘s far-reaching skillset spans REITs, renewable energy, and financial products. Also experienced in REITs is Jay Blaivas, whose expertise further covers the tax aspects of real estate-related funds, joint ventures, and opportunity zone funds. Other recommended individuals include federal tax specialist Dave Sturgeon, and Brian Radigan, who joined from an in-house position in September 2022. Maureen Linch has left the practice, and Babak Nikravesh left to join Greenberg Traurig LLP in September 2023. All named lawyers are based in New York unless noted otherwise.Practice head(s):
Anthony Carbone
Other key lawyers:
Key clients
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.
Alpine Investors LP
Antarctica Capital LLC
Autodesk
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec
eBay
GLP
Investment Management Corporation of Ontario
New Zealand Superannuation Fund
onsemi
Prime Movers Lab LLC
RH (formerly known as Restoration Hardware)
Sjätte AP-Fonden
SoftBank Group Corp
Special New Fruit Licensing Ltd
Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd
UDR, Inc.
Unity Technologies
Work highlights
- Assisted Unity Software Inc. with the definitive agreement under which IronSource will merge into the corporation via an all-stock deal valued at $4.4bn.
United States > Tax > US taxes: contentious
Morrison Foerster represents clients in audits, appeals, and other dispute resolution proceedings before the IRS and state tax authorities. Team lead Anthony Carbone, based in New York, chairs the Federal Tax practice, and advises a range of domestic and international clients. Of counsel Rebecca Ulich-Balinskas, also in New York, handles SALT controversies at the audit, administrative and judicial levels. Other key names include counsel Edward Froelich, of Washington DC, who has experience in complex corporate refund cases, and Bernie Pistillo, in San Francisco, who specializes in international tax controversy.Practice head(s):
Anthony Carbone
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Has the talent and is available. Very easy to work with – we use a number of their offices’
‘The senior attorneys are talented and available and very easy to work with. Other firms have good skills but are not as available or as easy to work with.’
Work highlights
United States > Environment > Environment: transactional
The ESG team at Morrison Foerster handles corporate, finance, tax, regulatory, compliance and litigation matters for clients and is led by Susan Mac Cormac. It acts for high-profile businesses, social enterprises and impact investors on the environmental aspects of investments and transactions, as well as regulatory matters. Mac Cormac is a name for investments and capital markets work, and corporate governance matters, while William Tarantino handles environmental due diligence and liability risk on transactions. Named attorneys are based in San Francisco.Practice head(s):
Susan Mac Cormac
Other key lawyers:
Key clients
Generate Capital
Xpansiv Limited
The Nature Conservancy
GenZero
European Climate Foundation
Work highlights
- Advised Generate Capital on billion-dollar fundraisings to allow it to continue to scale its renewable, sustainable infrastructure fleet.
- Represented Xpansiv Limited in obtaining a new $400m convertible debt financing from affiliates of Blackstone Energy Partners.
- Advised GenZero, an investment platform company wholly owned by Temasek, dedicated to accelerating decarbonisation globally, in its indirect investment in Bluesource Sustainable Forests Company, a joint venture between Anew Climate, Oak Hill Advisors and other third party investors.
United States > Finance > Commercial lending
Though its team is active on both sides of debt finance transactions, Morrison Foerster offers particularly solid advice to private equity sponsors and corporate borrowers in sectors such as tech, real estate, and energy. The firm is frequently called upon for syndicated lending, acquisition financings and asset-based loans. Standing out for the diversity of its workflow, David Ephraim’s Boston-led team also regularly advises on secured facilities and refinancing matters. Key contact Dario Avram is based in San Francisco, while New York is home to the highly recommended Geoffrey Peck. Jay Gavigan has left the firm.Practice head(s):
David Ephraim
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Excellent market knowledge of the commercial real estate asset debt financing market.’
Key clients
Alpine Investors
Altamont Capital Partners
Antarctica Capital
Bridge Investment Group
Clean Energy Fuels
Community Choice Financial
FS Credit Real Estate Income Trust, Inc.
Klein Tools
Lennar Corporation
Main Post Partners
Northern Bank & Trust Company
Piper Sandler
Revolution Foods
Southwest Gas Holdings
Spark Networks SE
Tinicum
Virgo Investment Group
Work highlights
- Advised Lennar, as borrower, on a $2.575bn syndicated revolving credit agreement arranged by JP Morgan.
- Advised Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. on a $1.6bn syndicated acquisition financing used to finance the acquisition of Dominion Energy Quester Pipeline, LLC, and its subsidiaries and certain affiliates.
United States > Intellectual property > Trademarks: non-contentious (including prosecution, portfolio management and licensing)
Morrison Foerster > Firm Profile
With approximately 1,000 lawyers in 16 offices, Morrison & Foerster is a preeminent global law firm dedicated to delivering business-oriented results to clients across the United States, Europe and Asia. Dynamic technology and life science companies, large financial institutions, leading consumer product companies and other market leaders come to MoFo for knowledge, innovation and business aptitude. MoFo handles some of the world’s largest cross-border transactions and resolves major disputes across multiple jurisdictions. The firm has a long-standing commitment to pro bono work and social justice.
Main areas of practice
Business restructuring and insolvency: MoFo is counsel to debtors, creditors’ committees, secured lenders, and other participants in the distressed markets in large, complex matters. The firm is a market leader in creditors’ committee representation, cross-border insolvencies, distressed real estate, the restructuring of financial institutions, insolvencies involving key intellectual property, and hedge fund failures.
Capital markets:The firm is a leading firm for issuer and underwriter representations for IPOs, offerings of debt, hybrid, preferred and structured securities, private placements, PIPEs, 144A/Reg S offerings, continuous issuance programs, including MTN, CP and covered bond programs. MoFo is a pioneer in developing synthetic products, hybrid securities, structured products and derivatives.
Finance: MoFo has one of the most experienced finance practices in the US Our finance attorneys maintain an impressive borrower-side client roster, working extensively for private equity funds and private companies in acquisitions and refinancings, while also offering extensive experience in acting for certain lenders and credit funds. In addition, MoFo assists clients in all aspects of project finance and development around the world with a focus on energy, alternative energy, and renewable resources. The group has also become very well known in the Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies and Smart Contracts space.
Intellectual property: MoFo is a global IP powerhouse, developing novel solutions for protecting and enforcing some of the most prized IP in the world. MoFo is called upon to represent clients in their most high-profile and complex patent, copyright, trademark, trade dress, trade secrets, and licensing matters.
Investigations:The team has experience handling internal and government investigations on six continents and in more than 65 countries, bringing significant cross-border experience to compliance and enforcement matters worldwide. MoFo provides advice on the many US and foreign laws regulating international business transactions including the FCPA, the U.K. Bribery Act, Sarbanes-Oxley, federal securities laws, the whistleblower provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act, international trade, export control and sanctions laws, and AML/BSA. The firm have successfully represented many clients in obtaining favorable settlements or other resolutions—often ending with the DOJ or other government enforcement bodies closing their investigations with no action taken.
Litigation:The firm’s litigators are renowned for their success in high-stakes, complex cases—representing clients in all stages of federal and state litigation, from grand jury to trial through to appeal. MoFo drive strategy to position our clients for the best possible outcome, whether that is winning at trial or resolving a matter quickly. The team includes top trial and appellate lawyers, as well as leading practitioners in securities, financial services, consumer and false advertising, product liability, environmental, and employment litigation as well as white-collar criminal defense, antitrust and unfair competition, and international arbitration. MoFo is a destination firm for class actions, no matter the subject area, and understand the shortest path to win and resolve cases.
Mergers and acquisitions: MoFo has a leading global M&A practice. The depth and breadth of the practice, including a strong focus on cross-border transactions, reflects the dynamic nature of clients, which include Fortune 500 companies, private equity sponsors, investment banks, and privately held companies.
Privacy and data security: MoFo’s market-leading privacy and data security group is a destination for clients—from startups to sophisticated global clients alike—seeking advice on every aspect of privacy laws and regulations, as well as incident preparedness and response. The team helps companies fit compliance with evolving data protection laws within the context of a truly global, consistent strategy, and have also served as lead counsel and coordinated all components of clients’ responses to some of the highest-profile data breaches of recent years.
Real estate: MoFo is a recognized leader across a broad spectrum of real estate activities, including development deals, acquisitions and dispositions, leases, market standard and complex financings, and restructurings. Its clients include lenders, developers, equity investors, and REITs.
Tax: MoFo’s tax practice enjoys a global reputation for innovative tax planning and the successful resolution of important tax controversies. The group advises on state and local tax, federal tax, compensation, benefits and ERISA, and trusts, estates and nonprofit organizations.
Lawyer Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
---|---|---|---|
Eliot Adelson | Click here for attorney bio. | View Profile | |
Arturo González | Arturo González, chair of the Commercial Litigation Group, specializes in high-stakes, bet-the-company… | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Number of Partners : 316 Number of Other Lawyers : 738Other
Chair : Eric T. McCrath Managing Partners : Paul Friedman Managing Partners : Craig Martin Managing Partners : Eric Piesner Managing Partners : Tessa Schwartz International Offices : Beijing International Offices : Berlin International Offices : Brussels International Offices : Hong Kong International Offices : London International Offices : Shanghai International Offices : Singapore International Offices : Tokyo- United States > Intellectual property > Patents: licensing
- United States > Real estate > Real estate finance
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- United States > Finance > Fintech
- United States > Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (full coverage)
- United States > Media, technology and telecoms > Technology transactions
Firm Rankings
- United States > Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers
- United States > Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: pharmaceuticals and medical devices
- United States > Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: toxic tort
- United States > Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense
- United States > Energy > Renewable/alternative power
- United States > Environment > Environment: litigation
- United States > Environment > Environment: regulatory
- United States > Intellectual property > Copyright
- United States > Intellectual property > Patents: prosecution (including re-examination and post-grant proceedings)
- United States > Intellectual property > Trade secrets (litigation and non-contentious matters)
- United States > M&A/corporate and commercial > Venture capital and emerging companies
- United States > M&A/corporate and commercial > Private equity buyouts: large deals ($500m+)
- United States > M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: large deals ($1bn+)
- United States > Media, technology and telecoms > Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection)
- United States > Media, technology and telecoms > Telecoms and broadcast: transactions
- United States > Media, technology and telecoms > Advertising and marketing: litigation
- United States > Media, technology and telecoms > Outsourcing
- United States > Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional
- United States > Antitrust > Cartel
- United States > Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense
- United States > Dispute resolution > International litigation
- United States > Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense
- United States > Healthcare > Life sciences
- United States > Tax > US taxes: non-contentious
- United States > Tax > US taxes: contentious
- United States > Environment > Environment: transactional
- United States > Finance > Commercial lending