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Sheppard

Sheppard

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United States • Intellectual property

4

Patents: litigation (full coverage)

Sheppard’s IP practice group is reputed for its strong performance in patent competitor cases and PTAB proceedings. The firm is particularly active in California, where it regularly represents blue-chip tech and media companies such as Amazon and Netflix in complex patent disputes across federal district courts and administrative venues. Wynter Deagle and Steven Schortgen co-lead the IP practice group. Steven Schortgen is a Dallas-based first-chair trial attorney with extensive experience before the Federal Circuit. California-based Martin Bader, lauded by clients as a ‘phenomenal attorney’, handles the full range of patent litigation for the firm’s tech clients. He is closely assisted by Ryan Cunningham, noted for his strategic approach to litigation on a global scale. In 2025, the team underwent major expansion, welcoming five partners from Ropes & Gray LLP.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Superior knowledge of standard essential patents and deep experience with relevant SEP technologies such as video codecs and cellular. Deep patent litigation bench.’

  • ‘Martin Bader is a SEP powerhouse and a great litigator.’

  • ‘Sheppard Mullin has done an excellent job spinning up as one of our major patent litigation partners. It appears to have a deep bench at the partner and associate levels, and the firm provides excellent advice in a timely and respectful manner. They have been a joy to work with through all levels of the firm.’

  • ‘Martin Bader is a phenomenal attorney. He has taken a lead role advising us on very difficult standard-essential patent matters for multiple disputes that span the globe. He has quickly learned our business deeply, and his advice has been well regarded and trustworthy.’

  • ‘Martin Bader and Ryan Cunningham are excellent at having oversight of global litigation and considering the best global strategy for a client in conjunction with local counsel in other jurisdictions.’

  • ‘Martin Bader - amongst the most well versed US lawyer on international SEP and FRAND issues - displays a very impressive knowledge of global law and procedure and can advise clients holistically on that basis

  • 'Ryan Cunningham - on top of the detail and provides excellent support to Martin on a global coordination basis’

  • ‘Robert Hough is absolutely outstanding as an intellectual properly lawyer. Very smart, very perceptive, great strategic mind, and a wonderful resource for our business.’

Key clients

  • SecurityPoint Holdings, Inc. (SecurityPoint)
  • Amazon.com
  • TikTok Inc., TikTok PTE LTD, Bytedance Ltd., and Bytedance Ltd.
  • Netflix, Inc.
  • Visionox Technology and Visionox America
  • Universal Music Group
  • Warner Music Group
  • Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
  • TVision Insights, Inc.
  • Videray Technologies, Inc.
  • California Institute of Technology
  • Amarin Pharmaceuticals Ireland Limited (Amarin)
  • Hulu, LLC
  • Sierra Wireless (now Semtech)
  • Qorvo, Inc.
  • Snap, Inc.
  • Sunoco Partners Marketing & Terminals L.P.
  • International Business Machines Corp (IBM)
  • Cameron International Corp.
  • Impulse Downhole Solutions; Impulse Downhole Tools USA

Work highlights

Resolved a complex, global patent dispute for Amazon against Nokia, coordinating litigation and licensing strategies across six countries and multiple U.S. courts.
Served as co-counsel with Perkins Coie to Amazon.com in the U.S. actions and filed 13 IPRs against Nokia’s asserted patents, successfully achieving institution in 11 out of 12 IPRs that reached institution decisions.
Achieved a significant victory for Bytedance and TikTok in a highly watched patent litigation case that focused on TikTok’s core video recommendation system—TikTok’s “crown jewel” technology recognized as the foundation of TikTok’s rapid global success.
Practice head

Wynter Deagle; Steven Schortgen

Other key lawyers

Martin Bader; Ryan Cunningham; Robert Hough