Patexia Insight 233: Lateral Moves and Rising Firms in Patent Litigation
The patent litigation landscape is constantly evolving, shaped by shifting industry priorities, emerging technologies, as well as the movement of top legal talent. According to Patexia’s Patent Litigation Intelligence 2025 report, lateral moves surged by over 23% year-over-year, with a wave of key attorneys transitioning between firms in pursuit of new opportunities, strategic advantages, and greater influence in high-stakes patent battles. At the same time, some law firms have expanded significantly, strengthening their ranks by poaching rainmakers and cementing their dominance through high-profile hires. In today’s article, we cover the most significant lateral moves, analyze which firms have gained the most ground, and explore the broader implications of these changes for patent litigation in 2025 and beyond.
In the high-stakes arena of patent litigation, attorneys aren’t just legal strategists—they’re assets carrying client trust, technical expertise, and courtroom influence. To track the changing landscape, our report analyzed every move among the 1,000 most active patent litigators since Q1 2024, connecting attorneys to their firms through case filings and public records. The result? 48 major lateral moves that reshaped firms' strengths, client lists, and competitive positions. Below is a table listing the top 10 attorney moves based on activity rank, including each attorney's current and previous firms, total case involvement, and current activity rank.
| Attorney | Current Firm | Old Firm | Overall Activity Rank | All Cases |
| Barry K. Shelton | Shelton Coburn LLP | 9 | 176 | |
| Kristopher Lane Reed | Holland & Knight | Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton | 76 | 48 |
| Susan S. Q. Kalra | Murphy Austin Adams Schoenfeld LLP | Ramey LLP | 82 | 96 |
| Edward J. Mayle | Holland & Knight | Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton | 105 | 44 |
| Bijal V. Vakil | Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP | A&O Shearman | 187 | 41 |
| Jeffrey L. Johnson | Baker Botts LLP | Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe | 213 | 35 |
| Scott L. Cole | SLC Trial Law, PLLC | Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan | 223 | 33 |
| Bradley D. Liddle | Cozen O'Connor | Carter Arnett | 247 | 51 |
| Robert Benson | Baker Botts LLP | 266 | 30 | |
| Donald Robert McPhail | Merchant & Gould | Oblon, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, L.L.P. | 269 | 31 |
Lateral moves aren’t just about headlines—they’re a zero-sum game where every hire and departure reshapes a firm’s competitive DNA. To measure this shift, we calculated the net gain or loss for patent litigation firms by tracking attorney inflows and outflows since January 2024. Here’s a sneak peek at the top three firms with the most gains:
1. Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison (+6 net gain): In recent months, this firm has significantly boosted its patent litigation practice by recruiting prominent partners from Weil, Gotshal & Manges. This strategic expansion includes the high-profile additions of Elizabeth Stotland Weiswasser and Anish R. Desai, both nationally recognized for their expertise in life sciences and technology litigation. Weiswasser, formerly co-chair of Weil’s global litigation department, now co-leads Paul Weiss’ litigation team, while Desai, a seasoned first-chair trial lawyer, brings extensive experience in federal courts, the ITC, and over 100 IPR proceedings before the PTAB. Their arrival signals Paul Weiss' growing focus on high-stakes IP disputes, particularly in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and tech.
2. Paul Hastings (+3 net gain): In March 2024, Paul Hastings significantly enhanced its intellectual property litigation capabilities by recruiting a six-partner team from Allen & Overy (A&O). The team includes prominent litigators such as Shamita Etienne-Cummings, Lisa Nguyen, and Eric Lancaster, all ranked among the top 1,000 most active attorneys in patent litigation. They are known for representing major technology clients, including Google, in complex IP disputes across various forums, such as U.S. district courts, the ITC, and the PTAB.
3. Holland & Knight (+2 net gain): Holland & Knight recently strengthened its intellectual property (IP) litigation capabilities with the addition of Kristopher Lane Reed and Edward J. Mayle, who joined the firm from Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton. Both attorneys are seasoned IP litigators with deep expertise in patent disputes, particularly in high-stakes sectors like technology, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing.
As the patent litigation landscape grows increasingly competitive, securing top talent isn’t just about opportunity—it’s about precision. At Patexia, our Legal Link recruiting service empowers firms and attorneys to navigate this dynamic market with unmatched agility. Leveraging proprietary data from our intelligence reports and advanced analytics, Legal Link offers:
Smart Attorney Matching: Identify candidates with expertise mirroring high-performers, using criteria such as case success rates, technical specialties, and client portfolios.
Opportunity Mapping: Discover lateral move trends, emerging practice areas, and underserved markets to align hiring with strategic growth goals.
Conflict Avoidance & Client Targeting: Screen for conflicts before outreach using insights from patent cases (District Courts, ITC, Federal Circuit, PTAB) and identify attorneys with existing client relationships in high-value sectors (e.g., Fortune 500 tech companies) to accelerate business development.
Whether you’re a firm seeking to replicate Paul Weiss’s growth playbook or an attorney eyeing your next career leap, Legal Link turns data into decisive action. Stop guessing—start strategizing.