Who We Are: Founded in October 2018, Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg LLP (RJLF) boldly entered the market as a trial boutique with a national reach and an ambition to create a new standard for litigation firms. Focusing on high-stakes commercial litigation, intellectual property, and white collar disputes, with offices in Silicon Valley, New York, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and Austin, the majority women-owned trial firm made national headlines for breaking away from many law firm traditions, including eschewing the billable hour in favor of arrangements that align client interests and reward efficiency. RJLF also eliminated two other standard law firm features – the partnership track and lockstep compensation – in favor of systems that encourage attorneys to advance as quickly as their skills allow. The firm is committed to attracting and retaining the most elite talent in the legal industry and pays above market.
In another departure from industry norms, RJLF is truly diverse. More than half of the firm’s lawyers are women, half of the firm’s partners are women, and 30% of the firm’s lawyers are ethnically and/or LGBTQ+ diverse. Law360’s 2022 Glass Ceiling Report: Women in Law features RJLF among the top three law firm “Ceiling Smashers” for having the highest representation of women equity partners for a U.S. firm of its size. RJLF also ranked among the top most gender diverse U.S. firms of its size, according to percentage of female attorneys. RJLF was named a “Top Trial Boutique” and awarded “Silicon Valley Firm of the Year” for three consecutive years by Benchmark Litigation and recognized as an “Elite Boutique” by The National Law Journal.
Elite Talent Wins Cases: RJLF’s break from industry traditions obviously resonated with the market, as the firm’s size quickly expanded with marquee talent from several esteemed “Big Law” firms such as Finnegan Henderson; Hughes, Hubbard & Reed; Allen & Overy; Morgan, Lewis, & Bockius; and White & Case, among many others. Our attorneys are from the most prestigious clerkships, including the Supreme Court, the D.C. Circuit, the Federal Circuit, the 2nd, 6th, 7th, and 11th Circuits, and District Courts around the country, as well as prestigious law schools such as Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Columbia, Berkeley, NYU, and others. The firm’s lawyers have undergraduate and advanced technical degrees in diverse fields including electrical engineering, physics, computer science, computer networks, biotechnology, and zoology. RJLF’s lawyers have also been recognized among the most accomplished trial lawyers by The American College of Trial Lawyers, Chambers USA, The Legal 500, The National Law Journal, Managing IP, and IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners, among many others.
Recent Achievements: Punching well above its weight, RJLF often goes toe-to-toe with some of the largest law firms in the world, including Skadden Arps, Morrison & Foerster, Gibson Dunn, and Baker Hostetler, among others. The firm proved its trial prowess when it served as lead counsel for Densify in a high-profile patent dispute against global tech giant VMware. After a nine-day trial, jurors awarded Densify $236 million in damages finding that VMware willfully infringed two Densify virtualization technology patents. The firm’s verdict on behalf of Densify was recognized in The National Law Journal’s 2021 “Verdicts Hall of Fame” (7th largest verdict in past five years).
RJLF also secured an $84 million willful patent infringement verdict on behalf of Cirba, (d/b/a Densify) against VMware. Following a five-day jury trial and after only two hours of deliberation, the jurors decided VMware had willfully infringed Cirba’s patent that covers cutting-edge virtualization technology. This was the second time a jury determined that VMware committed willful infringement.
In an ultra rare price-fixing trial against the Department of Justice (DOJ), the RJLF trial team secured a complete defense verdict after two mistrials. The case stemmed from a high-profile grand jury indictment by the DOJ that charged 10 executives, including RJLF client Roger Austin, a former Vice President of Pilgrim’s Pride, alleging a price-fixing scheme in the $28 billion-per-year broiler chicken industry. The trial win earned the team Global Competition Review’s 2023 Behavioural Matter of the Year (Americas).
RJLF also secured a precedent-setting victory on behalf of the California Restaurant Association in the “gas ban on stoves” case against the City of Berkeley. The Ninth Circuit unanimously reversed the District Court’s ruling and held that Berkeley’s ban on natural gas hookups is preempted by federal law and therefore invalid.
Pro Bono: RJLF is deeply committed to public interest litigation. We understand that our privilege of being trial lawyers naturally involves representing those in need, whether it’s high-profile impact litigation or a person who will be evicted from an apartment. We also collaborate and work side-by-side with our clients to develop targeted pro bono and community service programs. Our pro bono activities include handling cases involving civil rights, immigration, prison abuse, indigent defense, homelessness, and veterans’ issues, among others.
Updated Sep 2023
Hueston Hennigan has twice (in a row) been recognized by Law360 as national “Trials Group of the Year” and by Benchmark Litigation as “U.S. Trial Firm of the Year.” On the heels of a “landmark” defense verdict for America’s drug industry — its first major victory in the nationwide opioid crisis litigation — last year came both the largest trademark infringement award in U.S. history and a record-breaking Lanham Act award.
The success achieved by Hueston Hennigan’s eight-year-old firm was made possible, says Chambers, because “clients who need to make strategic bet-the-company, high-stakes choices” turn to our “expert trial lawyers” as the “go-to for a hard trial case.” Hueston Hennigan’s “portfolio consists of sophisticated matters, many of which are high profile,” for which we “regularly attain successful outcomes.” The firm’s “multi-year streak of trial wins” (Benchmark Litigation) is due, adds Chambers, to an “incredibly deep and talented” bench of “phenomenal trial lawyers who carry tremendous gravitas with the court.” (Legal 500).
Over the past three years, the firm has won eight trials, to include three described as “landmark” and “historic.” The headlines speak for themselves: Law360 called the judge’s decision in Endo “A Landmark Opioid Trial Win,” and The American Lawyer said that it gave the pharmaceutical companies “their first major victory” in the nationwide opioid litigation. Reuters described Monster’s trial verdict — a historic $175 million judgment — as “the largest-ever U.S. trademark award.” Both ranked as industry-defining decisions. After delivering a compelling opening and a devastating cross-examination of the plaintiff ’s first witness, we also won a favorable settlement for Synchrony Financial (the former GE Capital) in a lawsuit involving breach of contract, fraudulent misrepresentation, and alter ego claims.
Our streak of trial victories and innovative, winning motions practice place Hueston Hennigan among the best litigation firms in the country and one of the “Most Feared Law Firms in Litigation” according to BTI Consulting. Head for head, lawyer for lawyer, Hueston Hennigan not only matches the best but exceeds the competition.
What Our Clients Say:
“Hueston Hennigan is the firm we turn to when we know we must win at trial. Their attorneys are not only masterful lawyers; they are creative, thoughtful, strategic, and tenacious. From the moment the first document is filed, every option is considered and every decision is made with the ultimate goal in mind: winning at trial. Hueston Hennigan has achieved historic, record-setting results for Monster in incredibly complex matters. Those results were achieved because Hueston Hennigan did what Hueston Hennigan does: win.” —Aaron Sonnhalter, Chief Legal Officer, Monster Energy Company
“After taking over a bet-the-company case months before trial, the Hueston Hennigan team quickly immersed themselves in the business and facts of the case, earned the trust and respect of our team, and positioned the case for victory. At trial, they put on a master class, including incredible opening and closing arguments, a compelling case-in-chief, and cross-examinations for the ages. Their entire team is smart, honest and a pleasure to work with.” —Alex Dimitrief, Acting General Counsel, Amulet Estate, Former General Counsel, GE Capital
“The lawyers at Hueston Hennigan have distinguished themselves with their wise counsel and outstanding advocacy from the boardroom to the courtroom. Their ability to balance legal and business considerations practically and efficiently is truly exceptional. They are among our go-to trial counsel, and they deliver results.” —Jake Schatz, Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Electronic Arts
“Hueston Hennigan is an ideal choice for the toughest cases. The combined, concentrated trial talent of Hueston Hennigan makes this firm a top-shelf litigation choice for virtually any high-risk, complex matter.” —Melissa Scanlan, Vice President, Intellectual Property and Antitrust, T-Mobile
“In one of Western Digital’s most important legal matters in recent years, Hueston Hennigan partnered with us to craft and implement a creative, multi-staged litigation strategy that delivered repeated victories in both court and international arbitration. Hueston Hennigan has a very deep bench of legal talent who are our trusted counselors for our most important cases.” —Michael Ray, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, Western Digital Corp.
“Hueston Hennigan is bold, strategic, and relentless. Their deep lineup of talented and diverse trial lawyers weaves masterful arguments, impactful direct exams, and devastating crosses. We especially value their close and collaborative partnership with our in-house team in order to obtain the best possible outcomes. Hueston Hennigan is the total package, and we are glad to have them on our side.” —Jonathan Mothner, Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary, Synchrony Financial (formerly GE Capital)
“Hueston Hennigan lawyers distinguished themselves by being dynamically creative and unsurpassed in courtroom advocacy. Their care extends beyond the individual case; they work closely with our in-house counsel, and their postmortem review of matters is a value-add that fits squarely with our continuous improvement culture. They are a go-to firm for the most complex and challenging cases.” —Barry H. Caldwell, former Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Chief Legal Officer, Waste Management
“I turn to Hueston Hennigan for our most significant legal matters. In each engagement, they have provided extraordinarily effective lawyering, counsel, and strategic business advice. They are unrivaled as go-to trial counsel for complex, high-risk litigation.” —Julie Davis, Global Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary, Taco Bell
“Hueston Hennigan is a world-class law firm for the 21st century, capable of serving the litigation needs of individuals to global companies. Its talented team of professionals is dedicated to working closely with clients and has the creativity and flexibility to bring the simplest solutions to the most complex problems.” —Arnold Pinkston, Corporate Vice President, General Counsel, Edwards Lifesciences LLC
“Hueston Hennigan creatively and relentlessly investigated and prosecuted claims arising from a complex, high-stakes commercial fraud, obtaining recoveries worth more than $75 million. They skillfully and efficiently positioned us for courtroom victories while working hand in glove with in-house counsel to ensure that the legal strategy aligned with our business objectives. Their team was a pleasure to work with, and I strongly recommend the firm for difficult and important cases.” —William B. Sailer, Senior Vice President and Legal Counsel, Qualcomm Inc.
Updated Sep 2023
We are a 900+ lawyer business litigation firm with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco , New York, Silicon Valley, Tokyo, London, Chicago, Mannheim, Washington, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Munich, Paris, Sydney, Brussels, Houston, Seattle, Shanghai, Zurich, Doha, Perth, Stuttgart, Boston, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Austin, Miami, Neuilly la Defense, Riyadh, Berlin, Dallas.
We aggressively litigate a wide variety of business disputes for Fortune 500 companies as well as smaller companies. We do not simply “handle” cases for years before settling them on the courthouse steps. Our goal is to seize the initiative and resolve them quickly, because it is in our clients’ interests to do so. If a case cannot be resolved short of trial, we have the experienced trial lawyers who can try it. Our business is winning cases—and we do.
Our Lawyers:
Attorneys at our firm have tried over 2,500 cases and won 86%. When we represent defendants, our trial experience gets us better settlements or defense verdicts. When representing plaintiffs, our lawyers have won over $70 billion in judgments and settlements. We have also obtained seven 9-figure jury verdicts, fifty-one 9-figure settlements, and nineteen 10-figure settlements.
Our attorneys include top graduates from Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Chicago, Michigan, Columbia and other distinguished schools. At last count, 221 of our attorneys (or 25%) were law review editors in law school and/or clerked for judges; nineteen have taught law; and many have been or are general counsel for corporations. Over 25 of our attorneys are former Assistant United States Attorneys. Three of our partners have worked in the White House: two for Democrats, one for Republicans.
Trial Lawyers, Not Paper Litigators; Why Trial Lawyers Are Also Best for Settlement:
Trying cases is a key element of our firm culture. Trials are zero sum games – they are no place for beginners. We try more major business cases than any other law firm. At least once each year, we are in a trial or an arbitration pursuing or defending against a claim for over $1 billion in damages. Many of our partners are very highly experienced trial lawyers, having tried dozens of cases to verdict. Seven have taught trial advocacy. We do not believe the same level of jury trial experience can be found at any other business law firm. Our trial experience is an obvious advantage in the courtroom, and is important both for the relatively rare case which must be tried and for the cases which settle. Plaintiffs’ lawyers know we will not hesitate to go to trial and know what we can do in a courtroom. Our well-known ability to try cases diminishes the lawsuit “hold up” factor and causes adversaries to re-think their demands. We believe that our firm can get better settlements because of our credibility as trial lawyers.
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