NewsMorgan Chu Named Top Intellectual Property Attorney in U.S. by Chambers USA 2006
LOS ANGELES (June 2, 2006) – Topping off another year of exceptional results on the intellectual property front, Irell & Manella LLP’s Morgan Chu has been named the Number 1 Intellectual Property lawyer in the U.S. by Chambers & Partners.
Mr. Chu was among 19 American lawyers singled out by Chambers as being the top practitioners in their respective fields. Long recognized by Chambers in its U.S. and Global directories of leading business lawyers, Mr. Chu was one of only six IP litigators nationally to be considered for Chambers’ new Award for Excellence designating the No. 1 spot in the category. Mr. Chu’s recognition complements Irell’s selection as the “U.S. Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year” by Chambers Global for 2005-06.
Chambers’ just-published 2006 edition of America’s leading business lawyers cites Irell & Manella’s renown for “taking on and winning high-profile cases for leading clients in the electronics, medical device, semiconductor, computer software, IT and entertainment industries.” Mr. Chu, who leads what Chambers calls a “strong, resourceful team” with “a rich technology practice,” was noted for delivering “staggering results for clients.”
In addition to Mr. Chu, 14 other Irell partners in eight separate practice areas were included among the leading lawyers in Chambers’ 2006 USA guide.
David Siegel, Irell’s Managing Partner and himself a Chambers U.S. pick for his corporate and securities litigation work, said: “We congratulate Morgan on his selection as the nation’s top IP litigator, a well-earned tribute to him and to our entire IP litigation team. We are also proud that Chambers has recognized so many of our attorneys as among the very best in their fields. The fact that 16 Irell lawyers were named among the leading attorneys in eight different practices is, for a firm of our size, not only high praise of their individual accomplishments, but an acknowledgement of the breadth and consistent high quality of services we provide our clients.”
Chambers’ peer-based rankings are widely considered the gold standard for legal excellence. The guide’s selection of top firms and attorneys in the U.S. is based on more than 10,000 interviews with corporate law departments and attorneys nationwide, conducted over an eight-month period. Recognition is based on legal ability, as well as professional conduct, client service, commercial astuteness, commitment, and other qualities. This is the first year that Chambers has honored outstanding achievements of attorneys based on research for the U.S. directory.
Chambers’ Award for Excellence Recognizes Irell’s Winning IP Streak
Morgan Chu’s selection as the nation’s top IP litigator confirms what his clients and adversaries know from first-hand experience: he is a uniquely-gifted trial lawyer able to understand and simplify technical and legal issues in complex patent disputes.
Most recently, Mr. Chu and his team obtained a $74 million jury verdict of patent infringement against satellite TV provider EchoStar Communications on behalf of TiVo, the first company to produce a low-cost digital video recorder allowing live television programs to be paused, rewound, and fast-forwarded.
The last two years have seen Mr. Chu lead jury trial wins for Immersion (against Sony Computer Entertainment) and ASM Lithography, and other bet-the-company cases involving innovative technologies. His docket has included wins in a number of bench trials and arbitrations; he has also participated in two U.S. Supreme Court cases involving patent law. In the California Court of Appeal, he has been successful in upholding the $500 million awarded to City of Hope National Medical Center in its dispute with Genentech over royalties due under a technology licensing agreement. One of the largest IP verdicts ever reached, the case is now pending before the California Supreme Court.
Mr. Chu holds a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from UCLA, an M.S.L. from Yale University, and a J.D. from Harvard. He has been recognized by The National Law Journal as one of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America and one of the nation’s top ten trial lawyers.
Despite the accolades, Mr. Chu credits his success to fellow Irell colleagues. “The Chambers’ Award for Excellence really belongs to many lawyers, paralegals and staff at Irell & Manella, and not to any one individual,” he said. “We work as a team, and whatever we have achieved is because of the effort made by everyone.”