Irell & Manella
Overview
Irell & Manella is a US law firm focused on complex litigation and technology-related disputes. Its teams combine legal training with scientific qualifications and industry experience in intellectual-property and commercial matters.[1]
Its technical analysis laboratory includes workshop, wet-lab and server facilities. Equipment teardown, microscopy, static and dynamic software analysis, and digital forensics support work on patent infringement, validity and damages.[2]
The firm states that its offices and data centers hold ISO 27001:2022 information-security management certification, with internal and external audits. This describes a management system rather than a guarantee against every cyber risk.[3]
Contents19 sections
Key facts
1941Tax-Practice Origins
Gene Berger and Larry Irell founded the practice in downtown Los Angeles, initially focusing on tax matters.[4]
1949Irell & Manella Name
The practice adopted the Irell & Manella name. Its early work also served Hollywood clients, including Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.[4]
1977First Patent Trial
The firm handled its first patent trial in a case involving Mattel games, expanding its work in technology litigation.[4]
1979Newport Beach Office
The Newport Beach office opened, serving clients in Orange County and beyond, from large public companies to sole proprietors.[5]
1994Stac Software Patent Case
Representing Stac Electronics in a compression-software patent case against MicrosoftMicrosoftMicrosoft is a technology company founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975 and headquartered in Redmond, Washington, with businesses spanning Windows, Microsoft 365, Azure, enterprise software, artificial intelligence, gaming and devices.Open the full entry, the firm obtained a $120 million jury verdict. The figure describes the historical verdict, rather than a statement of final cash collected.[6]
April 2008City of Hope Appeal
California’s Supreme Court upheld $300,164,030 in contract damages for City of Hope against Genentech but struck $200 million in punitive damages, finding that the relationship did not necessarily create fiduciary duties. Irell & Manella was among City of Hope’s counsel.[7]
May 2009Graduate School Naming
City of Hope named its biosciences graduate school the Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences. Earlier firm donations supported a visiting professorship and an endowed cancer-research chair.[8]
2012Public Counsel Endowed Chair
The firm established Public Counsel’s first endowed chair. Its pro bono work included mortgage-fraud victims and veterans.[8]
December 2019NantKwest Fee Dispute
The US Supreme Court unanimously sided with NantKwest, rejecting the Patent and Trademark Office’s demand that applicants pay government attorney fees in the relevant patent-review civil actions. Morgan Chu argued for the client. The ruling addressed litigation expenses, not an invention’s validity.[9]
2021Washington Office
The firm opened a Washington, D.C. office near the Federal Circuit, supporting appeals, Patent and Trademark Office proceedings and International Trade Commission investigations.[10]
August 2021Juno Judgment Reversed
The Federal Circuit reversed an approximately $1.2 billion judgment for Juno TherapeuticsJuno TherapeuticsJuno Therapeutics is a Seattle-based biotechnology company developing cellular immunotherapies for cancer based on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell and T cell receptor (TCR) technologies; it listed on Nasdaq in 2014 and was acquired by Celgene in 2018.Open the full entry against Kite Pharma, finding inadequate written-description support for the patent. Morgan Chu and the Irell team represented Juno, so the earlier award cannot be treated as an upheld final outcome.[11]
November 2025Pictiva Display Verdict
Representing Pictiva Displays International, the firm obtained a $191 million jury verdict against Samsung involving two OLED patents. This records the verdict, without asserting payment or completion of any subsequent appeal.[12]
June 2026Curium Patent Litigation
The firm represented Curium against patent claims by Novartis subsidiary ADACAP. After trial, the Delaware court found the asserted patents not infringed and invalid under the on-sale bar. That patent outcome does not itself establish FDA approval of a drug.[13]
August 2026Netlist–Samsung Settlement
The firm helped Netlist reach a five-year Samsung license arrangement with approximately $200 million upfront and 20 quarterly payments of up to about $27.5 million, subject to adjustments and refunds. The parties ended relevant litigation. Separate memory-product purchasing rights are not license payments to Netlist.[14]
October 2026Curium Trade-Secret Claims Dismissed
The firm reported dismissal with prejudice of ADACAP’s trade-secret claims against Curium and Maarten de Jong, without settlement. A separate patent case filed in September 2025 remained pending, so this did not end every dispute between the parties.[15]
October 2026Netlist–Micron License
Netlist announced a five-year Micron patent license providing $30 million quarterly from the fourth quarter of 2026 through the third quarter of 2031, totaling $600 million, and ending pending litigation. The firm assisted with the arrangement; the total includes future payments, not cash already received.[16]
2026Personal Donation
Partner Morgan Chu and his wife donated $31.4 million to Harvard Law School.[17]
Sources
- Our Approach (opens in a new window)
- Irell Technical Analysis Laboratory (opens in a new window)
- ISO 27001 (opens in a new window)
- Firm History (opens in a new window)
- Newport Beach (opens in a new window)
- Morgan Chu (opens in a new window)
- City of Hope National Medical Center v. Genentech, Inc. (opens in a new window)
- Our Culture (opens in a new window)
- Irell Convinces U.S. Supreme Court to Reject USPTO’s Legal Fees Rule (opens in a new window)
- Washington, D.C. (opens in a new window)
- Juno Therapeutics, Inc. v. Kite Pharma, Inc. (opens in a new window)
- Irell Secures $191 Million for Pictiva (opens in a new window)
- Irell Secures Trial Victory for Curium (opens in a new window)
- Netlist Negotiates Settlement with Samsung Over Advanced Memory Technology (opens in a new window)
- Irell Secures Dismissal With Prejudice For Curium After Trial In Trade Secrets Case (opens in a new window)
- Netlist Negotiates Patent License and Settlement with Micron (opens in a new window)
- Morgan ’76 and Helen Chu make record $31.4M gift to Harvard Law School (opens in a new window)