Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP has significantly bolstered its intellectual property (IP) litigation capabilities by integrating a 21-attorney team from Ropes & Gray LLP. This strategic move positions Sheppard Mullin among the largest patent litigation practices in the United States.
The incoming group is led by Steven Pepe, the former chair of Ropes & Gray’s IP practice, and includes partners David Chun, Jim Davis, Kevin Post, and Matthew Shapiro, along with 16 special counsel and associates. Their collective expertise spans various sectors, notably technology, semiconductors, telecommunications, and life sciences. The team will be distributed across Sheppard Mullin’s offices in New York, Silicon Valley, Seoul, and Washington, D.C.
Steven Pepe, based in New York, brings over 25 years of experience in patent litigation, having served as lead or co-lead counsel in more than three dozen cases across major patent jurisdictions, including the International Trade Commission and the Eastern District of Texas. His clientele includes prominent companies such as Samsung, eGenera, and Collision Communications. Pepe emphasized the alignment between his team’s focus and Sheppard Mullin’s strategic vision, stating, “Bringing our entire team to Sheppard Mullin was an easy choice. In addition to the firm’s global reputation in IP litigation, Sheppard Mullin is committed to growing and investing in the practice throughout the United States and in South Korea, where we have many clients.” ([sheppardmullin.com](https://www.sheppardmullin.com/pressrelease-1212?utm_source=openai))
David Chun, based in Silicon Valley, specializes in litigating patent infringement, trade secret misappropriation, and copyright infringement matters. He represents a broad range of clients across technologies including semiconductors, flash memory, wireless mobile devices, and medical devices. Chun is known for navigating highly technical disputes and advising clients in complex, multi-jurisdictional IP matters. ([sheppardmullin.com](https://www.sheppardmullin.com/pressrelease-1212?utm_source=openai))
Jim Davis, also in Silicon Valley, represents IP owners and challengers in high-stakes disputes before U.S. district courts, the ITC, the Federal Circuit, and the USPTO. His expertise covers a broad range of technologies, including semiconductors, analog circuits, wireless and SEPs, consumer electronics, network security, and medical devices. Davis has handled more than 250 post-grant proceedings, including inter partes and ex parte reviews. ([sheppardmullin.com](https://www.sheppardmullin.com/pressrelease-1212?utm_source=openai))
Kevin Post, based in New York, represents high-technology and life sciences companies in complex patent litigation spanning a wide range of technical fields, including wireless and cellular communications, video coding, electronics, software, network security, e-payments, imaging systems, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology. He has litigated cases involving SEPs, FRAND licensing disputes, breach of contract claims, and patent portfolio strategy. ([sheppardmullin.com](https://www.sheppardmullin.com/pressrelease-1212?utm_source=openai))
Matthew Shapiro, also in New York, has more than 13 years of experience handling cases in all major patent forums, including patent-focused district courts, the ITC, and the PTAB. He represents clients throughout all phases of litigation, from pre-suit investigations through appeals, and has managed complex, large-scale matters across diverse technologies, including industrial systems, consumer electronics, automotive components, and consumer products. ([sheppardmullin.com](https://www.sheppardmullin.com/pressrelease-1212?utm_source=openai))
Sheppard Mullin’s chair, Luca Salvi, highlighted the strategic importance of this acquisition, noting, “Given the changing competitive landscape in the current and future global environment, we believe that protecting intellectual property assets is the core value of business in the future.” ([sheppardmullin.com](https://www.sheppardmullin.com/pressrelease-1212?utm_source=openai))
This addition follows Sheppard Mullin’s recent recruitment of a three-partner life sciences IP team from Perkins Coie, underscoring the firm’s commitment to expanding its IP practice. The firm now boasts more than 130 IP lawyers globally, nearly half of whom hold advanced technical degrees. ([sheppardmullin.com](https://www.sheppardmullin.com/pressrelease-1212?utm_source=openai))
Ropes & Gray acknowledged the departure, expressing gratitude for the contributions of the departing lawyers and reaffirming its commitment to the ongoing growth of its IP transactions practice. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/ropes-gray-ip-leader-takes-21-lawyer-team-rival-sheppard-mullin-2025-09-18/?utm_source=openai))
The legal industry has seen a trend of large team transitions, with firms like Crowell & Moring and Reed Smith making similar moves in recent months. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/ropes-gray-ip-leader-takes-21-lawyer-team-rival-sheppard-mullin-2025-09-18/?utm_source=openai))