Overview
Introduction
Founded in 2010 by former Kirkland & Ellis attorney John Desmarais, Desmarais LLP focuses primarily on trial and appellate-level intellectual property litigation, including matters involving patent infringement, counterfeiting, trademark, and trade dress, and the firm handles both plaintiff and defense cases. Clients range from Fortune 100 companies to individuals and include major names such as Apple, IBM, Enzo Biochem, and GSK. Desmarais eschews the traditional billable hour model; the firm works with clients to set fee arran...
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2024)
No. of Partners Named (2023)
Featured Rankings
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2023)
No. of Summer Associates (2023)
No. of U.S. Offices
Vault Verdict
To steal a phrase from ‘Hamilton’ on Broadway, Desmarais is “young, scrappy, and hungry.” In fewer than 15 years, Desmarais has made a name for itself as a destination for IP litigators who want to practice at the highest levels. Youth and innovation lead to advantages such as the ability to remodel the business of law. For example, Desmarais has eliminated the billable hour structure in favor of a variety of fee arrangements suited to each client. Moreover, this strategy was not conducive to a billable hour requirement, and attorneys appreciate freedom from billable-related worries. Although the workload can be intense, in part because of the firm’s lean staffing practices, compensation that is significantly above the market rate rewards associates for their commitment. In anothe...
About the Firm
In 2010, John Desmarais left a successful patent litigation practice with Kirkland & Ellis to hang a shingle with some of his former Kirkland colleagues. The result was Desmarais LLP, now a successful and expanding midsize law firm focused primarily on trial and appellate-level patent litigation. The firm represents a wide array of plaintiffs and defendants, including tech giants, such as Apple, Cisco, Google, IBM, Samsung, and Intel, and major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, such as GlaxoSmithKline and Johnson & Johnson, respectively. The firm also represents smaller clients who seek to obtain exclusive rights to their inventions or technology.
Small Firm, Big Results
At its core, Desmarais is a trial firm adept at handling all stages of litigation. The fir...
Associate Reviews
- “The organic socialization tends to be better than the firm-sponsored socialization events. Associates are generally pretty social with each other during the work day (casual coffee outings, walking to get lunch and eating it in a conference room). ... The staff are all fantastic at what they do and are extremely beneficial [to] the firm. They work tirelessly to make sure everything is done on time and are very important to the firm's success.”
- “The firm has a great collegial culture. People are always collaborating on various cases or chatting in the hallway. A number of us are good friends and regularly spend time together socially. We also have two firmwide lunches a week (by office) where we all eat together.”
- “Our firm has a social culture that is definitely more personable and relaxed compared to that of the stereotypical BigLaw firm. The day-to-day atmosphere is friendly. At the same time, it is certainly a place where everyone cares about their work and, therefore, works hard. The firm has been particularly busy the past year.”
- “Lawyers socialize and do so organically. Atmosphere is relaxed, collegial, and egalitarian.”
Why Work Here
We believe that Desmarais LLP is the best place to practice high-stakes, technology-related litigation. Whether you are a law student, a recent graduate, or an experienced attorney, our unique combination of small-firm culture and big-firm work provides a terrific environment to learn and grow your practice. In addition, our unparalleled practice and training programs offer the opportunity for each lawyer to accelerate his or her professional development.
Firm Culture: Desmarais LLP is a collegial workplace where all employees are treated with respect. We offer an informal, relaxed atmosphere which includes having lunch weekly.
Getting Hired Here
- “We are looking for people interested in technology and litigation. We tend to hire from T14 and regional schools near our offices but not exclusively.”
- “The firm is looking for competent candidates, but they also need to have the right interpersonal skills and oral advocacy skills.”
- “... I think the most important quality we look for is initiative, and prior work experience is a major resume point.”
- “The firm frequently hires from top law schools and seems to seek candidates with STEM backgrounds who have good grades in both law school and [as an] undergrad. Because this is a narrow pool of people, you will probably have a good chance of getting an offer if you check these boxes and have a pleasant personality.”
Perks & Benefits