IP Litigation Boutique Desmarais Branches Out to San Francisco

The high-end intellectual property litigation boutique Desmarais has opened a San Francisco office, the first new branch since the New York-based firm was established in 2010 by a former Kirkland & Ellis practice leader.

The Desmarais expansion comes after a string of wins for the 55-lawyer firm, including an $82.5 million verdict on behalf of IBM in a patent infringement suit against Groupon.

“We’re thrilled to be expanding in San Francisco,” said firm founding partner John Desmarais in a statement. “It’s the center of both the technology and biotech industries, and this provides a great opportunity to strengthen our relationships ...