Despite the loss of some litigators recently, Kirkland & Ellis stayed steady in the rankings due to what legal commentators noted as lesser known but strong lawyers ready to take the reins. "I would still put the firm way up there," said a competitor. "It has a lot of great litigators and is frequently hired to handle top IP cases." The firm's New York office has had significant shifts, with the departures of John Desmarais, who started his own firm last year, Peter Armenio to Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, and Gerald Flattman to Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker. Initial reports indicate the firm has retained most of its clients. Anchored by the highly respected Robert Krupka, the firm's patent practice attracts impressive clientele. Krupka has recently handled matters for Apple, Limelight Networks and Samsung Electronics. "Bob Krupka continues to be a great trial lawyer," observed a competitor.
The arrival of a team of former O'Melveny & Myers attorneys led by Dale Cendali has elevated Kirkland & Ellis in the trade mark and copyright rankings. "[Cendali's] got a fine reputation," said a competitor. He counsels INTA and clients including The Walt Disney Company, Colgate-Palmolive, IBM and Apple. Cendali also represented The Associated Press in a copyright infringement suit against Shepard Fairey over rights in the unlicensed photo used in the Obama Hope poster and other merchandise. The parties reached a confidential settlement early this year.