An intellectual property lawyer in Los Angeles might spend Monday defending a pop song against a plagiarism claim, Tuesday arguing over a semiconductor patent, and Wednesday clearing a trademark for a skincare startup in Venice. Few cities pack that much creative and technical output into one federal court district. Hollywood studios, record labels, aerospace contractors, toy makers, and thousands of direct-to-consumer brands all depend on owning what they create.
That range is exactly why “best IP lawyer” is the wrong question. The right question is which kind of IP problem you have. The five attorneys and firms below each lead in a different corner of the field. Their records, rankings, and current 2026 recognition are all on the public record.
The IP Basics Every LA Business Should Know
These rules come up again and again in Los Angeles IP disputes:
- Copyright registration: You generally must register a U.S. work with the Copyright Office before you can sue for infringement. The Supreme Court confirmed this in 2019.
- Statutory damages: Willful copyright infringement can bring up to $150,000 per work, even without proof of actual losses.
- Trademark fees: Since January 18, 2025, the USPTO’s base application fee is $350 per class of goods or services, with surcharges for custom descriptions.
- Patent term: A U.S. utility patent generally lasts 20 years from its filing date.
- Trade secrets and non-competes: California voids most employee non-compete agreements, so companies rely heavily on trade secret law to protect confidential information.
- AI and likeness: Since January 1, 2025, California law restricts unauthorized AI “digital replicas” of performers’ voices and likenesses, including those of deceased performers.
- Where cases go: Federal IP lawsuits in Los Angeles are heard in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
Five Los Angeles IP Attorneys at the Top of Their Fields
1. Morgan Chu, Irell & Manella: Patent Litigation
The American Lawyer once called Morgan Chu “the $5 billion man,” a nod to the size of the patent verdicts he has won. Chambers USA’s 2026 guide ranks him as a Senior Statesperson in four categories, including patent litigation and trial lawyers nationwide. In 2025, Lawdragon inducted him into its Global Hall of Fame.
His best-known recent work shows both the size and the risk of patent litigation. For VLSI Technology, he won a $2.18 billion verdict against Intel in Texas in 2021 and another $948 million in 2022. In December 2023, the Federal Circuit threw out part of the first verdict and ordered a new trial on damages for the rest. Patent awards this large are almost always appealed.
Irell & Manella holds a Band 1 Chambers ranking for patent litigation in California. The firm is best suited for companies with high-value technology patents to enforce or defend.
Office: 1800 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067
2. Peter Anderson, Davis Wright Tremaine: Music Copyright
In 2020, the Ninth Circuit ruled for Led Zeppelin in the long-running “Stairway to Heaven” copyright case, and the Supreme Court declined to review it. Peter Anderson led that defense. The decision threw out a decades-old rule that had made it easier for plaintiffs to prove copying, and courts across the country now cite it in music copyright cases.
He has also successfully defended copyright cases brought against The Weeknd, Gwen Stefani, and Pharrell Williams. In 2026, the Daily Journal named him to its list of the Top 100 Intellectual Property Lawyers in California, citing recent wins for Mariah Carey, Cher, and Lil Nas X. Billboard has repeatedly named him one of its Top Music Lawyers.
For songwriters, labels, and artists facing a “your hit copies my song” claim, he is one of the first names worth calling.
Office: 350 South Grand Avenue, 27th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071
3. Michael Zeller, Quinn Emanuel: Trade Secrets
Los Angeles’s most famous trade secret fight was about dolls. Mattel, based in El Segundo, and MGA Entertainment, maker of Bratz, battled for years over who owned the Bratz idea and whether trade secrets had been stolen. Michael Zeller represented Mattel and won a Ninth Circuit ruling that defeated MGA’s trade secret claims.
Zeller leads Quinn Emanuel’s trade secret litigation group from the firm’s Los Angeles headquarters. He brings more than three decades of IP and commercial litigation experience. The firm also holds a Band 1 Chambers ranking for California patent litigation, and its trade secret clients have included Google, General Motors, and Mattel.
This is the firm to call if a departing executive leaves with your source code, customer list, or product roadmap.
Office: 865 South Figueroa Street, 10th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017
4. Aaron Moss, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp: Film, TV, and Trademark Disputes
Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp was founded in 1908, before most of Hollywood’s major studios existed. In March 2025, it added Aaron Moss to lead an expanded entertainment IP litigation team in Los Angeles.
Moss is a former president of the Los Angeles Copyright Society and founded Copyright Lately, a widely read blog on copyright cases. He has practiced for nearly 30 years. Chambers USA 2025 ranked him in Band 3 for California media and entertainment litigation. The firm’s IP practice holds a Band 3 ranking for trademark, copyright, and trade secrets in California.
He is a good fit when a screenplay, TV format, character, or brand name is at the center of a dispute.
Office: 2049 Century Park East, 18th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90067
5. Knobbe Martens, Los Angeles Office: Patents and Trademarks for Growing Companies
Not every IP need ends up in court. Many Los Angeles businesses simply need patents filed correctly and trademarks cleared before launch. Knobbe Martens is one of the largest IP-focused firms on the West Coast, and it has run a Los Angeles office since January 2000.
Managing partner Brian Horne says the office serves “everyone from startups to Fortune 500 companies.” Clients come from industries including consumer goods, apparel, medical devices, software, and electronics. The office handles patent and trademark filings, licensing, venture capital due diligence, and litigation.
Choose this firm if you’re building a product company and want one team to handle patents, trademarks, and enforcement as you grow.
Office: 1925 Century Park East, Suite 400, Los Angeles, CA 90067
Hollywood vs. AI: The Copyright Fight in LA’s Federal Court
The most watched IP case in Los Angeles right now involves no human copier at all. In June 2025, Disney and Universal sued the AI image generator Midjourney in the Central District of California. They called the platform a “bottomless pit of plagiarism” for producing images of characters from franchises such as Star Wars and The Simpsons. Warner Bros. Discovery filed its own suit in September 2025, and the cases were combined that November.
The case is before Judge John Kronstadt. The court referred the parties to private mediation with an August 2026 deadline. As of mid-2026, reports showed the case still in discovery, with no trial date and no ruling yet on fair use.
Whatever happens, the outcome will shape how studios license characters, and how every LA creative business protects its catalog from AI training.
This content is general information, not legal advice. IP rights depend heavily on timing and registration, so speak with a licensed attorney about your specific situation.
Questions People Ask About IP Lawyers in LA
Q1. How much does an intellectual property lawyer cost in Los Angeles?
A: A trademark filing may cost a few thousand dollars including government fees. Patent applications usually cost more, and federal IP litigation can easily reach seven figures through trial.
Q2. Do I need to register my copyright in California?
A: Copyright exists as soon as you create the work, but registration is generally required before suing over a U.S. work and unlocks statutory damages and attorney fees.
Q3. What’s the difference between a patent lawyer and an IP litigator?
A: Patent prosecutors draft and file patent applications and must pass the USPTO’s separate patent bar exam. IP litigators fight infringement cases in court. Big firms usually have both.
Q4. Can I protect my brand name without a federal trademark?
A: Yes, using a name in commerce creates some rights. However, federal registration gives nationwide priority, legal presumptions of ownership, and stronger tools against copycats and counterfeit sellers.
