Darren Franklin Email & Phone Number

I am a partner at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP in the firm's intellectual property practice group. Since 2003, I have represented Sheppard Mullin’s clients in a broad range of intellectual property matters, including patent litigation, patent post-grant proceedings, patent prosecution, trademark litigation, and trade secret litigation. Before 2003, I practiced intellectual property law in Silicon Valley and served as a law clerk in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.My experience includes representing clients in the U.S. district courts across the country and in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, including before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board in adversarial “inter partes review” proceedings to invalidate patents. I have personally argued five patent cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C., and multiple dispositive motions in the U.S. district courts. I am also a long-time member of Sheppard Mullin’s e-discovery team. In addition to representing clients in litigation, I help clients obtain patents on their innovations, both in the United States and in foreign countries, and manage their intellectual property portfolios. I also provide patent risk assessments for new products and conduct intellectual property due diligence for corporate transactions.My clients are a mix of both large and small technology companies involved in diverse industries, including aerospace, consumer products, electronics, entertainment, fashion, medical devices, and sporting goods. I am a past president of the Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association and was named as a Southern California “Super Lawyer” from 2014 through 2024. I am committed to achieving the best results for my clients, and enjoy working with companies and businesses that are innovative and forward-thinking.

Listed skills include Intellectual Property, Patent Litigation, Patent Prosecution, Litigation, and 14 others.