Latham & Watkins announced that renowned intellectual property trial lawyer Kieran Kieckhefer has joined the firm’s Bay Area offices as a partner in the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice. Kieckhefer brings extensive experience handling high-stakes patent, trade secrets, copyright, and technology-related litigation across sectors including semiconductor manufacturing, AI, robotics, enterprise software, and cloud computing.
The firm said Kieckhefer’s arrival strengthens its IP Litigation Practice and reinforces its position as a destination for elite technology trial talent. She has served as first-chair counsel in complex intellectual property disputes involving patent infringement, trade secrets, employment-related claims, and Lanham Act matters in federal courts across multiple jurisdictions.
Latham highlighted Kieckhefer’s ability to translate highly technical subject matter into persuasive trial narratives while aligning litigation strategies with broader commercial and competitive goals. The firm also noted her substantial appellate experience, particularly before the Federal Circuit.
Kieckhefer joined Latham from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in San Francisco. She earned her JD from the University of Wisconsin Law School and a BS in mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Latham & Watkins LLP said the move enhances its ability to support clients facing increasingly complex technology disputes tied to corporate transactions, competition, and global commercial activity.
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“We are thrilled to welcome Kieran to Latham. Her exceptional trial experience and technical fluency align squarely with our clients’ needs, particularly as complex disputes increasingly arise out of corporate, transactional, and competitive activity.”
Mark Bekheit, Managing Partner, Bay Area Offices, Latham & Watkins
“Kieran exemplifies the caliber of trial lawyer we continue to attract to Latham. She brings deep intellectual property trial capabilities that complement our work across complex commercial litigation, antitrust, and transaction-driven disputes, strengthening our ability to deliver integrated, high-impact advocacy for technology clients. She further underscores Latham’s standing as a top destination for elite trial talent.”
Michele Johnson, Global Chair, Litigation & Trial Department, Latham & Watkins
“Kieran is a phenomenal addition to our team whose experience, spanning both hardware and software, will be invaluable to clients as disputes in these sectors become more complex, global, and commercially consequential. She is widely regarded as a go-to trial lawyer with the technical understanding and judgment required for bet-the-company disputes, and her arrival at Latham bolsters our leading IP litigation presence in the Bay Area and beyond.”
Mike Morin, Global Chair, Intellectual Property Litigation Practice, Latham & Watkins
“I am delighted to join Latham’s premier IP Litigation Practice and grow my technology-focused practice on the firm’s exceptional platform, with a top-tier brand, global reach, and a truly collaborative culture. I look forward to working closely with colleagues across offices and practices to deliver solutions for clients navigating their most critical intellectual property challenges.”
Kieran Kieckhefer, Partner, Latham & Watkins
