Morrison Foerster

Morrison Foerster complements its capabilities in stateside intellectual property (IP), finance, life sciences, technology, and litigation with a long reach across the Pacific Rim and into Europe.

From the Golden Gate to the Great Wall

More than 140 years ago, the firm that has become today’s Morrison Foerster was founded in San Francisco. The firm ventured out of Northern California in the 1970s, opening offices in LA and DC. In the 1980s, the firm grew swiftly, adding offices in London and Japan and establishing a footprint in New York. The firm has also had a presence in China for more than 40 years.

Innovation Nation

MoFo provides counsel across a variety of sectors, including AI, ESG and sustainability, fintech, food and agriculture, government strategies, interactive and digital media, life sciences and healthcare, semiconductors, and tech. Its clients include some of the largest financial institutions, Fortune 100 companies, and leading tech and life sciences companies.

The firm is well-known for its experience in emerging companies and venture capital (ECVC) and IP matters and has consistently been among the top 10 Best Firms for Emerging Companies & Venture Capital and Intellectual Property in Vault’s rankings. The firm’s regulatory practice is also highly respected, especially with regard to privacy and data security; in fact, the firm is among the top five firms in Vault’s Privacy & Data Security rankings.

In the realm of ECVC, the firm provides comprehensive legal support to startups and investors, facilitating their growth and innovation. The firm offers comprehensive patent services, with a patent litigation practice renowned for its strategic handling of complex disputes, offering clients robust defense and prosecution capabilities. Its patent strategy and prosecution team is adept at navigating the intricacies of IP law, ensuring clients’ innovations are protected and leveraged effectively. Additionally, the firm’s privacy and data security expertise provides clients with essential guidance to safeguard sensitive information and comply with evolving regulations in today’s digital landscape.

Investing in Associates

MoFo distinguishes itself by not only hiring talent but also by actively investing in it, fostering a supportive environment for professional growth. The firm’s initiatives, such as the Ready to Launch and Wetmore Bridge programs, are designed to ease the transition from law school to practice through personalized coaching, management skills workshops, and professional development sessions. Its MyMoFo success framework offers clear performance expectations, enabling attorneys to effectively manage their career progression. MoFo Next, the firm’s center for career advancement, provides lifelong support for exploring diverse career paths and leveraging client relationships for secondments and full-time opportunities. Additionally, MoFo’s market-leading Associate Bonus program rewards contributions beyond billable hours, including pro bono work, diversity and inclusion efforts, and business development activities.

• Served as lead counsel to Sprint and SoftBank in the landmark $59 billion merger between Sprint and T-Mobile and Sprint’s related sale of ~$5 billion in prepaid assets to DISH Network, one of the most significant telecommunications transactions since the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
• Lead counsel to OpenAI in all its current intellectual property litigation matters. MoFo represents OpenAI in precedent-setting copyright cases involving the data used to train AI models (Does v. OpenAI, Tremblay v. OpenAI, Silverman v. OpenAI, and Authors Guild v. OpenAI). As these proposed class actions wind their way through the courts, MoFo lawyers are helping to shape numerous issues of first impression.
• Represented SoftBank, a lead investor in a new financing round in OpenAI, the world’s leading AI research and development company. The round size is up to $40 billion, which makes this the largest investment round by a venture-backed startup in history.
• Served as co-counsel in Cayla J. v. State of California, a $2 billion settlement to support California students who fell behind during the COVID-19 pandemic—one of the largest education-related settlements in U.S. history.

• A-List Top 15, 2024—The American Lawyer
• Mansfield Rule Certification Plus, 2024—Diversity Lab
• Best Law Firms for Talent, 2025—Seramount
• 100% rating on the Corporate Equality Index, 2025—Human Rights Campaign