Sheppard Mullin

With expertise in a variety of practices, including corporate, litigation, employment, intellectual property, antitrust, and finance, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP has grown aggressively in recent times. The firm has added several industry-focused practices, including healthcare, insurance, and entertainment work, and serves clients such as Allstate Insurance, Disney, Mastercard, Peloton, and Spotify.

Starting Up

Sheppard Mullin, as it is known today, entered the world in 1927 as Haight & Mathes, the brainchild of two young lawyers who left a small Los Angeles firm to strike out on their own. James Sheppard joined the nascent firm the following year. Name partners J. Stanley Mullin and George Richter cut their teeth as law clerks during the waning days of the Great Depression. With the 1938 hiring of Harvard grad Gordon Hampton, the firm’s quartet on the nameplate was complete and has been maintained through today; such longevity is rare in this age of mergers, spinoffs, and partner raids. Given the history of prestigious attorneys who have graced Sheppard Mullin’s halls, the firm’s continued success and growth are no surprise.

They’ve Got It Covered

You may need an abacus to count all of the industries that Sheppard Mullin supports. The firm’s history includes experience in blockchain, cannabis, venture capital, entertainment, esports, financial services, healthcare, insurance, life sciences, private equity, REIT, and transportation.

The firm is well-known for its labor and employment practice—which ranks among the top 20 in Vault’s practice area ranking. Sheppard Mullin attorneys counsel all types of clients, from Fortune 100 companies to startups. They serve as a go-to employment counselor for many clients by providing advice on employment agreements, employee arbitration agreements and handbooks, sexual harassment policies, and other workplace issues. Sheppard Mullin lawyers also handle myriad employment litigation issues—from affirmative action, discrimination, and whistle blower actions to wage and hour matters. In addition, the firm counsels clients on union management and relations.

Sheppard Mullin also boasts a reputable and growing healthcare practice, with more than 230 lawyers handling some of the largest healthcare services deal aimed to accelerate innovation in primary care deliver, enhance the healthcare experience, and improve patient health outcomes. Using a cross-disciplinary approach, these attorneys handle a range of issues related to healthcare, including antitrust, compliance, cybersecurity, fraud, HIPAA, licensing, litigation, private equity, and regulatory matters.

Supporting Diversity

When it comes to diversity and inclusion, Sheppard Mullin puts its money where its mouth is. In addition to its affinity groups for its women, people of color, veterans, and LGBTQ+ individuals, the firm has gender-neutral parental leave and mentoring programs. Moreover, the firm gives billable hour credit for attorney participation in external diversity programs such as MCCA, LCLD, and CMCP. In addition, the firm has achieved Mansfield Certification Plus six years in a row and has been listed in Seramount’s Best Law Firms for Women and Diversity for seven consecutive years. In 2019, the firm announced its sponsorship of the LA Galaxy OC Women’s Soccer Team—an effort to support the local community and demonstrate its commitment to women’s empowerment.

• Represented The Town FCin a sequence of transactions to launch the new professional soccer organization in San Francisco, including rebranding the San Jose Earthquakes' second team as The Town FC, and enabling The Town FC to serve as the Earthquakes' commercial agent while participating in the MLS Next Pro league.
• Represented UCI Health in its $975 million acquisition of four Tenet Healthcare Hospitals and UCLA Health in its acquisition of HCA’s West Hills Hospital and Medical Center.
• Won a unanimous jury verdict on behalf of Chanel for trademark infringement claims against luxury reseller What Goes Around Comes Around.
• Advised Wells Fargo in connection with a $431 million tax equity commitment to finance ArevonEnergy Inc.’s $1.1 billion Eland 2 Solar-plus-Storage Project in Kern County, California.

• Ranked #9 among Summer Associate Satisfaction Survey rankings, 2023—The American Lawyer
• Named a “Best Law Firm for Women and Diversity,” 2023—Seramount-Working Mother Magazine
• Ranked #29 nationally in the Midlevel Associates Survey, 2023—The American Lawyer
• Awarded “Healthcare Firm of the Year,” “M&A Deal of the Year” and “Private Equity Deal of the Year,” 2024—Global M&A Network
• Best Places to Work: Dallas and New York, 2023