Lewis Brisbois Boosts IP, Business Litigation Capabilities in Minnesota with New Partner Hire

Minneapolis, Minn. (January 28, 2025) - Lewis Brisbois is pleased to welcome Larina Alton to its Minneapolis office as a partner in the firm’s Intellectual Property & Technology Practice. With almost two decades of experience, Ms. Alton focuses her practice on intellectual property and business litigation, assisting clients across multiple industries and areas of law.

Within the intellectual property space, she handles a wide range of matters, including those involving copyright, trade secret, and trademark issues. Ms. Alton is a registered patent attorney with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and has a strong track record of success in challenging and defending patents. She has served as lead counsel in more than 21 inter partes review proceedings without a single Final Decision loss. Her experience includes successfully handling yearslong litigation related to mechanical and electrical inventions as lead counsel, and first chairing two trials, which she won. In addition to her litigation experience, Ms. Alton advises clients in a variety of areas, including on available or preferable intellectual property protections, licensing, patent portfolio evaluations, and negotiation.

In addition, Ms. Alton’s diverse practice includes cases involving antitrust, securities, contract law, licensing, and cybersecurity issues as well as transactional matters. She handles cases – including large-scale national litigation – in federal and state courts nationwide, from pre-suit evaluation of potential legal claims, damages, and counterclaim risk through trial and appeals. Ms. Alton has managed several appeals in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and will argue an appeal in a shareholder dispute before the Minnesota Supreme Court in March.

When discussing her decision to join Lewis Brisbois, Ms. Alton explained, “I am very enthused about being at the firm. I think that this is going to be a fantastic opportunity. Lewis Brisbois has a strong IP platform and a brand, which is required in this space.”

Co-Chair of the Intellectual Property & Technology Practice Josh Curry noted, “I am so pleased that Larina has joined us. She brings a wealth of experience to our practice, and I look forward to her contributions.”

Ms. Alton received her law and undergraduate degrees from the University of Minnesota. She is admitted to practice in Minnesota and before the USPTO.