Courtland L Reichman

Practice Areas

Courtland Reichman is a broadly-gauged trial lawyer with 30 years of experience in high-exposure intellectual property and commercial litigation. He has been recognized as one of the "Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the U.S.” and the “Top 20 in California” by Benchmark Litigation. Courtland is known for delivering results through comprehensive case strategy, boiling down even the most complex cases into understandable themes, and communicating simply and effectively with judges and juries. He has secured over $1 billion in jury wins since the firm’s launch in 2018.

Courtland’s intellectual property practice focuses on patent, false advertising, copyright and trademark litigation. His complex commercial practice includes issues of constitutional law, energy, antitrust, breach of contract, trade secrets, franchise/distribution, and unfair competition.

Courtland’s appellate practice comprises more than 30 federal appellate arguments, including arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court and the Federal Circuit. Recognized for his exceptional skill in high-stakes trials, he was named one of Bloomberg Law’s 2025 Unrivaled Litigators, an honor awarded to only 32 attorneys nationwide. In 2025, he also received the California Lawyers and Attorneys of the Year (CLAY) award and was named Law.com/The Recorder’s Intellectual Property Lawyer of the Year. For three consecutive years, Benchmark Litigation named him “Silicon Valley Litigator of the Year.”

Among his many other accolades, The National Law Journal honored him as a "Plaintiffs’ Trailblazer," and Law360 named him an “Intellectual Property MVP” in 2024, one of only seven IP litigators ranked nationwide. Chambers USA has praised him as a leading intellectual property lawyer, with sources describing him as "incredibly strategic,” noting his “remarkable ability to connect with juries and a gift for reducing even the most complicated matters to their essence, communicating them in a way jurors can understand,” and highlighting “his ability to develop a legal and business vision, and then strategize and execute to achieve spectacular end results.”

Courtland graduated, with honors, from Swarthmore College, with a degree in economics, after which he worked as an associate economist at the RAND Corporation, publishing a number of articles and a book involving labor economics. He later graduated Order of the Coif from Emory University School of Law, where he was managing editor of the Emory Law Journal. Courtland served as a law clerk to the Honorable R. Lanier Anderson III on the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

Prior to founding Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg LLP, Courtland served as Managing Principal of McKool Smith’s Silicon Valley office and as Global Chair of King & Spalding’s 150-lawyer Intellectual Property Group and as Managing Partner of the firm’s San Francisco and Silicon Valley offices.

Intellectual Property Trial Practice

Courtland has represented clients in over 100 patent cases. The subject matter of these cases involved a wide variety of technologies, including electrical engineering, software, medical devices, computer science, semiconductors, mechanical engineering, optics, digital television, life sciences, chemistry, health supplements, design patents, fluid dynamics, and polyurethane bags. He has litigated patent cases in federal courts across the country, and before the International Trade Commission (ITC), where his representation includes one of the largest-ever ITC patent infringement actions.

Courtland also has a leading practice in trademark and false advertising litigation, having represented companies owning the world’s most valuable trademarks. He has extensive experience litigating false advertising cases related to a wide variety of industries, such as pharmaceuticals, chemical engineering, consumer products, media, electronics, health, fitness, food, and beverages. Courtland has successfully handled dozens of temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction hearings.

Commercial Trial Practice

Courtland has similarly extensive expertise in complex commercial litigation. He has represented plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of high-exposure cases, including trade secrets, antitrust, constitutional law, energy disputes, franchise and distribution, whistleblower actions, breach of restrictive covenants, unfair competition, breach of contract, licensing, automotive dealer laws, and partnership disputes. Courtland’s clients praise his ability to quickly master complex facts and laws with an eye toward effective communication with juries.

Behind The Trial Podcast

Courtland was a creator and host of a popular podcast called “Behind The Trial.” The episodes feature Courtland’s interviews with the most celebrated trial lawyers in the U.S. about the art of persuasion. The podcast goes behind the scenes for intimate, in-depth discussions about persuasion techniques that are passed on by oral tradition. It strives to capture the unique voice and style of each trial star by covering their best practices for presenting to judges and juries, pitfalls to avoid, and their secrets for convincing juries. It also examines the role of juries and trial lawyers in society. The podcast is available on most platforms, such as iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and GooglePlay.

Behind the Trial won The National Law Journal’s 2018 “Go-To Thought Leader” award. The recipients were selected by The National Law Review’s editors from a pool of over 100,000 legal news and analysis articles.

COMMUNITY & PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Courtland devotes a substantial portion of his practice to public interest matters. He has represented clients in pro bono litigation involving civil rights, indigent defense, and special appeals. Courtland founded the Indigent Defense Project, through which lawyers represented impoverished felony defendants in rural counties. He has handled numerous successful civil rights lawsuits addressing mistreatment in jails and prisons, including the beating death of a young inmate in South Georgia.

Courtland’s pro bono efforts include representing the Mayor’s Commission on Homelessness. He also represented the city of Atlanta in connection with its panhandling ordinance. In 2001, Courtland received the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Young Lawyers Award for his commitment to securing justice and fair treatment for all people. Courtland’s pro bono work has been profiled by major media outlets, including CNN, and several newspapers and magazines. He was previously awarded Emory University School of Law’s first Distinguished Young Alumnus Award.

Courtland serves on the Board of Silicon Valley Campaign for Legal Services. He previously served on the Bench & Bar Conference Planning Committee for the Federal Circuit Bar Association, on the Eleventh Circuit advisory committee in connection with its annual conference, and as chair of the Veteran’s Committee for the Federal Circuit Bar Association. He served as president of the Board of Directors of the Living Room (a nonprofit providing housing support and services for the HIV positive homeless population), on the Board of Directors of the Southern Center for Human Rights, and as an elder at Morningside Presbyterian Church.

Rankings & Honors

Benchmark Litigation, Top 100 Trial Lawyer in the U.S. and Top 20 Trial Lawyer in California

Bloomberg Law, Unrivaled Litigators 2025, among only 32 attorneys recognized nationwide

Chambers USA, Leading Intellectual Property Litigator

Daily Journal, California Lawyers and Attorneys of the Year (CLAY) Award 2025

Daily Journal, Top 100 Lawyer, 2025

Law.com and The Recorder, Intellectual Property Lawyer of the Year Winner 2025

Law.com and The Recorder, Intellectual Property Lawyer of the Year Finalist 2024

Law360, Intellectual Property MVP 2024, one among only seven IP litigators ranked nationwide

Law360, Intellectual Property Practice Group of the Year 2024

The National Law Journal, Elite Boutique Trailblazer and Plaintiffs’ Trailblazer

Benchmark Litigation, Three-Time Winner of Silicon Valley Litigator of the Year (2020–2022)

IAM Patent 1000, The World’s Leading Patent Professionals

Managing IP, IP/Patent Star

Lawdragon 500 Leading Global IP Lawyers Guide

Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America Guide

The American Lawyer, Litigator of the Week 2024

The American Lawyer, Litigator of the Week 2021

Law360, Legal Lion of the Week

The Legal 500, Leading U.S. Patent Litigator and Leading Lawyer; recommended for "applying legal tools to resolve commercial issues,” "analyzing issues from a broad perspective and developing pragmatic strategies,” and providing "sound pragmatic advice."

Best Lawyers, Intellectual Property Litigation & Trade Secrets Law

Emory University School of Law, Inaugural Distinguished Young Alumnus Award

Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Young Lawyers Award for commitment to securing justice and fair treatment for all people

Best Lawyers Magazine, Attorney of the Year in San Jose Metro Area (Silicon Valley)

Peer Recognition, Best Attorneys in California

Georgia Trend Magazine, Legal Elite

Fulton County Daily Report, One of 10 Georgia lawyers predicted to make a mark on the profession

Georgia Super Lawyers Magazine, Super Lawyers list

Georgia Super Lawyers Magazine, Rising Star list, including profile of practice

The National Law Journal, Top 40 Under 40 lawyers in the U.S. (earlier in career)

Education