Turner, Ellisen Shelton

Ellisen Turner is an Intellectual Property partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. He is a well-known IP strategist and litigator who combines business acumen with a deep knowledge of intellectual property law to support his clients’ business goals and maximize the value of their technology. He has helped clients secure victories in patent and trade secret litigations that have led to billions in total client compensation, and has successfully defended matters with billions in revenue at stake. A seasoned negotiator as well, he has closed numerous, highly complex patent licenses and technology transactions.  He received the “MCCA Rainmaker” award from the Minority Corporate Counsel Association and has been recognized as one of the World’s Leading Patent Professionals by Intellectual Asset Magazine, and as the "Patent Litigation Lawyer of the Year" by the Century City Bar Association.

Ellisen represents and counsels clients in complex commercial and intellectual property disputes in federal courts, as well as in the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) and domestic and international arbitrations. With a background in computer engineering, computer science and biomedical engineering, he is known for his sophisticated understanding of the high-tech sector. He concentrates his practice on media and entertainment technology, software, telecom, semiconductor, biotechnology, and life sciences matters.

Ellisen is deeply involved in the Los Angeles community and in national legal organizations. He has been appointed to the Central District of California’s Judicial Merit Selection Panel and serves on the board of the Federal Bar Association’s Los Angeles Chapter. He has also served as the chair and a board member of the Intellectual Property Section of the National Bar Association (NBA). Known as a thought leader on diversity in the legal and STEM fields, Ellisen Co-Chair’s the Kirkland & Ellis Firmwide Diversity & Inclusion Committee.  In 2019, Ellisen was honored with the California Minority Counsel Program (CMCP) Law Firm Diversity Leader Award, which recognizes an individual who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.  Ellisen founded the NBA’s annual Diversity in Tech Awards, which recognize leaders for fostering diversity and inclusion in the STEM and intellectual property fields. Chambers-rated in Intellectual Property, and recognized among The Best Lawyers in America, Ellisen’s successes have garnered him numerous accolades, including being named one of the 40 "Most Influential Minority Attorneys" in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal. One of the few African-Americans to have led an Am Law 200 firm, Ellisen is also the former Managing partner of Irell & Manella LLP.