Former U.S. District Judge Alan Albright has joined the law firm A&O Shearman as an intellectual property litigation partner in Austin, Texas. The firm announced the hire on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, following Albright’s retirement from the federal bench on Monday, August 31, 2026. Albright previously presided over the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in Waco, which became a primary venue for patent disputes during his tenure.
Albright was appointed to the federal court by President Donald Trump in 2018 after serving as a patent litigator at Bracewell LLP. During his time on the bench, his court handled a significant portion of the nation's patent litigation, reaching a peak of approximately 25% of all such cases in the United States. He relocated his residence from Waco to Austin in 2025 and announced his intention to resign from the judiciary in April 2026.
The concentration of cases in Albright’s court drew criticism from lawmakers, including Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), who argued the venue attracted plaintiffs seeking specific legal advantages. In 2021, they requested a review by Chief Justice John Roberts, leading to a 2022 order by then-Chief Judge Orlando Garcia to randomly assign Waco patent cases among various judges. Following this change, the Western District's share of new U.S. patent filings fell to 11.5% by 2025.
The transition from the bench to a private firm like A&O Shearman—created by the 2024 merger of Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling—follows a shift in the distribution of patent cases. By 2025, the Western District of Texas had seen its share of new patent filings drop from 25% to 11.5%, while the Eastern District of Texas became the most prominent venue with 27.7% of filings.
The move also concludes a period of debate regarding "forum shopping," where plaintiffs choose specific courts they believe are more favorable to their claims. Albright began his new role as a partner on September 1, 2026, while the federal court system continues to operate under the 2022 random-assignment rules intended to address case concentration in Waco.