Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. chief legal officer Song Liuping might have seemed hyperbolic when he said in a recent press conference that U.S. politicians are using the strength of an entire nation to come after a private company. But the Chinese telecommunications giant is now besieged by an unprecedented raft of enforcement actions in the United States.

Not too long ago, Huawei and fellow Shenzhen, China-based technology giant ZTE Corp. were forces in the global market and darlings of Big Law. The companies (and their large patent portfolios) are among the most sought-after clients for U.S. firms, especially intellectual property specialists.