A. Louis Dorny

A. Louis Dorny is a patent litigation attorney with a distinct focus on defending operating companies in intellectual property disputes. Currently serving as Associate General Counsel for IP Litigation at Tesla Inc., his practice primarily involves representing the electric vehicle manufacturer in complex patent challenges. Dorny has exclusively appeared on the defendant side in all four tracked cases, underscoring a clear preference for defending corporate entities against infringement allegations.

His specialty areas in patent litigation revolve around electric vehicle (EV) charging systems and related software intellectual property. A significant portion of his work, particularly in his in-house role at Tesla, has centered on the litigation ChargeLogic LLC v. Tesla, Inc. (also linked to Charge Fusion Technologies, LLC). In this prominent case, Dorny has been involved in defending Tesla against patent infringement claims concerning EV charging technology, including multiple proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) and appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Dorny's PTAB experience is extensive, with Tesla filing numerous Inter Partes Review (IPR) petitions challenging patents related to EV charging. Notably, in May 2026, the Federal Circuit handed Tesla a partial win in a dispute with Charge Fusion Technologies, LLC, overturning an earlier decision and invalidating one claim of a climate-control charging patent. This followed an earlier split decision in February 2026, where another Charge Fusion patent related to charging automation was upheld by the Federal Circuit, highlighting the intricate nature of these disputes.

Before joining Tesla, Dorny was a partner with Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP, and also held a role at Susman Godfrey, where he appeared as lead counsel in a patent defense matter. He was admitted to the State Bar of California on December 14, 2000.