Brian C. Barnes

Brian C. Barnes is a patent litigation attorney and Partner at Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear, where he was elevated to partner effective January 1, 2026. His practice focuses on strategic patent litigation across a range of complex technologies, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices. He frequently handles cases involving cardiovascular devices like heart valves and thrombectomy systems, and has experience with litigations under the Hatch-Waxman Act for generic pharmaceutical companies.

Mr. Barnes primarily represents innovators and companies on the defendant side in intellectual property disputes, guiding them through infringement actions and defenses. This aligns with his tracked appearances, which show three defendant-side representations and no plaintiff-side appearances.

His notable case experience includes representing Imperative Care, Inc. as a defendant in Inari Medical, Inc. v. Imperative Care, Inc., a patent infringement lawsuit concerning thrombectomy systems. In this case, the district court denied Inari's motion for a preliminary injunction against Imperative Care, citing serious questions regarding patent validity. Additionally, Mr. Barnes was part of the Knobbe Martens team that secured an appellate victory for Edwards Lifesciences in a patent infringement dispute involving prosthetic heart valve technology, which included affirming a judgment of non-infringement.

Mr. Barnes is also recognized for his significant experience before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), where he has secured the cancellation of challenged patent claims in numerous inter partes reviews (IPRs). He was involved in parallel IPR proceedings related to the Inari Medical litigation and contributed to the successful invalidation of claims via IPR in the Edwards Lifesciences matter. He is admitted to the State Bar of Colorado and California, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He earned his J.D., summa cum laude, from Duke University School of Law in 2018, and clerked for the Honorable Todd M. Hughes at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.