Daniel F. Roland

Daniel F. Roland is a patent litigation partner at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, based in Washington, DC. He focuses his practice on patent and trade secret litigation before U.S. district courts, managing all aspects of cases from pre-suit investigations through trial. Roland’s technical experience emphasizes mechanical and electro-mechanical technologies, and he represents clients across diverse sectors including pharmaceutical, vehicular, industrial manufacturing, consumer goods, electronics, and sports and fitness.

Roland demonstrates versatility in his practice, representing both plaintiffs and defendants in patent disputes, as reflected in his equal distribution of appearances on both sides of cases. Prior to rejoining Finnegan in January 2024, he served as a trial attorney and lead counsel in the Civil Division, National Courts Section, at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), where he managed cases before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the Court of Federal Claims, and the Court of International Trade. He initially began his legal career at Finnegan as a summer associate.

His notable representations include appearing as counsel in Samsung Semiconductor Inc. et al. v. W&W Sens Devices Inc. He has also represented defendants in patent and trade secret claims related to post-harvest ripening control technology (AgroFresh Inc. v. Decco U.S. Post-Harvest, Inc. et al.) and was part of a team defending trade secrets involving insurance and annuities computer software systems (Computer Sciences Corporation v. Tata Consultancy Services Limited et al.). Additionally, he has represented Eli Lilly in Hatch-Waxman litigation concerning Cialis® (Eli Lilly and Company v. Actavis Labs. UT Inc.) and Zimmer in patent infringement suits for personal protection equipment (Stryker Corp. v. Zimmer, Inc.).

Roland possesses extensive experience with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), including prosecuting patent applications and participating in post-grant proceedings such as Inter Partes Reviews (IPR) and Post-Grant Reviews (PGR). He is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and Maryland, before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and the U.S. Court of International Trade. He earned his J.D., with high honors, from George Washington University Law School in 2013, and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland in 2005. He also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Alvin A. Schall at the Federal Circuit.