Daniel S. Block

Daniel S. Block is a Director in the Electronics Practice Group at Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox, specializing in high-stakes patent litigation in federal district courts and Section 337 investigations at the International Trade Commission (ITC). Drawing on his background as a software developer, he possesses deep technical expertise across areas such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, telecommunications, networking, computer architecture, data center infrastructure, computer graphics, and web services. Block also leads the firm's Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiatives, including the development of in-house software tools for legal AI, reflecting his strong command of technology within legal practice.

Block primarily defends operating companies against assertions by non-practicing entities (NPEs), although he represents both patent owners and accused infringers. His practice emphasizes early dispositive strategies, including Section 101 motions, and coordinated district court defense strategies. He has exclusively represented defendants in all four of his tracked appearances.

He is highly active in post-grant proceedings, having led over 100 inter partes reviews (IPRs) and post-grant reviews (PGRs) before the USPTO's Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). Block was ranked among Patexia's “100 Best Performing Attorneys Representing Patent Owners” before the PTAB in 2023.

His notable representations include securing a dismissal with prejudice for Roku, Inc. in a seven-patent streaming dispute (VideoLabs, Inc. v. Roku, Inc.), and successfully defending Block, Inc. with a Section 101 motion to dismiss in EscapeX IP LLC v. Block Inc. (S.D.N.Y.). Block also played a key role in a PTAB win for Roku against Universal Electronics, Inc., where the PTAB found all challenged claims unpatentable after a Federal Circuit remand. Furthermore, he led the technical team in Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals v. Airgas Therapeutics (D. Del.), securing a $9.5 million willful infringement jury verdict. Block earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School and holds a B.S. in computer science from the Rochester Institute of Technology.