David A. Nelson

Based on a review of his professional background and authoritative case history, David A. Nelson is a senior patent trial lawyer and Co-Chair of the National Intellectual Property Litigation Practice at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan. His practice focuses on representing large technology companies in high-stakes patent infringement disputes. With an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, his litigation experience covers a wide array of complex technologies, including software, telecommunications, wireless protocols, security software, and computer architecture.

The provided data shows Mr. Nelson exclusively on the defense side for operating companies, where he has acted as lead counsel for clients such as Alphabet Inc. and Samsung Electronics. His broader firm biography reinforces this focus, citing numerous successful defenses for major technology corporations against patent infringement claims. He has extensive trial experience, having tried over 35 jury cases in key patent venues like the Eastern District of Texas, the District of Delaware, and the International Trade Commission (ITC).

Mr. Nelson’s record includes significant courtroom victories. Notably, he has secured complete defense jury verdicts, obtained findings of non-infringement for clients in the ITC, and won summary judgments of invalidity that were later affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. His successful representations include defending Symantec, Microsoft, and IBM, as well as securing a jury verdict for Qualcomm in an offensive case against Apple. While his experience is centered on district court and ITC litigation, specific appearances in IPR or other PTAB proceedings are not noted in publicly available records.

Mr. Nelson is a member of the Illinois bar. He received his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law in 1992.