Francisco A. Villegas

Francisco A. Villegas is a Partner at Villegas & Cefo, LLP, specializing in intellectual property and complex litigation, with a significant focus on patent litigation. His practice spans a diverse range of technology areas, including media streaming, aerospace, artificial intelligence, online gaming, heavy machinery, medical devices, telecommunications, social media, pharmaceuticals, and the Internet of Things.

Villegas's experience encompasses both patent assertion and defense. While the firm's tracked litigation shows appearances primarily for plaintiffs, his individual professional profile highlights extensive work on both sides of patent disputes. He has represented clients ranging from institutional patent clients to major international technology companies and retailers.

His notable outcomes include securing an $8 million jury verdict for a medical device company in a patent trial concerning cardiac stents and obtaining jury verdicts of invalidity for a gaming machine manufacturer facing software patent claims. Villegas has also achieved summary judgment of noninfringement for an international manufacturer and negotiated favorable settlements in various patent infringement actions, including those involving industrial automation, fire suppression, VoIP technology, online sales methods, user privacy technology, and foundational media streaming patents.

Villegas is experienced in post-grant proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, including inter partes reviews (IPR), reissues, and ex parte reexaminations, with one case notably stayed pending IPR. He earned his J.D. from Cornell Law School in 1999, an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University in 1996, and a B.S.B.A. in Mechanical Engineering and Political Science from Stanford University in 1994. He is admitted to practice in New York, California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, various U.S. District Courts, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.