Heidi L. Keefe

Heidi L. Keefe is a first-chair patent trial lawyer and a partner at Cooley LLP based in Palo Alto. Her practice is focused on defending major technology companies in complex, high-stakes patent litigation. A former astrophysicist and registered patent attorney, she handles disputes across a range of technical disciplines, including software, social media, augmented reality, and medical devices. Her clients have included Meta (Facebook), Niantic, Atlassian, Snap, and ServiceNow. The provided case list, which includes appearances for Meta, Atlassian, and Niantic, shows she works exclusively on the defense side for operating companies.

Keefe has secured significant victories for her clients in federal court and at the appellate level. In the tracked case NantWorks, LLC v. Niantic, Inc., she was lead counsel for Niantic and secured a Federal Circuit affirmance in April 2026 of a district court judgment invalidating augmented reality patents. She has played a lead role in Meta's patent litigation for over a decade, winning defense verdicts in jury trials, including one concerning Facebook's "Like" button, and successfully resolving a high-profile dispute with Yahoo. She also achieved a favorable outcome for ServiceNow against Hewlett-Packard by getting four patents invalidated, leading to a subsequent settlement.

In addition to her district court and appellate practice, Keefe has extensive experience before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). Her firm biography notes that she regularly handles PTAB proceedings and has been recognized as one of the top attorneys appearing before the board. She has successfully used IPRs to invalidate patents asserted against clients like Facebook.

Keefe earned her J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law and her B.A. from Wellesley College. She is admitted to practice in California and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.