J. Austin Franklin

J. Austin Franklin is a Partner in the Litigation section at Kelly Hart & Hallman, LLP, focusing his practice on complex commercial and intellectual property disputes in both state and federal courts. His experience in intellectual property includes patent infringement and trade secret matters.

Franklin represents both plaintiffs and defendants, demonstrating a balanced approach to litigation. In tracked patent matters, he has served as local counsel for both sides. Notably, he represented defendant Kubota North America Corporation in Kubota North America Corporation et al. v. Vermeer Manufacturing Co., a patent infringement case in the Northern District of Texas. In that case, a motion to stay pending Inter Partes Reviews (IPRs) and Post-Grant Reviews (PGRs) was granted in March 2025, indicating involvement with PTAB proceedings in conjunction with district court litigation.

Beyond patent litigation, Franklin's broader commercial litigation experience encompasses securing a $7.5 million jury verdict in a warranty and negligent misrepresentation case and defending against multi-million-dollar trade secret claims in a six-week jury trial. Prior to joining Kelly Hart & Hallman in 2020, he served as a law clerk to two judges in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas and on active duty in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps.

Franklin earned his J.D. from Texas Tech University School of Law in 2013, concurrently receiving an M.B.A. from Texas Tech University. He is admitted to the State Bar of Texas (2013), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas.