James D. Stein

James D. Stein is a patent litigation attorney primarily focusing on post-grant review procedures and other complex patent matters. With nearly two decades of experience in patent law, he specializes in AIA trials before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), including inter partes review (IPR) and post-grant review (PGR), as well as patent reexamination. His extensive PTAB experience includes involvement in over 120 IPRs since 2012, working on behalf of both petitioners and patent owners.

Mr. Stein is currently a partner at Lee & Hayes, P.C., a role he has held since September 2018. Prior to joining Lee & Hayes, he was with Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner since July 2006. His background also includes serving as a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) from 2004 to 2006, which informs his strategic approach to patent prosecution in the context of litigation.

His practice encompasses patent-heavy aspects of litigation, such as invalidity, infringement, expert discovery, claim construction, and summary judgment, along with appeals to the Federal Circuit from PTAB decisions. A notable example of his work includes his role as lead counsel in developing the "Sand Revolution stipulation," which was adopted by the PTAB as informative for undercutting Fintiv challenges. He also contributed to early IPRs that helped establish precedents for the one-year time bar and real party-in-interest determinations under Section 315(b). His single tracked appearance, representing the defendant in Munich Re America Services, Inc. v. Intellectual Ventures I LLC, aligns with his demonstrated expertise in defending operating companies against patent assertion entities through PTAB proceedings.

A recognized authority in his field, Mr. Stein co-authored the second edition of the ABA's Practitioner's Guide to Trials Before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and serves as vice chair of the PTAB Bar Association's Communications Committee. He earned his Juris Doctor from The Catholic University of America between 2006 and 2010, and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Rutgers University (1999-2004).