John M. Neukom

John M. Neukom is a seasoned patent litigator with a focus on high-stakes intellectual property disputes within the technology sector. His practice encompasses a range of areas including semiconductors, network security, software, and the Internet of Things. Neukom primarily represents defendants, advising major Bay Area and Fortune 500 technology companies against claims of patent, copyright, and trade secret infringement. He has a strong track record of defending clients, having reportedly defeated over $6 billion in claims.

Currently a partner in the Intellectual Property Litigation Group at Debevoise & Plimpton's San Francisco office, Neukom joined the firm in March 2022. Prior to Debevoise, he served as Co-Head of the Intellectual Property Litigation practice at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in Palo Alto, and before that, was a partner at Quinn Emanuel in San Francisco. He is lead counsel for Fortinet, Inc. in ongoing patent litigation, including Skysong Innovations, LLC v. Fortinet, Inc. Other notable representations include successfully defending Fortinet against patent claims by Realtime, which resulted in dismissal affirmed by the Federal Circuit, and achieving a dismissal for GAF in an ITC investigation, where all asserted claims were subsequently invalidated at the PTAB, also affirmed by the Federal Circuit. He has litigated over 100 IP disputes and taken 21 cases to trial verdict or arbitration award.

Neukom regularly handles proceedings before the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), in addition to federal and state courts. He has successfully argued appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Ninth Circuit. He earned his J.D. from Stanford Law School in 2004, an M.A. from Yale University in 2001, and a B.A. from Dartmouth College in 1997. Neukom is admitted to practice in California.