John V. Picone III

John V. Picone III is a prominent patent litigator and the leader of the Intellectual Property practice group at Spencer Fane. He joined Spencer Fane as a partner in March 2024, having previously practiced at Hopkins & Carley. Picone's practice is centered on complex intellectual property litigation, encompassing patents, trademarks, copyright, and trade secrets, as well as technology-centric civil and criminal disputes.

His technological expertise is broad, covering areas such as semiconductors, software and programming languages, encryption, cellular/wireless technology, mining equipment and processes, avionics, optics, and e-commerce models. While his firm's Intellectual Property team boasts diverse technical backgrounds across various engineering and scientific disciplines, Picone's leadership ensures a comprehensive approach to protecting clients' innovations in industries ranging from medical and telecommunications to automotive and aerospace.

Picone primarily defends companies against allegations of patent infringement, as evidenced by his appearances as counsel for defendants in tracked cases, including Midwest Energy Emissions Corp. et al. v. Tucson Electric Power Co. et al. Beyond defensive postures, he has notably advanced antitrust claims against major software companies and patent holders who concealed interests or breached disclosure obligations to benefit their intellectual property. The Spencer Fane IP team also actively engages with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, handling inter partes review, post-grant proceedings, and appeals before the Federal Circuit.

John Picone earned his Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University School of Law, an M.A. from San José State University (summa cum laude), and a B.A. from Trinity College (faculty honors). He was admitted to the California bar in 1996 and is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Ninth Circuit, among other federal courts.