Jon Gurka

Specialty / focus areas. Jon Gurka is a first-chair patent litigator whose practice concentrates on complex technology disputes — cluster computing/AI hardware (the Advanced Cluster Systems v. Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA matters), medical devices (Masimo pulse oximetry, Fisher & Paykel sleep apnea masks, Shoulder Innovations arthroplasty implants), semiconductor processing equipment, telecommunications, electro-mechanical systems, and elevator control systems. He holds an electrical engineering degree and, per Crowell's bio, also handles trademark, trade secret, copyright, and unfair-competition matters.

Side preference. He works both sides. His firm notes a "rare combination of defensive patent litigation experience, as well as plaintiff-side patent litigation." In the tracked case (Intel Corporation v. Advanced Cluster Systems, Inc.), he appeared as backup counsel for defendant ACS; his practice also includes leading ACS's own infringement actions against Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA, plus defending operating companies like Flexera and SecureAuth against NPE assertions.

Firm context. Partner at Crowell & Moring (Orange County/Irvine) since December 2023, currently co-chair of the firm's Patents Group. He previously spent roughly 25 years at Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear, co-chairing its Electrical Engineering/Computer Science/Consumer Electronics Litigation group and Trade Secret/Employment Mobility group.

Notable cases. Masimo v. Philips: $466M jury verdict (2014's largest IP verdict), with Gurka defeating Philips' $169M counterclaims for zero damages; Mallinckrodt v. Masimo ($164M award); Schindler/Inventio v. Otis (all 33 jury questions answered in client's favor; Fed. Cir. 593 F.3d 1275 (2010) reversing noninfringement, though the patent was later invalidated on obviousness); Strikeforce v. SecureAuth (§ 101 dismissal of all 43 claims, affirmed by the Federal Circuit in 2019); and multiple ITC section 337 matters resolved by settlement.

PTAB / IPR experience. Regular PTAB presence, mostly patent-owner side: backup counsel to ACS in the Intel/AMD IPRs (IPR2025-00794/-00795, -00913 through -00916), patent-owner counsel in PGR2025-00001 (Catalyst v. Shoulder Innovations), and respondent counsel in NVIDIA v. ACS (IPR2021-00075, settled). He previously obtained a "clean sweep" of six IPR non-institution decisions for SureCall and has written on IPR estoppel for Law360.

Bar / education. California and USPTO bars; J.D., magna cum laude, University of Illinois College of Law (1996); B.S.E.E., University of Connecticut (1989).