Lauren Ann Degnan

Lauren Ann Degnan is a highly experienced patent litigation attorney and a Principal at Fish & Richardson P.C., where she serves as the managing principal of the firm's Washington, D.C. office and co-leader of its appellate practice. Her practice is centered on high-stakes, high-risk intellectual property disputes, representing technology and medical device clients ranging from startups to industry leaders. Her expertise spans various technology sectors, including electrical and computer technology, software and internet, semiconductors, telecommunications, digital health, and medical devices.

Degnan primarily handles complex patent infringement cases, often involving contentious competitor-to-competitor matters. While her tracked case, Uber Technologies, Inc. v. X One, Inc., shows her representing the plaintiff, Uber, in a dispute concerning GPS tracking and location-sharing software, her broader experience includes both enforcing and defending intellectual property rights, as well as strategically counseling clients to avoid litigation. Fish & Richardson is notably recognized as a leading plaintiff firm in patent litigation.

A seasoned trial and appellate lawyer, Ms. Degnan has a significant record before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, having argued over 25 cases there, including numerous inter partes review (IPR) appeals that have vacated PTAB decisions. She was a key counsel for Uber Technologies, Inc. in Uber Technologies, Inc. v. X One, Inc., where the Federal Circuit reversed and remanded a PTAB decision regarding the obviousness of GPS tracking patents. Her experience also includes substantial involvement in a multibillion-dollar patent-related antitrust and commercial litigation against Qualcomm, which featured appearances at the ITC, numerous IPRs at the USPTO, and subsequent appeals to the Federal Circuit.

Ms. Degnan is highly active in post-grant proceedings, making regular appearances before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). She previously served as Vice Chair of the PTAB Bar Association's Committee on Appeals from the PTAB. She earned her J.D., Order of the Coif, from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1995 and holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University (1992). She is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and Massachusetts, as well as before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the Supreme Court of the United States.