Michael D. Specht

Michael D. Specht is a highly experienced patent litigator and a Director at Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox, where he chairs the firm's Electronics Practice Group and co-chairs its Patent Office Litigation practice. With over 25 years of experience, his practice focuses on complex intellectual property matters involving telecommunications networks, broadband and wireless communications, GPS location-based services, e-commerce and Internet applications, graphic processors, and automotive technologies.

Specht demonstrates versatility in his practice, representing both plaintiffs and defendants in patent disputes. His tracked case appearances include two on the plaintiff side and two on the defendant side, underscoring his ability to advocate for clients regardless of their position. Notably, he served as lead counsel for defendants Ricoh Americas Corporation, Xerox Corporation, and Lexmark International, Inc. in the high-profile MPHJ Technology Investments, LLC v. Ricoh Americas Corporation et al. case. In that matter, the Federal Circuit affirmed the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's (PTAB) decision to invalidate claims of an MPHJ patent related to document management systems, which had been at the center of extensive patent assertion efforts. He also secured a dismissal for Block Inc. in 2023 in EscapeX IP LLC v. Block Inc. on subject-matter eligibility grounds.

He possesses extensive experience in post-grant proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, including inter partes reviews (IPRs), covered business method reviews (CBMs), and post-grant reviews (PGRs). Specht has served as counsel in nearly 100 PTAB proceedings, representing both petitioners (over 50 appearances) and patent owners (over 40 appearances), with a lead counsel track record superior to PTAB averages. His firm, Sterne Kessler, is recognized as a top firm for PTAB work, and he has been individually recognized for his performance and activity in these proceedings.

Specht earned his J.D., cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University, and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, with highest honors, from Case Western Reserve University. He is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and Virginia, before the Supreme Court of the United States, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the United States Patent & Trademark Office.