Michael J. Sacksteder

Michael J. Sacksteder is a veteran patent litigator and a partner in the San Francisco office of Fenwick & West. His practice focuses on defending technology companies in high-stakes litigation. Sacksteder has extensive experience across a wide array of technologies, including computer hardware, software, networking and security, and semiconductors. He has led litigation for prominent clients such as Supercell, Intuit, and Symantec in various patent-heavy jurisdictions, including the Eastern District of Texas, the District of Delaware, and the Northern District of California.

Consistent with the provided case data, Sacksteder's practice is overwhelmingly defense-oriented, representing operating companies against infringement claims, often from non-practicing entities (NPEs). His notable successes include securing dismissals for Supercell, maker of "Clash of Clans," on patent-eligibility grounds and winning a rare favorable defense damages verdict for a client in the Eastern District of Texas where the jury awarded less than 2% of the damages sought by the plaintiff. In the tracked case Multimedia Technologies Pte Ltd v. LG Electronics Inc, he is listed as lead counsel for the defendant, LG. While news reports indicate a different firm handled the May 2025 trial for LG, Sacksteder's role was part of the defense effort in that matter.

Sacksteder has substantial experience in post-grant proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), frequently representing both petitioners and patent owners in inter partes review (IPR) and post-grant review (PGR) proceedings, often in parallel with district court litigation. Declarations filed in PTAB matters show he has served as lead counsel in numerous IPR and PGR proceedings. He has also successfully argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

He earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from Northwestern University School of Law, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the law review, and a B.A. with honors from Indiana University. He is admitted to practice in California.