Robert A. Conley

Robert A. Conley is a Partner at Avantech Law, where he leads the firm's patent prosecution practice and specializes in inter partes review (IPR) proceedings. He joined Avantech in 2023, bringing a decade of prior experience handling complex patent litigation matters in federal courts. Mr. Conley's practice encompasses a diverse range of technologies, including medical devices, aircraft and automotive technologies, cellular communications, software, industrial systems, and oilfield technologies.

His experience in patent litigation includes representing clients in cases involving automotive and connected vehicle technologies. Notably, Mr. Conley has served as counsel for AutoConnect Holdings LLC, a non-practicing entity (NPE) with patents related to vehicle ecosystems, in both district court litigation against Ford Motor Company and in numerous IPR and PGR proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). These cases have addressed technologies such as in-vehicle multimedia systems, face identification, Android Auto/Apple CarPlay integration, and vehicle network security. In one instance, a motion by Ford to dismiss claims related to several asserted patents owned by AutoConnect was denied.

Mr. Conley regularly appears in PTAB proceedings, representing patent owners like AutoConnect Holdings LLC against petitioners such as Ford Motor Company and Unified Patents. His roles include back-up counsel in IPRs and PGRs, where he defends patents concerning vehicle network security and device discovery methods for on-board vehicle networks.

Mr. Conley holds a J.D. from DePaul University College of Law (2004) and M.S. (2001) and B.S. (1998) degrees in Biomedical Engineering from Marquette University. He is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Illinois, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and Second Circuit, and several U.S. District Courts.