Robert F. Kappers

Robert F. Kappers is a patent litigation partner at Steptoe (formerly Steptoe & Johnson), known for his work on complex patent and trade secret disputes from inception through trial and appeal.

Kappers' practice spans a diverse range of technology areas, including small molecule pharmaceuticals (Hatch-Waxman), medical devices, and the automotive industry. He also possesses significant experience with software and information technologies, particularly those related to web design, network communications, and mobile functionality, as evidenced by his involvement in cases concerning foundational website-building tools.

Throughout his career, Kappers has demonstrated experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants. While the tracked appearances show one plaintiff and one defendant role, his professional profile highlights significant plaintiff-side victories, including securing a $170 million jury verdict for Express Mobile, Inc. in a patent infringement case against GoDaddy.com, LLC involving web-design patents. He also obtained a $40 million jury verdict for Express Mobile in a separate suit against Shopify related to mobile phone and website functionality. On the defense side, he has represented clients such as American Axle & Manufacturing in automotive driveline patent litigation and Honda in inter partes review proceedings.

Kappers is active in post-grant proceedings, having successfully argued before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) and the Federal Circuit. Notably, his work for Express Mobile against GoDaddy included a significant PTAB victory where the Board relied on a jury's finding of patent validity to hold against petitioners in inter partes review. He is a Registered Patent Attorney with the US Patent and Trademark Office and is admitted to practice in Illinois, before the Supreme Court of the United States, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and several US District Courts. Kappers earned his J.D., summa cum laude and as valedictorian, from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 2013, and a B.S., summa cum laude, in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Ohio State University in 2010.