Robert Van Nest

Robert Van Nest is a highly regarded trial lawyer with extensive experience in intellectual property litigation, particularly focused on the technology sector. His practice encompasses patent infringement, copyright, and trade secret disputes, often involving complex technologies such as software, smartphone technology, semiconductors, and Wi-Fi standards. He is also recognized for his work in antitrust and general commercial litigation.

Van Nest primarily represents defendant operating companies in high-stakes litigation. Notable clients include major technology firms such as Google, HTC, Intel, Qualcomm, Broadcom, and American Honda. His track record includes defending Google in the "smartphone trial of the century" against Oracle Corporation for patent and copyright infringement, and serving as lead counsel for HTC in its multi-front battle with Apple over smartphone technology, which resulted in a favorable ITC ruling and a licensing settlement. He also secured a settlement for a semiconductor company in a Wi-Fi patent infringement case brought by CSIRO and won a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversal for Qualcomm Inc. against the Federal Trade Commission's antitrust claims.

He is a partner at Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLP, a San Francisco-based litigation boutique he joined in 1992, with the firm later incorporating his name into its title. While his firm handles complex intellectual property disputes, there is no specific information available from web searches regarding his regular appearances in PTAB or IPR proceedings.

Van Nest earned his B.A. from Stanford University and his J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School. He was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1978.