Robert W. Unikel

Robert W. Unikel is a highly experienced patent litigator and a partner at Paul Hastings LLP, where he leads the Chicago and Midwest Intellectual Property practice. He previously practiced at Kirkland & Ellis.

Mr. Unikel's practice is diverse, encompassing patent, trade secret, and trademark litigation across various industries. His technological focus areas include digital media distribution, consumer products, financial services, automotive parts, and medical devices. He has handled cases involving complex technologies such as digital distribution platforms for mobile applications, digital media stores, software compilation, thin film transistors, LCD panels, vascular stents, and various business methods. He is currently representing defendants in patent infringement suits related to conversational AI and voice AI software, including in VB Assets LLC v. SoundHound AI, Inc. and VB Assets LLC v. Success Foods Management Group LLC.

Consistently representing defendants, Mr. Unikel has appeared in four tracked cases exclusively on the defense side, with no plaintiff-side appearances. He has a track record of successfully defending against claims, including those of false patent marking. His experience extends to appeals before the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. He has been recognized as a "Patent Star" by Managing IP and was nominated for "Litigator of the Year: Illinois" at the Managing IP Americas Awards 2024.

Mr. Unikel also possesses experience with Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) proceedings, co-authoring an article on IPR estoppel in 2025, and his firm's IP practice has been shortlisted for "National Firm of the Year – PTAB". He is admitted to the Illinois Bar. He earned his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law in 1993 and his B.A. from Dartmouth College in 1990.