Russell C. Pangborn

Summary of Professional Practice for Russell C. Pangborn
As of May 9, 2026

Russell C. Pangborn is a partner at Seed IP Law Group in Seattle. His practice primarily focuses on trademark and technology law, including strategic counseling, enforcement, and litigation related to trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and internet policy. Prior to joining Seed IP, Mr. Pangborn spent 14 years in-house at Microsoft, where he served as the worldwide head of trademarks, and at Intel, as a senior trademark attorney responsible for global brand policing. His early career included work at a boutique IP firm in Southern California.

Based on tracked court appearances, Mr. Pangborn has represented clients on the defense side in patent litigation. In his one tracked case, he served as local counsel for the defendant, Valve Corporation, in Ironburg Inventions Ltd. v. Valve Corporation. This case involved a patent on video game controllers and resulted in a jury verdict of willful infringement and a $4 million damages award against Valve in the Western District of Washington.

The Ironburg case also involved a significant appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit concerning the issue of IPR estoppel. While the jury's infringement verdict was upheld, the Federal Circuit vacated the district court's estoppel ruling and remanded the issue, clarifying that the burden of proof falls on the patent owner, not the challenger—a decision that favored Mr. Pangborn's client, Valve, on that point of law. There is no indication of a regular trial practice before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).

Mr. Pangborn earned his J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law and his A.B. from Stanford University. He is admitted to practice in Washington and California.