Stephen R. Lareau

Stephen R. Lareau is a partner in Alston & Bird's Intellectual Property Litigation Group, focusing his practice on complex patent disputes in U.S. district courts and before the International Trade Commission (ITC). With a B.S. in mechanical engineering, his practice areas encompass diverse technologies including telecommunications (particularly video coding and streaming media), smart home energy management systems, image and bar code readers, and other consumer electronics and mechanical engineering-related innovations.

Lareau's tracked case appearances indicate a plaintiff-side focus, notably representing patentees in enforcement actions. He served as lead counsel for Nokia Technologies Oy in a global patent dispute against Amazon.com, Inc. and other defendants, which involved multimedia patents covering video compression and content delivery. This litigation resulted in multiple victories for Nokia in Germany and at the US ITC, ultimately leading to a confidential global settlement in March 2025. He also acted as local counsel for DISH Technologies L.L.C. in a patent infringement suit against Vidgo, Inc. concerning multi-bitrate content streaming technology.

Beyond these cases, Lareau's experience includes securing a nine-figure settlement for Honeywell in ITC investigations related to image and bar code readers and obtaining summary judgment for Alcatel-Lucent, which was affirmed by the Federal Circuit. He is recognized for his extensive work at the ITC and has appeared in inter partes review proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).

Lareau is admitted to practice in North Carolina and is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He earned his J.D., with honors, from The University of North Carolina School of Law in 2011, and a B.S. in mechanical engineering, summa cum laude, from Clemson University in 2008.