Stephen Smith

Stephen Smith is the Chair of Cooley's nationally recognized intellectual property litigation practice, focusing on high-stakes commercial disputes across diverse technology sectors. His practice encompasses technologies central to popular consumer products, with notable experience in areas such as semiconductor chip manufacturing, software, medical devices, display technology, and life sciences, including biotech and AI offerings.

With all three of his tracked appearances on the defendant side, Mr. Smith primarily defends operating companies. He has a significant track record of representing large corporations against patent infringement claims, including those brought by non-practicing entities (NPEs). He has been a partner at Cooley since 2011, leveraging over two decades of first-chair trial experience. Prior to private practice, he served as a senior investigative attorney with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), where he acted as lead government counsel in numerous high-stakes trials.

Mr. Smith's notable engagements include leading a Cooley team to a decisive victory for Caihong Display Devices against Corning in a high-stakes ITC dispute, where an Administrative Law Judge issued an initial determination of non-infringement for certain LCD glass. He was also lead attorney in Corning Incorporated v. HKC Corp et al. and Unified Patents v. Surrozen Operating Inc, both on the defendant side. Other successes include securing summary judgment for Qualcomm in a patent infringement lawsuit and obtaining a favorable decision for VideaHealth in a patent infringement case related to AI offerings. His experience extends to complex cases in federal courts nationwide, the ITC, and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

Stephen Smith is also active in Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) proceedings, with Cooley recognized as a top PTAB firm. He employs post-grant proceedings as a key strategy for patent litigation defense, frequently obtaining stays of concurrent litigation, and is skilled in both invalidating third-party patents and defending against challenges. He earned his J.D., cum laude, from The George Washington University Law School in 1994 and his B.A., summa cum laude, from Villanova University in 1991. He is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Virginia.