Steven Balcof

Steven Balcof is a patent litigation partner at Desmarais LLP, specializing in the litigation and trial of complex patent and trade secret disputes. His practice encompasses a wide array of technologies, including 3G/4G communications, automobile safety, biologics, database management systems, digital printing, flash memory, medical devices, mobile device cameras, signal processing, VOIP, and web applications. His experience spans both district courts across the country, the International Trade Commission (ITC), and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as well as appeals before the Federal Circuit.

Mr. Balcof maintains a balanced practice, representing both plaintiff and defense-side clients in patent infringement and trade secret cases. His tracked cases include representing Express Mobile, Inc. as plaintiff in Express Mobile, Inc. v. Advantage AMP, Inc. and defending Tesla Inc. in Intellectual Ventures Management LLC v. Tesla Inc. He has also served as counsel for Cisco, developing a successful noninfringement defense that led to summary judgment and a subsequent award of attorney's fees, a victory preserved at the Federal Circuit. Additionally, he led a startup cloud communications company, Cloud9, through a trade secret, patent, and antitrust dispute against an established competitor.

Before joining Desmarais LLP in 2017 and being elevated to partner in 2022, Mr. Balcof was an associate in the intellectual property groups of Ropes & Gray LLP from 2011 to 2015 and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP from 2015 to 2017. He is admitted to practice in New York (2011) and New Jersey (2010), as well as before the USPTO. He earned his J.D., cum laude, from Emory University School of Law in 2010 and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 2007.