Theodore Stevenson, III

Theodore Stevenson, III is a prominent trial attorney specializing in high-stakes patent litigation, particularly focusing on intellectual property and competition cases for clients in the telecommunications and technology industries. His practice encompasses a diverse array of technologies, including cellular telephones, wireless communication (4G, 5G, Wi-Fi), integrated circuits, video coding (H.264, H.265), enterprise software, natural language processing, voice assistants, and medical devices such as balloon angioplasty catheters. He is notably recognized for his expertise in disputes involving standard essential patents (SEPs) and Fair, Reasonable, and Non-Discriminatory (FRAND) licensing terms, having handled multiple trials and arbitrations in this area.

Stevenson has experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in patent infringement actions. Out of 12 tracked appearances, 8 were on the plaintiff side and 4 on the defendant side. His notable defense work includes securing a full defense verdict for T-Mobile in a $253 million patent infringement case concerning base station patents. He also led the trial team representing Ericsson in a significant FRAND jury trial against Apple, which ultimately settled with a global patent licensing agreement. On the plaintiff side, he has obtained substantial results, including a $105.75 million jury verdict for VirnetX against Microsoft for infringement of VPN technology patents, a case that later settled.

Currently a partner at Alston & Bird, Stevenson joined the firm in 2021 from McKool Smith, where he practiced for 19 years. His career highlights include representing Nokia in ITC cases asserting H.264 and H.265 video coding patents against Hewlett Packard and Amazon, leading to favorable initial determinations and subsequent settlements. He also secured an anti-interference injunction for Ericsson against Samsung in a global essential patent cross-licensing dispute. In his tracked cases, he served as lead counsel for VB Assets, LLC in litigation against Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. concerning Bixby 2.0 voice assistant technology and for Marshall Feature Recognition, LLC against Amazon.com, Inc. His practice also involves navigating cases where Inter Partes Reviews (IPRs) impact the litigation landscape, such as when IPR proceedings led to the invalidation of a patent in the T-Mobile defense case.

Stevenson is admitted to the Texas Bar and is a registered patent attorney with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia in 1988 and holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University, earned in 1985.