Thomas E. Garten

Thomas E. Garten is a seasoned patent litigation attorney at Covington & Burling LLP, specializing in complex patent infringement and trade secret disputes for global technology companies. His practice encompasses federal courts and Section 337 investigations before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). He handles a diverse range of technologies, including systems-on-a-chip, GPS technology, and automated negotiation and auction software.

Mr. Garten primarily represents defendants, aligning with his recorded appearances as counsel for defendants in all tracked cases. His work often involves defending operating companies against patent infringement allegations. He has a proven track record of developing winning strategies for clients like Texas Instruments, for whom he secured summary judgment of non-infringement in a Delaware patent action involving systems-on-a-chip, a decision affirmed by the Federal Circuit. He also counseled Samsung in a patent infringement action related to GPS technology and defended Ariba in a patent infringement trial concerning automated negotiation and auction software. Additionally, he represented inventor Ronald A. Katz in multidistrict patent infringement litigation involving interactive telephone and computer telephony services.

While Mr. Garten's individual profile does not detail specific PTAB caseloads, his firm, Covington & Burling, possesses a robust Patent Office (PTAB) Trials practice with experience in over 200 America Invents Act (AIA) proceedings for both petitioners and patent owners across all fields of technology. Attorneys at Covington, including those in patent litigation, regularly advise clients on combined litigation and PTAB strategies.

Mr. Garten earned his J.D. cum laude from Santa Clara University School of Law in 2006, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif. He received his B.A. cum laude in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego in 2000. He is admitted to practice in California and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.