William J. O'Brien

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William J. O'Brien — patent litigation summary

Focus areas. O'Brien is a veteran IP trial and appellate lawyer (California bar since 1981) whose practice spans patent, trademark, trade dress, copyright, trade secret, and idea-submission cases. A CLE program he gave in 2023 (New Media Legal) describes his technology experience as including medical devices, consumer electronics, telecommunications, software, optics, aerospace, manufacturing equipment, diagnostics, chemicals, and business-method patents. Consistent with that breadth, his tracked patent matters run from biometric/software authentication (3D face-liveness detection) to appliance and glass-door patents (SSW Holding Co. in IPR2014-00367) and inflatable consumer products (Bestway Inflatables in IPR2016-00180). His current tracked portfolio is concentrated in software and computer-vision authentication technology.

Side preference. The tracked appearances are 4 plaintiff-side and 2 defendant-side, but the plaintiff-side matters are all one client: FaceTec, Inc., an operating company asserting its own patent portfolio against competitors (Jumio and iProov) — i.e., patent-owner enforcement rather than NPE/PAE representation. His smaller defendant-side footprint is one "of counsel" matter at One LLP plus a Regeneron v. Mylan entry. Note that the Regeneron entry appears to involve a different lawyer: the Steptoe & Johnson PLLC attorney of record in that case is a Bridgeport, West Virginia–based William J. O'Brien (WVSB #10549, william.obrien@steptoe-johnson.com), while the One LLP attorney is California-barred (SBN 99526). The two should not be conflated; treat the pharma/biosimilar defense work as unverified for this profile.

Firm context and notable matters. O'Brien is a partner at One LLP, an IP boutique with California offices (Beverly Hills/Culver City/Newport Beach). Per his own PTAB pro hac vice declarations, he was previously a partner at O'Melveny & Myers and at Bingham McCutchen before joining One. His most prominent tracked cases are FaceTec, Inc. v. Jumio Corporation (N.D. Cal. 3:24-cv-03623), where he is counsel of record/lead counsel for FaceTec, and FaceTec, Inc. v. iProov Ltd. (D. Nev. 2:21-cv-02252), where he is lead counsel; the two cases have overlapped, with iProov intervening in the Jumio action. Verifiable developments in those matters include FaceTec's successful disqualification of Perkins Coie (March 2025), the court's denial of FaceTec's later motion to disqualify Morrison & Foerster (Judge Jon S. Tigar, July 16, 2025), and the PTAB's June 2026 final written decisions in IPR2025-00106 through -00109 upholding every challenged claim of four FaceTec liveness patents. The PTAB wins were argued by Finnegan on FaceTec's behalf; O'Brien's role in the IPRs is not documented, so credit for those results should not be attributed to him individually.

PTAB/IPR experience. He has appeared before the Board as back-up counsel for patent owners via pro hac vice admission (IPR2014-00367; IPR2016-00180), and he has publicly described PTAB practice as a recent (as of 2023) addition to a career focused on district court, Federal Circuit, and ITC work. He is not listed as a registered USPTO practitioner in the sources reviewed. He is not, on the available record, a high-volume IPR filer.

Bar/education. Admitted in California in 1981 (SBN 99526); J.D., UC Berkeley Boalt Hall, 1981; A.B., UC Davis, 1978. Also admitted before the Federal and Ninth Circuits and the Central and Northern Districts of California; Super Lawyers selection 2006–2011.