Reed O'Connor

Judge Reed O'Connor: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas

Date: 2026-04-30

Judge Overview

The Honorable Reed O'Connor is the Chief United States District Judge for the Northern District of Texas, sitting in the Fort Worth division. Nominated by President George W. Bush, he was confirmed by the Senate in November 2007. Prior to his appointment, Judge O'Connor's career included roles as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas from 1998 to 2007, and as an Assistant District Attorney in Tarrant County from 1994 to 1998. He also served on the staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary from 2003 to 2007 and was an associate at Vinson & Elkins LLP from 1989 to 1994. He received his B.S. from the University of Houston and his J.D., summa cum laude, from South Texas College of Law.

Patent Docket

While the Northern District of Texas is a significant venue for patent litigation, Judge O'Connor's personal docket has not historically been among the most patent-heavy in the nation. The district's specialized procedures for patent cases, outlined in Miscellaneous Order 62, are specifically directed at cases filed in the Dallas Division. There is no indication of a similar specific standing order for patent cases in Judge O'Connor's Fort Worth court. Recent filings in April 2026, however, show he is actively presiding over new patent matters. These include two cases brought by AML IP LLC, a non-practicing entity (NPE) asserting a patent related to electronic commerce against restaurant chains Brinker International and CEC Entertainment. Another recent case is a dispute involving Blue Box Air Inc., which holds patents on a novel method for cleaning and disinfecting HVAC coils using a bio-enzyme foam. The technologies in these new cases fall into the software/e-commerce and mechanical/clean technology sectors.

Notable Rulings and Trends

Judge O'Connor is widely known for presiding over high-profile, politically charged cases outside of patent law, including challenges to the Affordable Care Act and other federal regulations. His past patent rulings are not as widely publicized but indicate engagement with key patent law issues. In older, pre-2019 cases, he has authored detailed claim construction opinions and has ruled on motions to stay pending inter partes review (IPR) at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. For instance, in Summit 6 v. HTC, he denied a motion to stay pending IPR and also denied a motion for judgment on the pleadings based on Section 101/Alice grounds. In the same case family, he authored a lengthy opinion denying a motion to transfer venue. The recent assignment of cases from the active NPE, AML IP LLC, may signal an increasing number of patent disputes on his docket. This entity has engaged in a broad litigation campaign, with other cases in the Western District of Texas resolving through stipulated dismissals with prejudice after some litigation activity.

Local Rules and Procedures

Judge O'Connor's specific requirements, published on the court's website, do not contain standing orders unique to patent cases. His general procedures require proposed orders in Word or WordPerfect format to be emailed to his chambers for all motions. He also requires a physical judge's copy, submitted in a three-ring binder with tabbed exhibits, for any dispositive motion, response, or reply that exceeds 75 pages. The Northern District of Texas has Local Civil Rules that govern practice generally, and a special order (S.O. 3-259) assigns all civil and criminal cases in the Wichita Falls Division directly to Judge O'Connor, a practice that has been described in discussions of "judge-shopping" in various contexts. Litigants in his court should adhere to the Northern District's local rules and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, alongside the judge-specific requirements for motions and filings.