Foster, Murphy, Altman & Nickel

Foster, Murphy, Altman & Nickel, PC is a boutique law firm based in Washington, D.C., specializing in intellectual property litigation. The firm is nationally recognized and ranked by legal directories such as Chambers & Partners, Managing Intellectual Property, and Legal 500. With a compact team of 4 partners and between 6-7 lawyers, the firm emphasizes high-level experience and litigation skills, often partnering with other firms on Section 337 matters.

The firm's core strength lies in Section 337 investigations before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), encompassing patent, trademark, and copyright infringement, as well as trade secret misappropriation. Their practice covers a diverse range of technologies, including semiconductor chips, display technologies, communication devices, computer software, consumer goods, and medical devices. The firm actively represents both complainants and respondents in these fast-paced, high-stakes investigations, reflecting a balanced approach in their practice. Their tracked appearances show engagement on both the plaintiff (3 cases) and defendant (2 cases) sides.

Notable engagements include Foster, Murphy, Altman & Nickel's representation of Tianma Microelectronics Co., Ltd. in patent disputes with LG Display Co., Ltd. concerning LCD and OLED display technologies. This dispute, including related PTAB proceedings, was resolved through a settlement in May 2026. The firm also represented VB Assets, LLC as plaintiff against Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. in a case involving voice recognition and natural language understanding patents, which concluded in November 2025 with a court-ordered dismissal indicating an underlying licensing resolution. Furthermore, in HydraFacial LLC v. Sinclair Pharma Limited et al., the firm represented the defendant, with the ITC investigation being terminated in March 2025 and a related IPR de-instituted in February 2026.

While primarily focused on ITC Section 337 litigation, the firm is also involved in Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) proceedings. For instance, in the LG Display v. Tianma matter, PTAB petitions filed by Tianma were dismissed by the USPTO Director in March 2026, due to questions regarding Tianma's eligibility as a petitioner, highlighting the firm's experience with the intersection of real party in interest rules and foreign sovereign ownership.

Key partners in the IP litigation practice include David F. Nickel, who has represented clients in over 100 Section 337 investigations and is recognized by Chambers Global and USA. Susan Koegel has participated in more than 45 ITC investigations. Matthew Duescher, recognized as "Up and Coming" by Chambers USA, is also a prominent attorney, having engaged in over 30 Section 337 investigations and matters before U.S. Customs and Border Protection.