Counsel registry
Gillam & Smith
40 case appearances — 5 as plaintiff counsel · 35 as defendant counsel.
Firm overview
To: Senior Partner
From: Senior Patent Litigation Analyst
Date: 2026-05-07
Subject: Professional Summary: Gillam & Smith LLP Patent Litigation Practice
Firm Overview
Gillam & Smith, LLP is a Texas-based litigation boutique with its principal office in Marshall and a second office in Tyler. The firm specializes in high-stakes trial work, with a significant focus on intellectual property disputes. While not an AmLaw-ranked firm, Gillam & Smith is recognized by Chambers and Partners in its "Spotlight" table for Intellectual Property in Marshall, Texas, highlighting its local expertise and experienced trial lawyers for complex patent disputes. The firm functions as a regional patent litigation shop, frequently retained for its deep experience in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.
IP Litigation Specialty & Side Preference
The firm’s patent litigation practice has a strong preference for the defense side, a fact supported by internal data showing 17 of 22 tracked cases are for defendants. This specialization is corroborated by a 2023 Lex Machina report, which identified Gillam & Smith as the second most active firm representing defendants in patent cases from 2020-2022, handling 391 cases. Partner Melissa R. Smith was also named the most active attorney representing defendants from 2022 to 2024 by Lex Machina. While defense-oriented, the firm’s website states they represent both plaintiffs and defendants. The tracked cases and the firm’s public statements indicate experience across a range of technologies, including software, network communications, semiconductors, and consumer electronics, frequently acting as local counsel for major technology companies such as Samsung, Apple, Dell, and T-Mobile. The firm's website also notes experience in pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
Notable Cases & Recognition
The firm has served as local counsel in numerous high-profile patent disputes. The provided case list shows appearances defending major operating companies like Samsung against patent assertions from Topwire LLC and Malikie Innovations Limited, Apple against Ingeniospec LLC, and Toyota against Autonavigare LLC. On the plaintiff side, the firm has represented entities such as Disintermedation Services Inc. While specific verdict amounts directly attributable to the firm as lead counsel are not readily available in public sources, partner Melissa Smith’s firm biography notes she has secured multiple non-infringement and invalidity defense verdicts and has been inducted into the "Texas Verdicts Hall of Fame". The firm's website also cites rankings from Law360 as one of the "top three busiest law firms in the country for patent litigation defendants (2021-2025)" and from Docket Navigator as having the "second most patent jury trials in the country (2008-2025)".
PTAB / IPR Practice & Key Partners
There is limited public information detailing a significant, independent Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) practice for Gillam & Smith. The firm's primary focus and reputation are centered on its district court trial practice. No significant volume of inter partes review (IPR) filings or defenses could be reliably sourced to the firm as lead counsel. The firm’s key and most frequently appearing attorneys in patent litigation are Melissa R. Smith and founding partner Harry L. "Gil" Gillam, Jr., both of whom are repeatedly listed in the provided case data and recognized as leading IP litigators in Texas.
Attorneys
Roles
- local counsel28
- Local Counsel16
Cases (40)
- Δ defendantAlpha Modus Corp. v. Foot Locker, Inc.Melissa R. Smith · Local Counsel
- Δ defendantAlpha Modus, Corp. v. Lowe's Companies, Inc. et al.Melissa Richards Smith · local counsel
- Δ defendantArlington Technologies, LLC v. Comcast Cable Communications, LLCMelissa Smith · Local Counsel
- Δ defendantAtlas Global Technologies LLC v. Amazon.com, Inc. et al.Melissa Richards Smith · local counsel
- Δ defendantAtlas Global Technologies LLC v. Dell Technologies, Inc.Melissa R. Smith · Local Counsel
- Δ defendantAutoConnect Holdings LLC v. Hyundai Motor America et al.Melissa R. Smith · Local Counsel
- Δ defendantAutoConnect Holdings LLC v. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. et al.Melissa R. Smith · local counsel
- Δ defendantAutonavigare LLC v. Toyota Motor Corporation et al.Melissa R. Smith · local counsel
- Δ defendantCyberfone Systems, LLC v. The Charles Schwab CorporationMelissa R. Smith · local counsel
- Δ defendantDatacloud Technologies LLC v. Atlassian, Inc.Melissa Richards Smith · Local Counsel
- π plaintiffDisintermedation Services Inc. v. Dell Inc., et al.Harry L. "Gil" Gillam, Jr. · local counsel
- π plaintiffDisintermediation Services, Inc. v. Hello UMI S.L.Melissa R. Smith · Local Counsel
- π plaintiffDisintermediation Services, Inc. v. Living Spaces Furniture, LLCMelissa R. Smith · Local Counsel
- Δ defendanteDekka LLC v. 3Balls.com, Inc.Melissa Richards Smith · local counsel
- π plaintiffFast IP, LLC et al. v. Skechers U.S.A., Inc.Melissa R. Smith · local counsel
- Δ defendantGreenthread, LLC v. OmniVision Technologies, Inc.Melissa R. Smith · local counsel
- π plaintiffHandsFree Labs Licensing, LLC et al. v. Skechers U.S.A., Inc.Melissa R. Smith · local counsel
- Δ defendantHandsFree Labs Licensing, LLC et al. v. Skechers U.S.A., Inc.Melissa R. Smith · local counsel
- Δ defendantIngeniospec, LLC v. Apple Inc.Melissa R. Smith · Local Counsel
- Δ defendantIoT Innovations LLC v. Monitronics International, Inc.Melissa Richards Smith · local counsel
- Δ defendantMalikie Innovations Limited v. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al.Melissa R. Smith · local counsel
- Δ defendantMimzi, LLC v. Hyundai Motor CompanyMelissa Richards Smith · local counsel
- Δ defendantMimzi, LLC v. Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Melissa Richards Smith · Local Counsel
- Δ defendantMimzi, LLC v. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Melissa R. Smith · local counsel
- Δ defendantMultimedia Technologies Pte Ltd. v. Fandango Media, LLCHarry L. "Gil" Gillam, Jr. · Local Counsel
- Δ defendantMultimedia Technologies Pte Ltd. v. Tubi, Inc.Melissa R. Smith · local counsel
- Δ defendantNovacloud Licensing LLC v. Charter Communications, Inc.Melissa R. Smith · Local Counsel
- Δ defendantOrthosie Systems, LLC v. AT&T Inc.Melissa R. Smith · local counsel
- Δ defendantOrthosie Systems, LLC v. SVR, LLCJennifer D. Bennett · local counsel
- Δ defendantOrthosie Systems, LLC v. T-Mobile US, Inc.Melissa Richards Smith · local counsel
- Δ defendantPersonal Audio LLC v. Apple Inc.Melissa Richards Smith · local counsel
- Δ defendantPersonalized Media Communications, LLC v. Google LLCMelissa R. Smith · Local Counsel
- Δ defendantQomplx LLC v. Palo Alto Networks, Inc.Melissa R. Smith · local counsel
- Δ defendantRadiant Patents LLC v. Nokia Corporation et al.Melissa R. Smith · local counsel
- Δ defendantSamsung Electronics America Inc. et al. v. Topwire LLCMelissa R. Smith · Local Counsel
- Δ defendantTopwire LLC v. SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD. et al.Melissa Richards Smith · local counsel
- Δ defendantTQP Development, LLC v. Adobe Systems, Inc.Melissa R. Smith · local counsel
- Δ defendantUniloc USA, Inc. v. Adobe Systems Inc.Melissa Richards Smith · local counsel
- Δ defendantVB Assets, LLC v. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Melissa Richards Smith · Local Counsel
- Δ defendantVB Assets, LLC v. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al.Melissa Smith · local counsel