Law Office of R. Alan Burnett

The Law Office of R. Alan Burnett focuses on patent litigation, demonstrating experience in both asserting and defending patent rights. While information on the firm's overall size and formal office footprint beyond its named principal is not widely published or ranked by leading legal directories such as AmLaw or Chambers, public records suggest a presence in the Pacific Northwest, with some association to Portland, Oregon, through Compass IP Law PC, where Alan Burnett is a shareholder.

The firm's IP litigation practice primarily revolves around technologies in software, computer systems, and data processing. Cases such as SoftView LLC v. Apple Inc. et al. indicate involvement with patents related to data processing, database management, and potentially graphical user interfaces or display technology. Alan Burnett's professional background reinforces this focus, with extensive engineering experience in software engineering, advanced robotics, control system design, embedded systems, medical devices, and recent research in Machine Learning and AI. He has also prepared and prosecuted over 400 patent applications across various software, electrical, mechanical, and computer system arts.

The firm exhibits a balanced approach to patent litigation, representing both plaintiffs and defendants. Of its three tracked appearances, one was on the plaintiff side (SoftView LLC v. Apple Inc. et al.) and two on the defendant side (Unified Patents v. SoftView LLC and Apple Inc. et al. v. SoftView LLC), indicating a versatile practice in intellectual property disputes.

A notable engagement for the firm involves the significant patent dispute SoftView LLC v. Apple Inc. et al. and related proceedings. This includes a Federal Circuit appeal, SoftView LLC v. Apple Inc. (2024), where the court clarified the scope of patent owner estoppel in inter partes review (IPR) proceedings. The Federal Circuit affirmed the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's (PTAB) authority to promulgate its estoppel regulation but vacated its application to previously issued claims, distinguishing between "obtaining" new claims and "maintaining" existing ones. This case highlights the firm's involvement in complex appellate litigation and PTAB procedures. The underlying district court litigation was stayed pending the outcome of IPR proceedings.

The firm also has a demonstrable PTAB practice, particularly in defending patent owners against challenges. Its representation of SoftView LLC as a defendant in Unified Patents v. SoftView LLC confirms its experience in inter partes review proceedings. Alan Burnett's practice explicitly includes Post-Grant Reviews (PGRs) as a focus area, further underscoring the firm's capabilities in this administrative forum.

The patent litigation practice is prominently led by R. Alan Burnett, who has appeared as lead counsel or counsel in all tracked cases. His comprehensive experience in patent prosecution, strategic planning, portfolio management, patent valuation, infringement and validity studies, and licensing complements the firm's litigation efforts.