Scott Douglass & McConnico

Scott Douglass & McConnico LLP: Patent Litigation Summary

Scott Douglass & McConnico LLP is an Austin-based litigation boutique founded in 1976. With a single office in Austin, Texas, the firm is not an AmLaw-ranked "BigLaw" firm but is recognized by Chambers and Partners as a "go-to litigation boutique in Austin and one of the go-tos in Texas" for general commercial litigation. The firm comprises over 40 lawyers and has established a reputation as a trial and appellate firm, handling high-stakes business disputes across various industries. While its historical strength lies in oil and gas litigation, the firm maintains a broad commercial litigation practice that includes a significant intellectual property group.

The firm’s intellectual property practice handles patent infringement, copyright, and trademark litigation. Based on the provided case data, the firm's recent patent litigation work has involved serving as local counsel for defendants in the technology sector. This includes representing ad-tech company The Trade Desk in a suit brought by Datonics LLC, smart thermostat maker ecobee against Ecofactor, Inc., and cryptocurrency mining company Marathon Digital Holdings against Malikie Innovations Limited. The technologies in these cases span online advertising data, smart home devices, and foundational cryptocurrency methods. Partner biographies indicate broader experience across consumer electronics, software, semiconductors, medical technology, and wireless communications.

The provided data shows the firm acting exclusively as local counsel for the defense in its three tracked patent cases. However, the firm’s website and attorney biographies show that it represents both plaintiffs and defendants in patent and other IP disputes. For instance, partner Paige Arnette Amstutz, recognized in the IAM Patent 1000, recently secured a $17.9 million jury verdict for a plaintiff in a patent infringement suit in the Western District of Texas. This demonstrates a capacity and willingness to handle significant patent cases on the plaintiff side, complementing its defense-side local counsel roles.

Key partners in the patent litigation practice include Paige Arnette Amstutz, Steven J. Wingard, and Robby Earle. Amstutz is ranked by Chambers USA for her commercial litigation work and was named one of the 50 most active patent litigators in 2023 by Patexia. Wingard's experience includes defending major technology companies like Amazon, Disney, and Medtronic in patent infringement lawsuits. Earle, a former law clerk for Judge Alan D. Albright of the Western District of Texas, focuses on patent litigation and complex commercial disputes. There is no evidence from public sources of a significant practice before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) for inter partes reviews (IPRs).