Semiconductor
Innovative legal solutions for the semiconductor industry's unique challenges.
In today's advanced information age, the semiconductor industry plays a crucial role in nearly every tech product created.
Perkins Coie is proud to provide a pragmatic approach to the unique issues faced by our semiconductor clients. With a history of service to both emerging and established entities, we are keenly attuned to the industry’s dynamics and the legal landscapes that shape the strategic goals of semiconductor enterprises.
Our clients reap the rewards of a multifaceted approach. It marries profound legal and technical acumen with robust corporate and litigation support, all within a distinguished technology law firm. We are no strangers to intricate, high-stakes patent litigation and are frequently sought for counsel on the vanguard of patent law and policy, from reform to legislative matters and regulations. Our contributions extend to filing amicus briefs, providing vital perspectives to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and Supreme Court of the United States in cases of paramount importance to our semiconductor clients.
We frequently represent
- Vertically integrated semiconductor companies
- Fabless semiconductor companies
- Manufacturers that purchase large quantities of integrated circuits
- Semiconductor capital equipment manufacturers
- Electric design automation companies
Our Team
Our attorneys have significant experience handling a range of legal needs for our semiconductor clients:
Patent Litigation
We prosecute and defend semiconductor industry patent claims across the United States, navigating various jurisdictions, from the Northern and Central Districts of California to the Eastern District of Texas and the District of Delaware.
We possess comprehensive experience in each stage of patent litigation, from preliminary injunction hearings, Markman hearings, and ITC investigations to trials by jury and bench across the nation.
With more than 95 litigators who have worked in almost every U.S. jurisdiction, and offices in key patent markets such as Palo Alto, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, D.C.
Patent Procurement
We prosecute patents in a wide range of technical areas, including analog and digital circuit design, complex mixed-signal integrated circuits, general semiconductor fabrication and process patents (e.g., CMP, CVD, ALD, lithography and electrochemical deposition/polishing), baseband processors, volatile and nonvolatile memory, inverters, regulators, high speed serial bus integrated circuits, probing/testing technologies and semiconductor structures and integration flows.
Our team comprises over 120 attorneys and agents, all registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and many of whom bring robust industry experience as practicing engineers or hold advanced technical degrees.
Intellectual Property and Other Litigation
We deftly manage multifaceted litigation involving the full spectrum of intellectual property concerns, as well as antitrust, securities, contractual, product warranty, and distributor disputes.
More than 400 litigators with extensive jury and bench trial experience in major state and federal jurisdictions and at every appellate level through the U.S. Supreme Court.
Licensing
Our practice encompasses a broad spectrum of services, including licensing, research, development, supply, distribution, consulting and service agreements, outsourcing, joint ventures and strategic alliances, patent licensing programs, Internet and e-commerce, marketing, promotion and merchandising agreements and IP auditing and counseling.
More than 50 attorneys with domestic and international technical licensing experience.
Corporate Transactions
We serve a broad spectrum of semiconductor companies, from the newest to those who have matured, in private and public debt and equity transactions, technology transfer, mergers and acquisitions, due diligence reviews, secured transactions, research and development arrangements, sales and supply agreements, antitrust and standard-setting activities, corporate governance, and employee benefits and executive compensation.
We support semiconductor start-ups in their early stages, from the formation of entities to securing venture capital. We frequently act as outside general counsel, addressing the varied legal matters that emerge for these enterprises.
Our team of nearly 200 attorneys offers finance, transaction, and counseling services to a broad spectrum of businesses, from start-ups to the Fortune 50.