A trusted adviser, Perkins Coie helps clients develop and protect IP strategies to ensure global marketplace success. With vast licensing, litigation, and technical experience, our team frequently advises major technology companies in SEP disputes, from initial licensing discussions through litigation and appeals.

Final licensing terms often hinge on the first discussions or the first nondisclosure agreement each party signs, and SEP holders often use licensing discussions to set the stage for litigation. Our lawyers advise on licensing negotiations with SEP holders and patent pools, and our highly respected SEP team is known for effectively guiding licensing discussions to preserve defenses and maximize risk for SEP holders, often resulting in early, favorable terms.

Our nationally recognized patent litigation lawyers have extensively litigated complex patent infringement cases in major domestic venues and around the world. We maintain a sophisticated International Trade Commission (ITC) practice and premier post-grant practice before the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Additionally, our team offers a deep technical bench with substantial experience in standardized technologies, including cellular (3G, LTE/4G, 5G), Wi-Fi, computer memory, video codecs (AVC/H.264 and HEVC/H.265), and audio codecs (AAC).

Perkins Coie has been involved in major SEP disputes, providing our lawyers with significant standard-setting organization knowledge, including the following, among others:

• 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)
• American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
• American Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
• European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)
• International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication (ITU‑T)
• International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC)

We are also experienced in common SEP licensing practices, Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory)/Fair, Reasonable, and Non-Discriminatory (RAND/FRAND) determinations and valuation methodologies, RAND/FRAND patent infringement defenses, and anticompetition law claims related to SEPs. Our work has often required cross-firm, global coordination for worldwide disputes involving litigation in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Unified Patent Court (UPC), and Asia (including China), resulting in deep knowledge regarding SEP litigation practices and procedures in foreign jurisdictions.

Additionally, our respected counseling practice can assist with effective outreach to applicable governmental agencies when responding to or commenting on SEP and RAND/FRAND issues. We also offer clients a leading appellate practice with deep experience before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to assist with both direct appeals and amicus briefing regarding SEP and RAND/FRAND issues.