Overview
Steve Seigel is a trial lawyer with a proven track record representing plaintiffs and defendants across an array of complex subject matters. His portfolio spans intellectual property and patent litigation, breach of contract, environmental torts, ERISA, consumer privacy, and other complex civil and commercial disputes.
Seigel’s work ethic, persuasive writing, comfort with technical subject matter, and clarity in oral advocacy have helped his clients secure tens of millions of dollars in settlements and jury verdicts.
Seigel has faced off industry titans including Apple, Samsung, Google, LG Electronics, Cisco, Ford Motor Company, Nissan, General Motors, Tesla, BMW, and Toyota. He has briefed, argued, and won appeals, case-dispositive motions, numerous claim construction battles, and critical discovery disputes. Seigel works hand-in-hand with expert and fact witnesses, and has taken and defended dozens of depositions, eliciting critical admissions from high-level executives and seasoned experts alike.
Background
Seigel joined Susman Godfrey after clerking on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
A graduate of Yale Law School, Seigel served as a submissions editor for the Yale Journal on Regulation and represented veterans as part of his work with Yale’s Veterans Legal Services Clinic. He received his undergraduate degree cum laude from Williams College.
Prior to law school, Seigel worked as an international development consultant, advising foreign ministries, and regional and local governments on anti-corruption, public administration, and rule of law reform in countries including Afghanistan, Sudan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and the Dominican Republic
Notable Representations
- Ethanol Boosting Systems, LLC et al. v. Ford Motor Co. (D. Del.) Won appeal at the Federal Circuit on behalf of Ethanol Boosting Systems, the inventors of groundbreaking engine technology whose patented inventions are allegedly being infringed by Ford Motor Company’s manufacture and sale of engines and fuel systems that combine direct and port injection. After an oral argument by Seigel, the CAFC vacated a judgment of non-infringement against Ford Motor Co., remanding the suit to District Court to review Ford’s engines in light of the patent’s claims as properly construed. Read more in Law360, Reuters, and IPWatchDog.
- Jibe Audio LLC et al. v. Beats Electronics et al. (Cal. Super. Ct.) Secured a $25+ million jury verdict and $10 million in fees for client, Steven Lamar, in a breach of contract action for unpaid royalties owed by Beats Electronics, Jimmy Iovine, and Dr. Dre, relating to Mr. Lamar’s role in creating Beats’ iconic headphones. During trial, Seigel wrote and successfully argued issue-dispositive motions, motions to exclude witnesses, in limine motions, offers of proof, and other mid-trial motions on evidentiary issues, witness issues, jury instructions, and verdict forms. Seigel also successfully briefed and argued his client’s motion for attorneys’ fees, obtaining a win of nearly $10 million in attorneys’ fees in addition to the successful jury verdict. The case later settled on confidential terms. It attracted national interest and was picked up by well-known media outlets such as the New York Times, The Guardian, Billboard, Bloomberg, Hollywood Reporter, NY Daily News, and the San Diego Union Tribune.
- Ancora Technologies, Inc. v. LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics (W.D. Tex.) Represented the inventor and patent owner in a patent infringement action relating to over-the-air update technology. Successfully briefed and argued claim construction issues and defeated case-dispositive motion for summary judgment. Both cases against LG and Samsung were settled on confidential terms on the eve of trial. Read more in Law360 (LG), Law360 (Samsung).
- Arigna Technology Limited v. Nissan Motor Co. et al. (E.D. Tex.) Representing Arigna Technology Ltd. in a patent infringement action against Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Tesla, Toyota, and General Motors regarding semiconductor technology used in automotive radar components and power inverters.
- Arigna Technology Limited v. General Motors LLC et al. (E.D. Tex.) Represented Arigna Technology Ltd. in a patent infringement action against General Motors and Nissan regarding semiconductor technology used in automotive engine control modules.
- International Business Machines Corp. v. Zillow Group Inc. (W.D. Wa.): Defending online real estate marketplace company, Zillow, in a pair of suits brought by IBM, in which IBM has asserted a total of 12 software patents.
- Carey v. e.i. du Pont de Nemours & Co. and the Chemours Company FC, LLC. (E.D.N.C.) Representing a putative class of residents and property-owners in Eastern North Carolina who are seeking monetary damages and injunctive relief relating to DuPont’s and Chemours’ wide-ranging environmental contamination of the drinking water supply with “forever chemicals” (also known as per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS). The suit seeks compensation and other remedies arising from property damage, reduced property values, and the cost of filtering contaminated water. Seigel has successfully briefed and argued numerous critical motions, including class appointment, motions to dismiss, and frequent discovery disputes. The case has attracted national media attention and received write-ups in Law360. Click here, here and here for coverage.
- DaVita Inc. v. St. Joseph’s/Candler Health Sys., Inc. (Ga. Super. Ct.) Defended a leading health system in Savannah, Georgia (St. Joseph’s / Candler Health Systems), in a breach of contract lawsuit brought by a dialysis company for alleged underpayments associated with dialysis treatments. Successfully briefed a motion to compel that secured an order granting discovery under a theory of relevance and contractual interpretation favorable to client’s case. The matter has been resolved.
- NetFuel Inc. v. Cisco Systems, Inc. (N.D. Cal.) Represented the inventor and patent owner in a patent infringement action relating to routing and switching technologies. Successfully briefed and argued claim construction issues and defeated case-dispositive motion for summary judgment. Case settled on confidential terms before trial
Honors & Distinctions
Honors and Awards
- First Place, Public Contract Law Journal Writing Competition (2014)
Clerkships
- Honorable David S. Tatel, United States District Court for the District of Columbia
- Honorable James E. Boasberg, United States District Court for the District of Columbia
- Honorable Richard G. Taranto, United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Education
Education
- Williams College (B.A., 2004)
- Yale Law School (J.D., 2014)
Wins
Seigel has secured several significant wins for his clients in Federal, State and Appellate courts, attracting media attention from outlets across the nation.
For Ethanol Boosting Systems, the inventors of groundbreaking engine technology used in dual-injection engines, Seigel won an appeal at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in a patent infringement battle with Ford Motor Company. The Appeals Court reversed an unfavorable, case-dispositive claim construction and remanded the suit, allowing his clients infringement claims to proceed. Listen to Seigel’s oral argument at the Federal Circuit here and read more about the case in Law360, Reuters, and IPWatchDog.
In a high-profile royalties dispute, Seigel helped secure a $25+ million jury verdict for client, Steven Lamar, in a breach of contract action for unpaid royalties owed by Beats Electronics, Jimmy Iovine, and Dr. Dre, relating to Lamar’s role in creating Beats’ iconic headphones. The case later settled on confidential terms. It attracted national interest and was picked up by well-known media outlets such as the New York Times, The Guardian,Billboard, Bloomberg, Hollywood Reporter, NY Daily News, and the San Diego Union Tribune.
Admissions
Admissions
Bar Admissions
- Washington
- Maryland
Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
Publications
- War Claims & Private Security Contractors: The Strategic and Regulatory Benefits of Paying Host-Nation Claims Against U.S. Contractors, 43 Pub. Cont. L.J. 653 (2014)
- Community Benefits Agreements in a Union City, 46 Urb. Law. 419 (2014)
