Susan Spaeth serves as Managing Partner of the firm. Ms. Spaeth focuses her practice on intellectual property and complex/technical litigation, particularly patent litigation, licensing and counseling. She has represented biotechnology, medical device and high technology companies in various federal district courts, the United States International Trade Commission and European patent litigation.
In addition to litigating patent and complex technology disputes, Ms. Spaeth regularly assists clients in their patent portfolio development, product analyses to determine patent infringement, negotiation of agreements related to intellectual property and establishing strategies to exploit the use of intellectual property.
During her career as an attorney, Ms. Spaeth has served as trial counsel in numerous successful efforts, including securing a unanimous jury verdict on behalf of cross-defendant, Baxter Healthcare Corporation, in a complex commercial litigation case; obtaining critical claim construction ruling resulting in a judgment in favor of defendant, Perclose, Inc.; obtaining a judgment in favor of patentee, StarSight Telecast, Inc., on inequitable conduct charges; and successfully representing Hyundai in a patent infringement and licensing lawsuit.
Ms. Spaeth is a member of the firm's Executive Committee. In March 2003, San Jose Business Journal named Ms. Spaeth as one of the top 50 “Most Influential Women in Business” at their Women in Business Breakfast. Additionally, in April 2003, Ms. Spaeth was profiled in the San Francisco Business Times as one of the “100 Most Influential Women in Business.” In 2014, she was listed in The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers in the area of Life Sciences. Ms. Spaeth was recognized as a Northern California "Super Lawyer" for Intellectual Property Litigation in 2004, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 by Super Lawyers magazine. She was recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Intellectual Property Litigation in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Ms. Spaeth was listed in the 2013 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business for Life Sciences.
