Robert E. Sokohl

Overview

Robert E. Sokohl is a director in Sterne Kessler’s Electronics Practice Group and was a member of the firm’s Executive Committee for nine years. He is a strategic adviser to publicly-traded companies and start-ups. Rob has managed all aspects of these companies IP needs, including extensive experience leading post grant proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), such as ex parte reexaminations, inter partes reexaminations and inter partes reviews (IPR), managing patent portfolios that include thousands of assets, preparing patentability, state-of-the-art, infringement and validity opinions, and managing intellectual property due diligence investigations relating to the acquisition of portfolios and/or companies. His practice also includes patent litigation, including matters before federal district courts, the United States International Trade Commission and the Federal Circuit.

Rob was also co-counsel in the seminal 2014 Supreme Court case Alice Corporation Pty Ltd. v CLS Bank International et al., which related to application of the abstract idea exception to computerized business method claims. He was also co-author of the Appellants’ Brief filed in In re Beauregard, 53 F3d 1583, 35 USPQ2d 1383 (Fed. Cir. 1995). This case was brought by IBM to establish that a computer program on a disk was patentable subject matter. It resulted in the USPTO issuing software patent guidelines, which expanded the scope of patent protection for software.

Rob’s litigation experience includes a lead role in representing Jingle in Grape Technology Group, Inc. et al. v. Jingle Networks in the district court where the firm successfully defended Jingle at trial. Rob is actively involved with a number of other litigations at the ITC and District Courts. As part of these efforts, he was intimately involved with the preparation of the claim construction briefs, summary judgment briefs, as well as all aspects of discovery for the defendants.

Rob earned his J.D. from American University Washington College of Law and his B.S. in computer engineering from Syracuse University (which is why his favorite color is orange).

Accolades

• IAM Patent 1000, “Washington, DC: Recommended – Transactions, Patent Prosecution; Patent Litigation (Bronze Band)” (2023 – 2014)
• The Legal 500, “Highly Recommended Lawyer – Patent Prosecution (including reexamination and post-grant proceedings)” (2018 – 2017)

Education

• J.D., American University Washington College of Law
• B.S., Computer Engineering, Syracuse University

Admissions

• District of Columbia
• United States Patent & Trademark Office