Thomas C. Fiala is a director in Sterne Kessler’s Electronics Practice Group. Tom has extensive experience counseling clients and providing services in connection with intellectual property matters, including preparation and prosecution of patent applications, strategic patent portfolio building and management, rendering of infringement and validity opinions, patent and technology licensing, and due diligence investigations accompanying acquisitions. Tom represents cutting edge companies from start-ups to well-established businesses.
Tom has been named one of “The World’s Leading Patent Professionals” in the IAM Patent 1000 annually from 2015 to present. In 2021 and 2022, Tom was also recognized among the “IAM Strategy 300: The World’s Leading IP Strategists.”
Tom’s practice has a particular focus on computer-related and software-related technologies. He has prepared and prosecuted patent applications relating to microprocessors and integrated circuits, computer architecture, computer graphics, network protocols, data compression and encryption, data storage, software development tools, cloud security and infrastructure management, authentication and authorization systems and protocols, database management systems, web browsers, search engines and computer-related business methods. Further, he has procured patents in other areas including telecommunications and semiconductor device manufacturing.
Tom has experience enforcing intellectual property both at the trial level, representing clients in patent and copyright cases before Federal District Courts and the International Trade Commission, in addition to handling appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He has litigated patents related to technologies such as microprocessors, random access memory devices, and CD-ROM controllers.
During law school, Tom served as an editor on the University of Connecticut Law Review and was a member of the Moot Court Board. Prior to law school, Tom worked in the computer industry as a systems consultant. His work included the programming, design, installation and testing of complex business information systems for a variety of clients, including public utilities and investment banks.
Tom received his J.D. from University of Connecticut School of Law and his B.S. in Computer Systems Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
- IAM Strategy 300, “A Guide to the World’s Leading IP Strategists” (2022 – 2021)
- IAM Patent 1000, “The World’s Leading Patent Professionals” (2022 – 2015)
- J.D., The University of Connecticut School of Law
- B.S., Computer Systems Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- District of Columbia
- New York
- United States Patent & Trademark Office