Government Experience

  • Department of Defense—Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy

Education

  • Albany Law School, J.D., cum laude
  • St. Lawrence University, B.A. Political Science

Admissions

  • District of Columbia
  • New York
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
  • U.S. Court of International Trade
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Armed Forces
  • U.S. Court of Federal Claims

Kathryn L. Clune

Partner
kclune@crowell.com
+1.202.624.2705

“Katie is a tough litigator who has a great no-nonsense approach to matters. … She is sharp, on the ball, and does a good job for her clients.” Chambers USA 2022: International Trade: Intellectual Property (Section 337)

Kathryn L. Clune is a first-chair trial lawyer specializing in patent, trademark, and trade secrets litigation in district courts and in Section 337 matters before the International Trade Commission, where she has had significant success in both affirmative and defensive cases. Clients repeatedly rely on Katie’s strategic thinking, hard work, and extensive knowledge to obtain the best result for their business.

Katie’s 25+ years of trial experience have been nationally recognized by Chambers USA 2022. She was also recognized by Patexia as a “most active” and “best performing” ITC practitioner, and Crowell & Moring’s ITC 337 Practice Group was ranked among the top 20 firms practicing before the Commission for the past six years. Crowell’s International Trade Group was also selected as Law360’s “2021 International Trade Group of the Year,” based in part on Katie’s recent ITC and Court of International Trade successes. Legal 500 recognized the ITC 337 Practice Group as a “Firm to Watch.” Her patent litigation experience in the ITC, district courts, and Federal Circuit also led her to being featured as one of the “Top 50 under 45” attorneys in IP Law & Business. 

Katie represents companies in intellectual property and trade disputes in a variety of industries, including polymers, solar, consumer electronics, automotive, railroad, and electrical fittings. She has been involved in all stages of IP litigation, from presuit investigations through trial and appeal. Katie has successfully litigated patent infringement cases in federal district courts across the country, including the Eastern District of Texas, Eastern District of Virginia, and District of Delaware, and before the ITC. Katie is also a seasoned appellate advocate before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, where she won eight of her nine patent appeals.

Prior to joining Crowell, Katie served in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps, where she gained extensive trial and appellate experience and reached the rank of lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve. Immediately after her naval service, Katie served as the law clerk for Chief Judge Andrew S. Effron of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.

Katie co-leads the firm’s ITC 337 Litigation Practice.


Recognition

  • Patexia: ITC Intelligence Guide, Top 50 Best Performing Lawyers overall, Top 30 Best Performing Lawyers for respondents, 2021 
  • New York City Trial Lawyers Association: Best Trial Advocate
  • NY State Bar Association, Committee on Legal Education & Admission to the Bar: Best Paper
  • IP Law & Business: Top 50 Under 45, 2008 • Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal
  • Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Gold Star
  • National Defense Service Medal
  • Navy & Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon with Gold Star
  • NATO Medal

Affiliations

Professional Activities and Memberships

  • American Intellectual Property Law Association
  • American Bar Association
  • NYS Bar Association
  • Women in IP

Representative Matters

United States Court of International Trade

Section 337 Investigations

  • Certain Synthetic Roofing Underlayment Products (337-TA-1202): Represented DuPont in a Section 337 Investigation related to synthetic roof underlayment products. Based on successful Markman Order on a dispositive claim term, patentee terminated the entire case, resulting in total victory for DuPont.
  • Certain Carburetors (337-TA-1123): Represented MTD Products in a Section 337 Investigation involving hand-held outdoor equipment. Won early termination after Complainant stipulated that client’s currently imported products did not infringe asserted patents.
  • Certain RF Microneedles (337-TA-1112): Represented Lumenis Ltd. & Pollogen Ltd. in a Section 337 Investigation regarding radio frequency skin treatment devices. Lead trial attorney at hearing where ALJ tentatively ruled the asserted patent was invalid. Entered favorable settlement with no exclusion after hearing.
  • Certain Vehicular Smart Watch Systems, Related Software (337-TA----): Represented General Motors Company and OnStar in multi-forum litigation involving a smart watch-based mobile app for controlling vehicle security and diagnostics functions. Launching an aggressive counter-offensive against the plaintiff and its principal, we forced the plaintiff to drop its complaints in both the district court and the ITC, pre-institution.
  • Certain Sulfentrazone, Sulfentrazone Compositions (337-TA-914): Represented DuPont in hotly contested third-party discovery dispute, limiting testimony to only public information regarding DuPont's products.
  • Certain Non-Volatile Memory Devices (337-TA-909): Represented General Motors as a third party presenting public interest testimony at deposition and at the hearing. Parties settled shortly after hearing.
  • Certain Communication Equipment (337-TA-817): Represented respondent Avaya in an investigation related to Power over Ethernet (PoE) features in telephones, switches, and wireless access points. Settled favorably.
  • Certain Automotive GPS Navigation Sys. (337-TA-814): Represented respondent General Motors LLC in an investigation related to automobiles with in-dash GPS navigation systems. Won dismissal of GM and termination of the investigation after six months, with no exclusion.
  • Certain Polyimide Films (337-TA-772): Represented DuPont in hotly contested third-party discovery dispute, successfully quashing a third-party subpoena for deposition and presenting very limited trial testimony.
  • Certain Adjustable-Height Beds (337-TA-734): Represented complainant Invacare in an investigation related to adjustable hospital beds, resulting in Consent Order excluding accused products from entry into the U.S.
  • Certain Semiconductor Integrated Circuits (337-TA-665): Represented respondent LSI, Inc. against complainant Qimonda AG, obtaining Final Determination of non-infringement on five patents and defeating the complainant's claim of domestic industry.
  • Baseband Processor Chips and Chipsets (337-TA-543): Represented Intervenor Sprint Nextel Corp. in an investigation brought by Broadcom against Qualcomm. Lead counsel during the remedy phase, the Presidential Review Period, before Customs, and during the Enforcement Action, as well as at the Federal Circuit, obtaining a stay pending appeal and full reversal of ITC’s exclusion order.
  • Certain Laminated Floor Panels (337-TA-545): Represented 6 of 32 respondents in investigation. Lead counsel at two week hearing, resulting in a finding of Initial Determination of invalidity of broadest patent.

District Court and Military Trial Experience

  • Siemens Mobility, Inc. v. Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies, (D. Del. 2016-present): Won jury trial in favor of Siemens involving Siemens’ patented Positive Train Control Technology. Final Judgment was entered affirming the jury verdict and awarding Siemens $14.2 million in damages.
  • The Regents of the University of California v. Boston Scientific Corp., St. Jude Medical, & Atricure, (N.D. Cal. 2016-2018): Represented The Regents of the University of California against three medical device manufacturers in three patent litigations involving patented methodology and cardiac ablation devices to treat atrial fibrillation. After two years of litigation, the parties all reached an amicable settlement.
  • Spark Networks USA, LLC v. Smooch Labs, Inc., (S.D.N.Y. 2015): Represented plaintiff (owner of JDate) in a hotly contested patent and trademark infringement action against the mobile application “JSwipe,” resulting in a favorable settlement and acquisition of Smooch Labs, owner of JSwipe.
  • Arlington Industries, Inc. v. Bridgeport Fittings, Inc. (M.D. Pa. 2013): Won contempt trial on behalf of patentee, proving the competitor's "re-designed products" were within scope of previously issued injunction. The court enjoined the re-designed products for five years, awarded lost profits for all sales and attorney fees.
  • Greenville Communications, LLC v. Verizon Wireless (D.N.J. 2012): Won non-infringement judgment of all Sprint's "call-tone" services after successful Markman decision.
  • Arlington Industries, Inc. v. Bridgeport Fittings, Inc, (M.D. Pa. 2009): Won jury verdict of willful patent infringement, breach of contract, and lost profits.
  • Carlson et al. v. Islamic Republic of Iran, 201 F. Supp. 2d 78 (D.D.C. 2002): Obtained $7.8 million verdict in compensatory damages and $300 million in punitive damages on behalf of 10 former military members and spouses in suit against Iran under Anti-Terrorism Act for damages resulting from the 1985 Hijacking of TWA Flight 847.
  • As a Navy Lieutenant, successfully defended a Marine Aviator in an internationally publicized General Court-Martial. The client was charged with 20 counts of Involuntary Manslaughter arising from an aviation accident with a gondola cable in Northern Italy.

Appellate Experience

  • Bridgeport Fittings, Inc. v. Arlington Industries, Inc., No. 2015-1616, -1617 (Fed. Cir. 2016): Argued and won consolidated appeals affirming the validity of two patents from inter partes reexaminations.
  • Arlington Industries, Inc. v. Bridgeport Fittings, Inc., No. 2014-1633 (Fed. Cir. 2015): Argued and won affirmance of the district court's claim construction, colorable imitation and infringement findings, and sanctions award of lost profits, attorney fees and expenses.
  • Arlington Industries, Inc. v. Bridgeport Fittings, Inc., No. 2013-1357 (Fed. Cir. 2014) (opinion, 759 F.3d 1333) Argued and won dismissal of an untimely interlocutory appeal.
  • Greenville Communications, LLC v. Verizon Wireless, No. 2012-1676 (Fed. Cir. 2013): Won affirmance of non-infringement judgment on appeal.
  • Arlington Industries, Inc. v. Bridgeport Fittings, Inc., No. 2010-1025 (Fed. Cir. 2011) (opinion, 632 F.3d 1246): Argued and won reversal of summary judgment of non-infringement of two patents.
  • Kyocera Wireless et al., v. Int'l Trade Comm'n, No. 2007-1493, (Fed. Cir. 2008) (opinion, 545 F.3d 1340): Won reversal of ITC exclusion order in landmark decision holding the ITC lacked authority to issue limited exclusion orders banning imports of companies not named as respondents in the investigation.
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces and the Navy & Marine Corps Appellate Court: As a Navy Lieutenant represented several hundred Sailors and Marines in felony appeals before both courts.


Insights

Speeches & Presentations


Publications


Client Alerts & Newsletters


Press Coverage


Firm News & Announcements

June 1, 2022 Chambers USA 2022 Ranks 70 Crowell & Moring Lawyers and 37 Practice Areas Among Best in U.S.
April 1, 2022 Crowell Ranked Among the Top 20 U.S. ITC Litigation Firms by Patexia
April 1, 2021 Crowell & Moring Ranked Among Top Section 337 U.S. ITC Firms in Patexia’s 2021 ITC Intelligence Report
December 6, 2019 Preliminary Injunction Granted Against U.S. Government in Solar Energy Tariff Case
January 25, 2019 LITIGATION NOTE: Crowell & Moring Client Siemens Mobility Inc. Awarded $6.7 Million in IP Suit
January 29, 2013 Crowell & Moring Releases Report, "Litigation Forecast 2013"
May 27, 2008 IP Law & Business Selects Kathryn L. Clune As "Top 50 Under 45" Intellectual Property Lawyer
March 1, 2007 Crowell & Moring’s Intellectual Property Litigation Team Gains Experienced Trial Lawyer