Kurt Pankratz

Department Chair - Intellectual Property (Dallas) Partner

[email protected]

Dallas

P: +1.214.953.6584
F: +1.214.661.4584
Kurt Pankratz

Kurt Pankratz is a first chair trial lawyer who focuses his practice on patent and trade secret issues. Clients rely on Kurt's extensive experience to assist with intellectual property disputes, from pre-litigation investigations and negotiations through all phases of trial. He has handled many dozens of cases around the country and has obtained jury verdicts for both plaintiffs and defendants. Clients describe Kurt as a “consummate professional” (IAM Patent 1000, 2017), and they appreciate that he “handles himself very well on his feet in court and has the ability to explain intricate details to a lay person” (Chambers USA, 2018). Kurt currently serves as the Chair for the Dallas Intellectual Property Department.

While Kurt is no stranger to the courthouse, he is also adept at assisting with disputes before they turn into lawsuits and has helped many clients handle complex business transactions involving intellectual property. Kurt also helps strategically craft and implement intellectual property protection programs for companies ranging in size from small start-ups to multinational corporations.

Kurt understands clients. Before attending law school, he worked as a computer engineer designing and implementing secure networked systems in connection with several classified government projects.

In addition to his current service as Department Chair for Dallas IP, Kurt previously served as the hiring partner for the Dallas office of Baker Botts.

Related Experience

  • Represented a multi-national electronics company in assertion of its portfolio of patents covering WiFi, Blu-ray, digital audio, laser diode, and semiconductor manufacturing process technologies. Obtained summary judgment of infringement in one case and a jury verdict of willful infringement in a second trial.
  • Represented telecommunications equipment provider in defense of multi-patent lawsuit by competitor. Obtained jury verdict of non-infringement for all asserted patents.
  • Represented a multinational telecommunications service provider in defense of a multi-district patent infringement campaign asserting a portfolio of LTE-related patents. Obtained dismissals of all cases based on summary judgments.
  • Represented telecommunications equipment provider in assertion of patents against competitor. Obtained jury verdict of infringement for all patents.
  • Represented global handset provider in patent infringement action involving five patents directed to various network and device protocols. Obtained jury verdict of non-infringement.
  • Represented a medical device manufacturer in asserting theft of trade secrets and patent infringement against a competitor in the field of neurostimulation pulse generators and implantable leads. Obtained favorable settlement shortly before trial.
  • Represented an international software services company in defense of a patent infringement claim related to remote control computer technology. Obtained summary judgment of non-infringement for all asserted patents.
  • Represented global communications company in patent infringement action involving four patents directed to network-based multimedia services. Obtained stipulation of non-infringement after claim construction.
  • Led defense of massive patent assertion campaigns against multinational networking equipment company.
  • Helped craft global patent strategy for a Fortune 100 company.

Awards & Community

Ranked in Chambers USA for Intellectual Property, 2018-2020

Identified as a top patent litigator in Intellectual Asset Management's IAM Patent 1000, 2013-2019

Recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer (Thomson Reuters), 2016-2019

Recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer-Rising Star (Thomson Reuters), 2004 & 2010-2013

News

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