Careers

At M&G, we dedicate ourselves to finding the best solutions to our clients’ challenges, no matter where it takes us.

Case Studies

Industries

Offices

About Merchant & Gould

Pages

People

News Room

Practices

Staff

Home - Merchant & Gould P.C.

Jack R. Smith is a seasoned patent prosecutor, IP litigator, and former patent examiner who leverages deep technical expertise and frontline courtroom experience to protect and enforce mission-critical IP.

core/paragraph

High-Stakes Patent Litigator and Prosecutor for Complex Technologies

core/heading

Clients entrust Jack with their most consequential IP disputes and core portfolio strategy. He has litigated and prosecuted patents for leading semiconductor manufacturers, chip designers, medical device manufacturers, and smartphone companies, as well as innovators at the forefront of artificial intelligence (AI) systems for computer vision and autonomous vehicles. His prosecution work spans semiconductors, biomedical devices, electronics, software, advanced materials, and additive/advanced manufacturing technologies, including applications of AI in materials design and medical diagnosis, among others.

Driving Results Across Disputes and Portfolios

Over his 20 years of patent practice, Jack has delivered results for both Fortune 500 companies and emerging businesses. He has managed patent portfolios for large technology companies and institutions, resulting in hundreds of issued U.S. and international patents. He also provides hands-on stewardship of critical IP assets for early-stage companies with smaller portfolios, including assisting with strategic tech development and portfolio growth. He delivers patentability, infringement, validity, freedom-to-operate, and invalidity opinions that shape product development and litigation strategy. His perspective is informed by prior service as a patent examiner, in-house counsel at a Bay Area startup, and practice at a leading international firm, including in its Tokyo office.

On the litigation side, he represents clients across U.S. district court litigation, ITC investigations, and PTAB proceedings. Here he coordinates strategies for a wide range of clients, including major foreign and domestic electronics manufacturers, and medical device companies. For example, he played a lead role on ITC trial teams that secured two simultaneous victories in 2022, including a mid-hearing dismissal following an admission of non-infringement on cross-examination. He also helped secure summary judgment of non-infringement on touch-screen architecture patents in the Southern District of California, along with a $900,000 fee award against a non-practicing entity for frivolous litigation.

Recognized for Creativity, Diligence, and Depth

Chambers USA has recognized Jack as a Leading Lawyer in Intellectual Property: Patent Prosecution in the District of Columbia (2025). Clients describe him to Chambers as an “excellent lawyer” with “deep technical knowledge” and a “great sense of creativity, enabling him to develop strong positions” and strategies that “truly amaze.” They also describe him as a “hard worker dedicated to meeting the needs of his clients.”

Before entering law, Jack was a scientific researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. His doctoral thesis received the Stein Prize for “superior achievement in the field of new or unique materials or applications for materials in electronics.” He authored 18 peer-reviewed publications in topics as diverse as semiconductor manufacturing technology, quantum physics, optical and electronic materials, and AI-driven materials design, particularly for biomedical materials applications. He is a member of the Sigma Pi Sigma (ΣΠΣ) national physics honor society and a recipient of National Research and National Science Foundation Council Fellowships, as well as the Kothe-Hildner Prize for excellence in technical writing in German.

Georgetown University Law Center, J.D.

University of Pennsylvania, Ph.D., Materials Science & Engineering

University of Pennsylvania, M.S.E., Materials Science & Engineering

University of Michigan, B.S. Physics, 

Washington, D.C. Area

Merchant &amp; Gould is pleased to welcome Jack Smith as a partner in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. Jack brings 20 years of experience advising clients on complex patent matters, with a practice spanning both litigation and prosecution. He works with clients across advanced technologies, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, biomedical materials and devices, software, and advanced materials, helping them protect and leverage their intellectual property in fast-moving markets.



“Jack understands how to take highly technical innovation and turn it into clear, strategic action for clients,” said Heather Kliebenstein, Managing Partner of Merchant. “His ability to move seamlessly between prosecution and litigation strengthens how we support clients at every stage of the IP lifecycle. We are excited to have him at Merchant.”



Jack represents clients in U.S. District Courts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the International Trade Commission, and before the PTAB. He also maintains an active prosecution practice, having prepared and prosecuted hundreds of U.S. and international patent applications. His perspective is informed by his experience as a former patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and his work at a leading international law firm.



Before entering the legal profession, Jack was a scientific researcher and principal investigator at leading national and international laboratories, including the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. He holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering, and his thesis received the Stein Prize for superior achievement in the field of new or unique materials or applications for materials in electronics.

Jack R. Smith, Ph.D.

Practices

Education

Admissions