Jack 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.
High-Stakes Patent Litigator and Prosecutor for Complex Technologies
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.”
Deep Technical Advantage
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.