Stepan Starchenko is an associate in the intellectual property litigation group, focusing on patent litigation across a variety of technical industries, including wireless telecommunications, telephony and networking, semiconductor technologies, consumer electronics, and propulsion systems. Stepan is experienced in pre-suit analysis and investigations, pleadings, discovery, identifying infringement, invalidity and claim construction positions, and all aspects of fact and expert discovery in district courts, including drafting motions, and preparing and deposing witnesses. Stepan further has experience in post-grant proceedings before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Stepan earned a degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, and spent time as a patent research analyst with Landon IP where he performed patentability, freedom-to-market and invalidity studies, and also participated in the USPTO’s pilot program performing searching and examination of PCT applications.
Prior to joining Ropes & Gray, Stepan spent over 8 years as a Senior Intellectual Property Engineer & Patent Agent at Synaptics, Inc. While at Synaptics, he managed an extensive worldwide patent portfolio, including innovation, prosecution, licensing and enforcement strategy related to capacitive sensor design and display integration, force and biometric sensing for opaque and transparent input devices in laptops, mobile phones, tablets, automotive and gaming systems. Stepan is also a named inventor on U.S. Patent 9,785,217 “System and Method for Low Power Input Object Detection and Interaction.”
Stepan actively supports Ropes & Gray’s pro bono work, specializing in guardianship proceedings.
Experience
- Aire Technologies v. A Major Multinational Consumer Electronics Company (W.D. Tex.) – Defending a major multinational consumer electronics company in a three-patent suit concerning NFC and mobile payment technologies.
- Speir Technologies v. A Major Multinational Consumer Electronics Company (N.D. Cal.) – Defending a major multinational consumer electronics company in a four-patent suit concerning security, wireless communication, and location technologies.
- Teradyne, Inc. v. Astronics Corp. (C.D. Cal.; PTAB) – Representing Teradyne, Inc., a leading supplier of automation equipment for test and industrial applications, in a case raising patent, copyright, and state law claims against Astronics Corp. and a subsidiary.
- Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 v. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson et al.; Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 v. Nokia Corp. et al. (E.D. Tex.) – Represented IP Bridge in two cases in the Eastern District of Texas involving assertion of multiple patents essential to 4G/LTE and 5G telecommunications standards against defendants’ cellular infrastructure products and services.
- A Multinational Electronics Company v. Imperium IP Holdings (Cayman), Ltd. (D. Del.) – Litigated breach of contract action based on defendant’s lawsuit asserting patent infringement for licensed products.
- Dolby Laboratories, Inc. v. Intertrust Technologies Corp. (N.D Cal.; PTAB) – Represented Dolby in an eleven-patent declaratory judgement action relating to audio/video processing systems.
- Palo Alto Networks, Inc. v. Packet Intelligence LLC (N.D. Cal.; PTAB, Fed. Cir.) – Representing Palo Alto Networks in a five-patent declaratory judgement actions relating to network traffic monitoring.
- Emerson Electric v. SIPCO et al. (N.D. Ga., ITC, PTAB, CAFC) – Represented Emerson Electric in a 10-patent lawsuit, multiple inter partes review proceedings, ITC proceedings, and Federal Circuit appeals relating to mesh network technology.
- Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 v. Qualcomm (D. Del., PTAB) – Represented IP Bridge in a patent infringement suit involving eight patents related to semiconductor technology and in related inter partes reviews before the PTAB.
- Versata, Inc. v. Magnitude Software, Inc. (D. Del.) – Defended Magnitude Software in a patent infringement suit concerning a parser translator system.
- Ironworks Patents, LLC v. A Major Multinational Telecommunications Equipment Company(E.D. Tex.) – Defended Huawei in an action alleging infringement of five patents directed to various methods for user input and communication.
- Pro bono – Secured a contested guardianship of a minor on behalf of his grandparents.