Donald Puckett represents businesses and individuals in patent infringement litigation, patent licensing, patent Inter Partes reviews, and other complex business litigation. He previously was a co-founder of the Dallas law firm Skiermont Puckett. He has been recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer in 2014 and 2015, and was included on the 2015 IAM Patent 1000 list of top patent professionals. He also is an adjunct professor at the Texas A&M School of Law.

While Don has experience litigating a wide variety of complex litigation matters, his primary practice areas involve patent litigation, patent asset management and patent strategy. The IAM Patent 1000 guide wrote that Don earned an “unqualified recommendation” with a “respected ability to work up a case so as to maximize the impact of his arguments . . . Few do it better than Don.”

In recent years, he has been heavily involved in patent Inter Partes review proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and Federal Circuit appeals of IPR decisions. His first IPR oral argument was a case that involved 18 IPR depositions – one of the largest factual records ever created in an IPR.

Don received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 1999, and served as a law clerk to Hon. Jon Phipps McCalla (Chief Judge of the Western District of Tennessee). He previously was a co-founder of Skiermont Puckett, a partner at The Ware Firm, and an associate at McKool Smith.

Education

University of Texas School of Law
Juris Doctorate, with honors
Order of the Coif
Texas Law Review, Associate Editor

University of Kentucky
B.A., summa cum laude

Areas of Practice

• Complex Commercial Litigation
• Patent Asset Management
• Patent Litigation
• Patent Licensing
• Inter Partes Reviews
• Appeals

Bar Admissions

• State of Texas
• United States Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
• United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
• United States District Court, Northern District of Texas
• United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas
• United States District Court, Western District of Texas
• United States District Court, Southern District of Texas
• United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois
• United States District Court, District of Colorado
• United States District Court, District of Nebraska

Honors & Professional Associations

• Texas Super Lawyer – 2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017
• IAM Patent 1000 – 2015 & 2016
• Barbara M.G. Lynn Inn of Court (Barrister, 2012-2015; Master, 2015-Present)

Speaking Engagements

• Hot Issues in PTAB Trials, 53rd Annual Conference on Intellectual Property Law, Center for American and International Law (Nov. 2015).
• Teva’s Prescription to Cure What Ails Claim Construction – A Bench-Bar Brainstorming Session, Dallas Bar Association (April 2015).
• Alternative Fees: Aligning the Interests of Lawyer and Client, Texas Lawyer In-House Counsel Summit (2014).