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Craig Summers has four decades of experience as an IP attorney and the praise of his peers as “an outstanding litigator.” His practice focuses on intellectual property litigation and dispute resolution, including patents, trademarks, trade secrets, copyrights, and unfair competition. With a strong and diverse technical background, he is able to explain complex technology in simple terms that are easily understood. This has allowed him to successfully represent clients through jury trials, bench trials, and appeals, and to achieve his clients’ goals before trial through motion practice, settlement and other means.
Over the years, Craig has litigated hundreds of intellectual property cases in district courts throughout the United States, the ITC, the PTAB, and the TTAB. He handles a wide range of technologies, from the highly complex to the simplest of inventions. Representative technologies include computer software and hardware, wireless communication, GPS navigation, e-commerce, aircraft equipment and components, medical devices, dental products, pharmaceutical products (and related Hatch-Waxman litigation), apparel, and athletic equipment.
In addition to his litigation practice, Craig has extensive experience advising clients regarding intellectual property infringement and validity issues, and he has been able to successfully resolve many disputes for his clients without litigation, either through informal pre-litigation negotiations or through formal ADR, such as mediation and arbitration. His diverse practice also includes representing several foreign corporations, which makes him especially qualified to navigate the unique issues facing those companies in U.S. litigation. He also has been retained as an expert witness in business disputes and litigation where patent law is an issue. Craig also serves as pro bono counsel for the Downtown Women’s Center in Los Angeles and has worked on pro bono litigation in connection with the Central District of California’s Pro Bono Civil Rights Panel, which provides opportunities to represent pro se litigants in prisoner civil rights cases in Federal District Court.
Mr. Summers has received multiple awards for his legal accomplishments, including:
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Named in 2024 Southern California Super Lawyers for the distinction honors outstanding lawyers based on peer nominations and independent research
- Selected by peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® for his work in Intellectual Property Litigation (2023 - 2024)
- Recognized for Trademarks in the 2023 "Who's Who Legal: IP Guide" by Law Business Research
- Named a "World IP Leader" by World Intellectual Property Review (WIPR) (2022 - 2023)
- Named a “Leading Litigator – IP Litigation” in the 2023-2024 edition of Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Litigators in America” guide
- Recognized by The Legal 500 "United States" for Patent Litigation (2021)
- Recognized in the World Trademark Review (WTR) 1000 as one of the "World's Leading Trademark Professionals" (2018). His peers described him as an "outstanding litigator".
- Recognized for Outstanding Leadership Contribution by the American Bar Association, Section of Intellectual Property Law (2018)
- Selected multiple times by his peers as a "Southern California Super Lawyer" for his work in intellectual property litigation by Super Lawyers magazine.
- Recognized in 2013 by American Lawyer Media as a “Top Rated Lawyer in Intellectual Property Law".
- Named as one of Southern California's "Top Lawyers" for intellectual property litigation in an annual survey of his peers published by Los Angeles magazine.
- Voted by his peers as one of Orange County’s “Top 50 Attorneys” in intellectual property litigation in 2011.
- Recognized by Texas Lawyer magazine as one of the "Top Texas Verdicts of 2009" for his jury trial victory in Golden Hour Data Systems, Inc. v. emsCharts, Inc.
- Consistently recognized by Martindale-Hubbell as an AV Preeminent Rated lawyer.
“Remedies for Patent Infringement in the Federal Circuit – A Survey of the First Six Years,” published in the IDEA Journal of Law and Technology, Volume 29, 1989.
“Preliminary Injunctions in Trade Secret Cases,” published by the Practicing Law Institute, 1986.
“California Laws and Intellectual Property: Inventions, Copyrights and Unfair Competition,” published by the California Continuing Education of the Bar, 1985.
Chair, IP West, a 2-day CLE Conference by the American Bar Association, Section of Intellectual Property Law, in Newport Beach, California (2018), and in San Antonio, Texas (2019)
“What Keeps In House Counsel Up At Night,” moderated panel of three in house counsel at the third annual IP West Conference of the American Bar Association, Section of Intellectual Property Law, in San Antonio, Texas (2019).
“Fireside Chat with In House Counsel and Law Enforcement,” moderated panel of two in house counsel and an Assistant United States Attorney on issues related to data privacy and security, including the GDPR and CCPA, in Irvine, California (February 2018) and San Diego, California (October 2018)
“A Conversation with the Bench,” moderated panel of three U.S. District Court Judges at the first annual IP West Conference of the American Bar Association, Section of Intellectual Property Law, in Long Beach, California (2017).
“The Current State of Trade Secret Law and How the New Federal Statute Will Shape the Landscape,” presented in Hong Kong (2016)
"Strategies to U.S. Trademark and Trade Secret Litigations," presented in Hsinchu and Taipei, Taiwan (September 2013).
"Recent Trends in Damages and Injunctive Relief in Patent Cases,” presented in Tokyo, Japan (2013).
"How to Get the Most Out of Your Relationship with Outside Litigation Counsel," presented at IP Impact Seattle Seminar (2012).
“Recent Case Law Update,” covering topics including patentable subject matter, induced and joint infringement, and patent damages, presented at IP Impact Northern Virginia Seminar (2011).
“Forum Selection From The Plaintiff’s Perspective,” Spring Meeting of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, 2006, speech and paper.
“Preparing to Prevail: Preliminary Injunction Practice Pointers,” 20th Annual Intellectual Property Law Conference of the American Bar Association, Section of Intellectual Property Law, 2005, speech and paper.
“Using The International Trade Commission As An Alternative To Litigation,” Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association, Washington In The West Seminar, 2003, speech and paper.
“Attorney-Client Privilege Issues for In-House Counsel,” 18th Annual Intellectual Property Conference of the American Bar Association, Section of Intellectual Property Law, 2003, speech and paper.
“Recent Developments in Patent Law,” Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association, Section of Intellectual Property Law, 1998, speech and paper.
“Confronting Attorney-Client Privilege Problems From the In-House Perspective,” Spring Meeting of the American Bar Association, Section of Intellectual Property Law 1998, speech and paper.
Speeches & Seminars
Chair, IP West, a 2-day CLE Conference by the American Bar Association, Section of Intellectual Property Law, in Newport Beach, California (2018)
“Fireside Chat with In House Counsel and Law Enforcement,” moderated panel of two in house counsel and an Assistant United States Attorney on issues related to data privacy and security, including the GDPR and CCPA, in Irvine, California (February 2018) and San Diego, California (October 2018)
“A Conversation with the Bench,” moderated panel of three U.S. District Court Judges at the first annual IP West Conference of the American Bar Association, Section of Intellectual Property Law, in Long Beach, California (2017).
“The Current State of Trade Secret Law and How the New Federal Statute Will Shape the Landscape,” presented in Hong Kong (2016)
"Strategies to U.S. Trademark and Trade Secret Litigations," presented in Hsinchu and Taipei, Taiwan (September 2013).
"Recent Trends in Damages and Injunctive Relief in Patent Cases,” presented in Tokyo, Japan (2013).
"How to Get the Most Out of Your Relationship with Outside Litigation Counsel," presented at IP Impact Seattle Seminar (2012).
“Recent Case Law Update,” covering topics including patentable subject matter, induced and joint infringement, and patent damages, presented at IP Impact Northern Virginia Seminar (2011).
“Forum Selection From The Plaintiff’s Perspective,” Spring Meeting of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, 2006, speech and paper.
“Preparing to Prevail: Preliminary Injunction Practice Pointers,” 20th Annual Intellectual Property Law Conference of the American Bar Association, Section of Intellectual Property Law, 2005, speech and paper.
“Using The International Trade Commission As An Alternative To Litigation,” Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association, Washington In The West Seminar, 2003, speech and paper.
“Attorney-Client Privilege Issues for In-House Counsel,” 18th Annual Intellectual Property Conference of the American Bar Association, Section of Intellectual Property Law, 2003, speech and paper.
“Recent Developments in Patent Law,” Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association, Section of Intellectual Property Law, 1998, speech and paper.
“Confronting Attorney-Client Privilege Problems From the In-House Perspective,” Spring Meeting of the American Bar Association, Section of Intellectual Property Law 1998, speech and paper.