Sheila’s practice covers all facets of intellectual property litigation and counseling, with a particular emphasis on patent infringement litigation and contentious patent office proceedings.

Sheila has over 20 years of experience handling all phases of intellectual property litigation before federal and state courts, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), the International Trade Commission (ITC) and arbitration panels. She advises clients on litigation strategy in complex patent cases, and has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in cases spanning diverse technology areas, including manufacturing processes, consumer electronics, computer hardware and software, telecommunications, automotive components and systems, medical devices and pharmaceuticals. She has also represented clients in unfair competition and trademark matters.

In addition to litigation, Sheila counsels clients on the procurement and transfer of intellectual property rights, the negotiation of licenses and other agreements, and the evaluation of the scope, validity and enforceability of intellectual property rights.

Sheila previously was a partner at Kenyon & Kenyon LLP and Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP. Over the course of her career, she has advised multinational companies such as Avaya, Bosch, Kawasaki, Olympus, Sony, and Toyota, as well as smaller companies and individuals, with respect to IP rights.

Sheila was named one of the Top Women in Law 2016 by the New York Law Journal, and one of only 38 Women of Influence 2018 by the New York Business Journal. She has also received recognition for her work from Super Lawyers, where she was named a “Rising Star” in intellectual property in 2013 and 2014, and selected to the New York Metro Super Lawyers list for intellectual property litigation from 2016 – 2019.

Representative Experience

• Lead counsel for Kawasaki Rail Car in a patent infringement case and two related inter partes review proceedings relating to a design for a television system in subway cars. The PTAB found all challenged claims in both IPRs unpatentable, and the Federal Circuit affirmed. Blair v. Kawasaki Rail Car, Inc. (SDNY, PTAB, CAFC).
• Represented Sony in an ITC case brought by ARRIS accusing Sony PlayStation gaming consoles, TVs, mobile phones and tablets, and the PlayStation Vue service of patent infringement. In the Matter of Certain Consumer Electronic Devices, Including Televisions, Gaming Consoles, Mobile Phones and Tablets, and Network-Enabled DVD and Blu-ray Players.
• Counsel for C-Cation in a case relating to communications systems and methods for dynamically allocating data signaling channels. Case settled favorably on the eve of trial. C-Cation Technologies v. Comcast, et al. (E.D. Tex.).
• Defended Avaya and Sony against claims of patent infringement relating to predictive text features. Data Carriers v. Avaya and Data Carriers v. Sony Computer Entertainment America, et al. (D. Del.).
• Defended Sony in patent litigations relating to 3D camera technology. The Federal Circuit affirmed successful IPR decisions. HumanEyes Technologies v. Sony, et al. and In the Matter of Certain Cameras and Mobile Devices (D. Del., ITC).

• Represented Sony in a series of multi-patent worldwide litigations against LG Electronics involving telecommunications standards, cell phone features, Blu-ray DVD technology and televisions and computer monitors. Sony Corp. v. LG Electronics U.S.A. Inc., et al. (multiple jurisdictions).
• Defended Tris Pharma at a preliminary injunction hearing involving trade secret and unfair competition claims. The court denied the preliminary injunction. UCB Manufacturing v. Tris Pharma, et al. (N.J. state court).
• Represented Olympus in cross patent infringement suits relating to capsule endoscopes. Given Imaging v. Olympus (E.D. Pa).

Bar Admissions

Education
JD, The George Washington University Law School, with honors, Law Review, 1999BS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland, cum laude, 1995

• Federal Circuit Dismisses Appeal upon Finding it is Precluded from Reviewing District Court’s Decision to Remand for Lack of Subject Matter Jurisdiction
• PTAB Erred by Relying on Inherency in Making Obviousness Determination Without Finding that the Limitation at Issue was Necessarily Present
• Federal Circuit Affirms Decision Holding Food-Packaging Patent Claims Obvious, Despite Strong Evidence of Objective Indicia
• IP Issues to Watch in 2013
• Federal Circuit Holds that Complaint for Patent Infringement Meets Iqbal / Twombly Pleading Standard
• Best Practices For Social Media Marketing: Navigating The FTC’s Updated Guidance, Straightline
• Chapter 32, United States, International Pharmaceutical Law and Practice, Madelein Kleyn and Louis van Wyk eds., 2020