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Trusted IP and Technology Advisor
Stefan assists leading technology companies with their most complex and strategic IP and commercial transactions.
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Industry Expertise
Before his law practice, Stefan worked in the R&D department of a leading semiconductor company and served as a delegate in a large technical standardization group.
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Litigation Experience
Stefan is experienced in navigating intellectual property disputes, and his litigation background helps him evaluate risks and negotiate favorable outcomes for his clients.
Dr. Stefan Geirhofer is an associate in the technology transactions group of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Stefan’s practice focuses on transactions involving complex technology and intellectual property issues, including mergers and acquisitions, carve-out transactions, transfers and licenses of intellectual property, collaborations, research and development agreements, and joint ventures. He advises clients in a wide array of technologies with concentration on the high-tech and software fields.
Before focusing on transactions, Stefan worked as an intellectual property litigator and represented clients in patent and trade secret disputes through all stages of litigation, including managing fact discovery, taking and defending fact and expert depositions, and dispositive motion practice, trial, and appeal. Stefan has appeared before federal district courts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.
Stefan has also helped clients navigate and resolve intellectual property disputes prior to litigation, including commercial disputes and license negotiations related to standards-essential patents (SEPs) involving fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) licensing obligations.
Prior to becoming a lawyer, Stefan worked as a researcher in Qualcomm’s R&D department on cellular communications technology and represented the company as a delegate in a large 3GPP standardization group.
Dr. Stefan Geirhofer is an associate in the technology transactions group of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Stefan’s practice focuses on transactions involving complex technology and intellectual property issues, including mergers and acquisitions, carve-out transactions, transfers and licenses of intellectual property, collaborations, research and development agreements, and joint ventures. He advises clients in a wide array of technologies with concentration on the high-tech and software fields.
Before focusing on transactions, Stefan worked as an intellectual property litigator and represented clients in patent and trade secret disputes through all stages of litigation, including managing fact discovery, taking and defending fact and expert depositions, and dispositive motion practice, trial, and appeal. Stefan has appeared before federal district courts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.
Stefan has also helped clients navigate and resolve intellectual property disputes prior to litigation, including commercial disputes and license negotiations related to standards-essential patents (SEPs) involving fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) licensing obligations.
Prior to becoming a lawyer, Stefan worked as a researcher in Qualcomm’s R&D department on cellular communications technology and represented the company as a delegate in a large 3GPP standardization group.
- J.D., Georgetown University Law Center
Magna Cum Laude; Order of the Coif; Articles Editor, Georgetown Law Journal; Leon Robbin Patent Award; George Brent Mickum III Prize
- Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, Cornell University
- Dipl.-Ing. (joint B.S./M.S.), Electrical Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Austria
- Vice Chair, Technical Standardization Committee, Section for Science & Technology Law, American Bar Association
- Vice Chair, Internet of Things Committee, Section for Science & Technology Law, American Bar Association
- Board Member, Book Publishing Board, Section for Science & Technology Law, American Bar Association
- Young Lawyer Representative, Intellectual Property Committee, Section of Antitrust Law, American Bar Association
- Bar of the District of Columbia
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- J.D., Georgetown University Law Center
Magna Cum Laude; Order of the Coif; Articles Editor, Georgetown Law Journal; Leon Robbin Patent Award; George Brent Mickum III Prize
- Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, Cornell University
- Dipl.-Ing. (joint B.S./M.S.), Electrical Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Austria
- Vice Chair, Technical Standardization Committee, Section for Science & Technology Law, American Bar Association
- Vice Chair, Internet of Things Committee, Section for Science & Technology Law, American Bar Association
- Board Member, Book Publishing Board, Section for Science & Technology Law, American Bar Association
- Young Lawyer Representative, Intellectual Property Committee, Section of Antitrust Law, American Bar Association
- Bar of the District of Columbia
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Select Transactional Matters*
- Advised Anthropic on its multibillion-dollar strategic commercial deal with AWS
- Advised Dolby Laboratories in connection with Via Licensing’s acquisition of MPEG LA
- Represented Qualcomm in connection with its acquisition of Veoneer, a Sweden-based automotive company
- Represented General Atlantic in connection with several investments in the gaming, healthcare, and automotive sectors
- Advised a major U.S. provider of utility meters in its spin-off of gas-regulator and gas-meter technology to a solution provider for utility companies
- Advised Elanco Animal Health in connection with its $7.6 billion carve-out of Bayer’s animal-health business
- Represented a major Japanese technology company in license negotiations relating to 4G LTE standards-essential patents and FRAND issues
- Represented a large Japanese consumer electronic company in license negotiations concerning Wi-Fi standards-essential patents
- Advised a multinational battery manufacturer in connection with trademark licenses and supply/distribution agreements
- Represented a major Japanese pharmaceutical company in connection with an R&D collaboration with a virtual-reality start-up
- Advised a Canadian pharmaceutical company in connection with a license and commercial agreement for drugs designed to alleviate chronic pain
Select Litigation Matters*
- Defended SAP SE in two related actions concerning alleged trade secret misappropriation and antitrust claims
- Defended Twitter in connection with patent infringement claims related to Twitter’s social media platform
- Defended Simmons Bedding Company in a Federal Circuit appeal concerning Simmons’s successful invalidation of two design patents
- Represented clients in connection with more than a dozen inter partes review proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board
* Includes matters handled prior to joining Wilson Sonsini.
Select Transactional Matters*
- Advised Anthropic on its multibillion-dollar strategic commercial deal with AWS
- Advised Dolby Laboratories in connection with Via Licensing’s acquisition of MPEG LA
- Represented Qualcomm in connection with its acquisition of Veoneer, a Sweden-based automotive company
- Represented General Atlantic in connection with several investments in the gaming, healthcare, and automotive sectors
- Advised a major U.S. provider of utility meters in its spin-off of gas-regulator and gas-meter technology to a solution provider for utility companies
- Advised Elanco Animal Health in connection with its $7.6 billion carve-out of Bayer’s animal-health business
- Represented a major Japanese technology company in license negotiations relating to 4G LTE standards-essential patents and FRAND issues
- Represented a large Japanese consumer electronic company in license negotiations concerning Wi-Fi standards-essential patents
- Advised a multinational battery manufacturer in connection with trademark licenses and supply/distribution agreements
- Represented a major Japanese pharmaceutical company in connection with an R&D collaboration with a virtual-reality start-up
- Advised a Canadian pharmaceutical company in connection with a license and commercial agreement for drugs designed to alleviate chronic pain
Select Litigation Matters*
- Defended SAP SE in two related actions concerning alleged trade secret misappropriation and antitrust claims
- Defended Twitter in connection with patent infringement claims related to Twitter’s social media platform
- Defended Simmons Bedding Company in a Federal Circuit appeal concerning Simmons’s successful invalidation of two design patents
- Represented clients in connection with more than a dozen inter partes review proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board
* Includes matters handled prior to joining Wilson Sonsini.
Select Publications
- Co-author, “Foundational Models: Building Blocks for Generative AI Applications,” Competition Policy International, September 7, 2023
- Co-author, “Do's and Don’ts for Developing, Extending, and Using Generative AI Models,” The Computer & Internet Lawyer, May 2, 2023
- Co-author, “Antitrust Issues Involving Intellectual Property,” 2022 Annual Review of Antitrust Law Developments, March 2023
- Co-author, “Features of Procompetitive Collaborations in the Life Sciences,” Competition Policy International, March 2021
- Co-author, “Network Densification: The Dominant Theme for Wireless Evolution into 5G,” IEEE Communications Magazine, February 2014
- Co-author, “Multiple Antenna Techniques for LTE-Advanced,” LTE, the UMTS Long Term Evolution: From Theory to Practice, John Wiley & Sons, 2012
- Co-author, “Downlink MIMO in LTE-Advanced: SU-MIMO vs. MU-MIMO,” IEEE Communications Magazine, February 2012
- Co-author, “Dynamic Spectrum Access in the Time Domain: Modeling and Exploiting White Space,” IEEE Communications Magazine, May 2007
Select Speaking Engagements
- Speaker, “How the Law Affects Your Small Business: Intellectual Property Basics,” D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center, February 20, 2024
- Moderator, “Proprietary Interfaces & Technological Tying,” American Bar Association, February 9, 2024
- Panelist, “Nuts and Bolts: Licensing – IP & Antitrust,” American Bar Association, January 8, 2024
- Panelist, “IPRs and the ‘Right to Repair’,” American Bar Association, December 6, 2023
- Speaker, “Managing Intellectual Property for Nonprofits and Small Businesses,” DC Bar Pro Bono Center, March 22, 2023
Select Publications
- Co-author, “Foundational Models: Building Blocks for Generative AI Applications,” Competition Policy International, September 7, 2023
- Co-author, “Do's and Don’ts for Developing, Extending, and Using Generative AI Models,” The Computer & Internet Lawyer, May 2, 2023
- Co-author, “Antitrust Issues Involving Intellectual Property,” 2022 Annual Review of Antitrust Law Developments, March 2023
- Co-author, “Features of Procompetitive Collaborations in the Life Sciences,” Competition Policy International, March 2021
- Co-author, “Network Densification: The Dominant Theme for Wireless Evolution into 5G,” IEEE Communications Magazine, February 2014
- Co-author, “Multiple Antenna Techniques for LTE-Advanced,” LTE, the UMTS Long Term Evolution: From Theory to Practice, John Wiley & Sons, 2012
- Co-author, “Downlink MIMO in LTE-Advanced: SU-MIMO vs. MU-MIMO,” IEEE Communications Magazine, February 2012
- Co-author, “Dynamic Spectrum Access in the Time Domain: Modeling and Exploiting White Space,” IEEE Communications Magazine, May 2007
Select Speaking Engagements
- Speaker, “How the Law Affects Your Small Business: Intellectual Property Basics,” D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center, February 20, 2024
- Moderator, “Proprietary Interfaces & Technological Tying,” American Bar Association, February 9, 2024
- Panelist, “Nuts and Bolts: Licensing – IP & Antitrust,” American Bar Association, January 8, 2024
- Panelist, “IPRs and the ‘Right to Repair’,” American Bar Association, December 6, 2023
- Speaker, “Managing Intellectual Property for Nonprofits and Small Businesses,” DC Bar Pro Bono Center, March 22, 2023
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