Seth Coburn

Partner

  • Seth Coburn
  • Phone: +1 857 488 4277

    Import to Address Book

  • Duane Morris LLP
    100 High Street, Suite 2400
    Boston, MA 02110-1724
    USA

Seth S. Coburn represents clients in complex intellectual property disputes in courts across the country.  Mr. Coburn’s experience runs the gamut from pre-suit advising, to trial and all the way through appeal.  He also often represents clients in post-grant proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as well as Section 337 investigations before the International Trade Commission.  Mr. Coburn has represented clients in everything from multi-jurisdictional disputes against primary competitors to single-patent disputes against non-practicing entities (“NPEs”). 

Mr. Coburn has experience litigating disputes over an array of technologies.  This includes technologies such as LED lighting, semiconductors, processor architecture, Internet technology, health management software, network architecture, database optimization, mobile navigation technology, rights management software, consumer electronics, and data processing technology. 

In addition to his work as a litigator, Mr. Coburn also helps clients navigate contentious licensing negotiations mindful of litigation strategy and overall litigation risk management.  Mr. Coburn’s counseling experience includes everything from negotiating licenses to competitor-owned portfolios to non-practicing entity negotiations and negotiating licenses to standard essential patent portfolios.  

Mr. Coburn also has experience representing clients with trademark and copyright disputes in industries such as hospitality, consumer goods, software and financial services. His experience includes both district court litigation as well as TTAB proceedings.

Mr. Coburn is a cum laude graduate of Boston College Law School and a magna cum laude graduate of Hamilton College.

Representative Matters

  • Represented Current Lighting Solutions, LLC (former General Electric commercial and industrial lighting division) in three co-pending district court actions and parallel Section 337 ITC Investigation against competitor Signify involving 18 patents directed to LED lighting technologies that included power supplies, optics and thermal management.

  • Represented manufacturer of GPS-enabled pet containment systems against primary competitor in multi-patent dispute involving GPS technology, including co-pending IPR proceedings.

  • Defended Current Lighting Solutions, LLC in multi-patent dispute against NPE regarding LED chip technology.

  • Defended cloud-storage provider in dispute against NPE involving data compression technology.

  • Defended Green Creative, LLC in dispute against NPE involving LED chip technology.

  • Defended national telecommunications provider in disputes against multiple NPEs regarding standard-essential digital subscriber line technology.

  • Represented international LED lighting company against two competitors in multi-patent disputes involving landscape lighting technology, including co-pending PGR proceeding.

  • Defended Shanghai-based microprocessor designer against NPE in patent dispute involving software authentication technology.

  • Defended national telecommunications provider in dispute against NPE involving data network architecture technology, including through multiple rounds of appeal by the NPE.

  • Defended LED signage manufacturer in Section 337 ITC Investigation and co-pending district court litigation against competitor.

  • Defended major lighting manufacturer in dispute against competitor involving LED thermal management technology, including in co-pending IPR proceedings.

  • Represented major telecommunications provider in IPR proceedings concerning USB technology. 

  • Defended EHR software provider against multiple NPEs in disputes regarding health management software technology.

  • Defended software design environment solution provider in dispute against NPE regarding rights management technology.  

Admissions

  • Massachusetts
  • Maine

Education

  • Boston College Law School, J.D., cum laude, 2011
  • Hamilton College, B.A., magna cum laude, 2006

Experience

  • Duane Morris LLP
    - Partner, 2021-present
  • Verrill Dana LLP
    - Partner, 2019-2021
    - Associate, 2011-2018
  • Federal Trade Commission
    - Honors Paralegal, 2006-2008

Professional Activities

  • Maine Bar Association

  • Cumberland County Bar Association

  • Boston Patent Law Associate

  • American Intellectual Property Lawyers Association

Honors and Awards

  • Listed in Best Lawyers Ones to Watch (New England) for Intellectual Property, 2023

Civic and Charitable Activities

  • WinterKids
    - Board of Directors

Media Hits

Selected Speaking Engagements

  • Speaker, “Patent Infringement and Nuisance Lawsuits,” NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association Fall Conference, September 18, 2020