Counsel

Curt Holbreich

IP Litigation

cholbreich@sidley.com

San Francisco +1 415 772 7446

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CURT HOLBREICH is counsel in Sidley’s San Francisco office and a member of the IP Litigation practice. His focus is on patent litigation for national and international clients in the federal courts and before the U.S. International Trade Commission. He represents technology companies in a wide variety of industries including wireless communication devices, computer software and hardware, digital camera design, semiconductor fabrication, memory controller architecture, integrated circuit design, voice recognition software, video game technology, and computer monitor and television displays.

In addition to intellectual property work, Curt has litigated a variety of complex business disputes in state and federal courts, and before administrative and arbitration panels, with an emphasis on sports law issues. Previously, Curt was an award-winning reporter for the Los Angeles Times and other leading publications covering national and international sporting events. His sports investigative and features articles were selected three times for inclusion in the Sporting News Best Sports Stories of the Year.

Curt has been recognized as a national leader in the Sports Law: Athletic Disputes category of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. His sports law work includes the successful defense of a national sports organization in a challenge to the arbitration system used to adjudicate allegations of performance-enhancing drug use (Jacobs v. USA Track & Field, 374 F. 3d 85 (2nd Cir. 2004)).

Curt earned a J.D., magna cum laude from the University of California Hastings College of the Law, a M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University, and received a B.A., cum laude from Wesleyan University. He served as an extern to Judge Marilyn Hall Patel of the USDC, Northern District of California.

Experience

Patent Litigation

Representing an international manufacturer of television displays in defense of a patent infringement action pending in the Central District of California.
Representing an international manufacturer of smartphones in appeals from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board pending in the Federal Circuit.
Representing an international manufacturer of smartphones in defense of patent infringement actions pending in the District of Delaware and the Western District of Washington concerning user interface technology.
Represented an international manufacturer of smartphones in defense of a patent infringement action in the Southern District of New York and the Western District of Washington regarding video decoding technology. The case settled after a motion to transfer was granted.
Represented an international manufacturer of smartphones in defense of a patent infringement action in the District of Delaware regarding voice recognition technology. The case settled after the filing of IPRs.
Represented an international manufacturer of smartphones in defense of a patent infringement action in the Eastern District of Texas, and in Inter Partes Review proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and subsequent appeal to the Federal Circuit regarding shared memory technology. The case settled after Federal Circuit affirmed PTAB finding of unpatentability.
Represented an international online marketplace in defense of a trademark and copyright infringement action in the U.S. International Trade Commission regarding drinkware. The investigation terminated after a settlement prior to hearing.
Represented an international online marketplace in defense of a patent infringement action in the U.S. International Trade Commission regarding hoverboards. The investigation terminated after a finding of no violation.
Represented an international circuit board fabrication company in post-trial defense of patent infringement action in the District of Arizona following an adverse jury finding. The case settled with an appeal to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit pending.
Represented an international manufacturer of smartphones in defense of a patent infringement action in the U.S. International Trade Commission regarding operating system software. The case settled after a favorable ruling on a motion for lack of standing.
Represented an international manufacturer of smartphones in defense of a patent infringement action in the Middle District of Florida. The case was voluntarily dismissed following the granting of a motion to dismiss with leave to amend.*
Represented a leading designer and seller of computers in defense of a patent infringement action in the District of Delaware concerning Bluetooth technology. The case settled prior to the filing of motions to dismiss.*
Represented an online marketplace in defense of a patent infringement action in the U.S. International Trade Commission regarding semiconductor technology in consumer electronic products. The Investigation was voluntarily terminated against the client after a settlement by the semiconductor respondent. *
Represented an international manufacturer of smartphones in defense of a patent infringement action in the District of Colorado concerning video technology. The case was voluntarily dismissed without payment after the client obtained a covenant not to sue. *
Represented an international manufacturer of smartphones in defense of a patent infringement action in the Eastern District of Texas brought by patent consortium headed by a leading designer of and seller of smartphones and other portable electronic devices. The case settled after a third party purchased the patents following a successful writ to the Court of Appeals for Federal Circuit staying the case in favor of an action filed in the Northern District of California.*
Represented an international computer manufacturer in defense of a patent infringement action in the U.S. International Trade Commission regarding semiconductor technology. The Investigation terminated with a finding of no violation upheld by the full Commission in a decision that established new law on the requirement for proving domestic industry in the ITC.*
Represented an online marketplace, a leading international computer manufacturer and a telecommunications company in defense of a patent infringement action in the U.S. International Trade Commission regarding semiconductor technology. The Investigation terminated after a finding of no violation was upheld by the full Commission.*
Represented an international manufacturer of smartphones in defense of a patent infringement action filed in the Southern District of Florida regarding cellular communication links. The case settled after the action was transferred to the Southern District of California.*
Represented an international manufacturer of smartphones in defense of a patent infringement action in the U.S. International Trade Commission concerning cell phone transmission. The case settled following the deposition of the complainant.*
Represented an international semiconductor manufacturer and its customers in defense of a patent infringement action in the U.S. International Trade Commission regarding semiconductor storage products. The case settled on the eve of trial.*
Represented an international semiconductor manufacturer in defense of a patent infringement action in the U.S. International Trade Commission regarding memory controller devices. The Investigation terminated after a finding of no violation was upheld by the full Commission.*
Represented an international manufacturer of memory storage devices in defense of a patent infringement action in the U.S. International Trade Commission regarding picture frame memory devices. The Investigation was terminated by consent.*
Represented a leading digital camera company in defense of a patent infringement action in the U.S. International Trade Commission regarding digital camera architecture. The Investigation terminated after a finding of no violation was upheld by the full Commission. The Commission decision was upheld by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.*
Represented a leading cellular network company in fling a brief during the public interest comment period in an U.S. International Trade Commission investigation in which its largest supplier of smartphones had been found to infringe. The Commission later issued an opinion that included a precedent-setting delay in enforcement of its exclusion order to allow the cellular network time to develop alternative supplies.*
Represented a leading digital camera company in a patent infringement action in the U.S. International Trade Commission against a leading designer and seller of smartphones. The Commission issued a precedent-setting decision regarding the procedural limits on summary determination motions. The case settled with an appeal pending before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.*
Represented three international semiconductor manufacturers in defense of a patent infringement action in the U.S. International Trade Commission concerning semiconductor fabrication technology. The Investigation was terminated after a finding of no violation that was upheld by the full Commission.*
Represented a leading manufacturer of flash memory semiconductor devices and a leading manufacturer of graphics processors in defense of a patent infringement action in the U.S. International Trade Commission regarding semiconductor packaging technology.*

*Above matters were handled prior to Curt joining Sidley.

State Bar of California, Intellectual Property Section
ITC Trial Lawyers Association

Credentials

Admissions & Certifications

U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
U.S. District Court, E.D. of California
U.S. District Court, N.D. of California
U.S. District Court, C.D. of California
U.S. District Court, S.D. of California
U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
U.S. District Court, E.D. of Texas
California

Education

University of California, Hastings College of the Law, J.D., 1993 (magna cum laude, Order of the Coif)
Columbia University, M.S., 1983
Wesleyan University, B.A., 1980 (cum laude)