Partner
Sarah E. Spires
- UC Berkeley, J.D. (2007)
- MIT, S.B. (2004)
Sarah Spires is an accomplished patent litigator and post-grant practitioner. Recognized in the IAM Patent 1000 and as one of the Top 50 Women in PTAB Trials, she is a registered patent attorney who represents clients in business-critical litigation nationwide. She also counsels life sciences clients on strategy, valuation, and due diligence.
Sarah’s post-grant practice spans more than 100 IPR and EPR proceedings before the PTAB — a caseload that puts her among just 18 attorneys nationwide with 100+ IPRs recognized on the Top 50 Women in PTAB Trials list. She represents both patent owners and petitioners across technologies including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, semiconductors, autonomous vehicles, signal processing, and natural language processing.
Sarah is also an experienced trial lawyer whose patent litigation practice spans the full range of district court proceedings, including preliminary injunctions, bench and jury trials, and complex disputes involving both patent owners and accused infringers. Her work is particularly deep in the life sciences, where she has represented branded and generic pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, and medical device clients in business-critical patent disputes.
Her trial practice extends well beyond the life sciences. Sarah has litigated complex patent disputes involving technologies ranging from consumer electronics and semiconductors to software, telecommunications, autonomous vehicles, and signal processing. Across these matters, she has developed substantial experience translating highly technical subject matter into clear, persuasive advocacy before judges, juries, and arbitrators in the United States and internationally.
In addition to her post-grant and trial work, Sarah has briefed and argued numerous appeals before the Federal Circuit. She has also represented clients in international arbitration and before the Japan Patent Office and the Tokyo IP High Court.
Sarah also regularly advises life sciences clients on Paragraph IV analysis, IP portfolio strategy and valuation, transactional due diligence, post-grant strategy, and freedom-to-operate evaluations.
Before attending law school, Sarah earned a degree in biology from MIT, where she conducted yeast genetics research on Cdc14 activation and cellular exit from mitosis at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. She went on to earn her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, where she served on the Berkeley Technology Law Journal and competed on the Jessup International Law Moot Court team that won the Northwest Regional Championship. Prior to joining Stris, Sarah practiced at a patent litigation boutique in Dallas, as well as in Gibson Dunn’s Dallas office and both the San Diego and Tokyo offices of Morrison & Foerster.
Sarah resides in Dallas, Texas with her husband, daughter, and two Boxer dogs.
Post-Grant Proceedings
Sarah represents both patent owners and petitioners in inter partes reviews and ex parte reexamination proceedings involving a wide variety of technologies.
BMW of North America, LLC v. Carrum Technologies, LLC (PTAB & USPTO)
Lead counsel representing patent owner Carrum Technologies in successfully defeating inter partes and ex parte reviews brought by BMW. After defeating IPR petitions, successfully petitioned for termination of reexamination order under 35 U.S.C. §325(d).
Edwards Lifesciences Corp. et al. v. Colibri Heart Valve LLC (PTAB)
Lead counsel representing patent owner Colibri in successfully defeating inter partes and ex parte reviews brought by Edwards Lifesciences Corp.
Teladoc Health, Inc. v. Data Health Partners, Inc. (PTAB)
Lead counsel representing patent owner Data Health Partners, Inc. in successfully defeating inter partes reviews brought by Teladoc Health, Inc.
Pogona, LLC v. Pfizer & Merck Sharp & Dohme (PTAB)
Lead counsel representing patent owner Pogona, LLC in inter partes reviews brought by Pfizer Inc. and Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC.
Sony Group Corp. (Japan) of Tokyo, JP v. MZ Audio Sciences, LLC (PTAB)
Lead counsel representing patent owner in successfully defeating inter partes review brought by Sony Group Corp. (Japan) of Tokyo, JP.
nXn Partners, LLC v. Nissan Chemical Industries, Ltd. (PTAB)
Lead counsel representing petitioner in inter partes review that successfully cancelled all claims of the purple book-listed patent covering Bravecto.
Coalition for Affordable Drugs VI LLC v. Celgene Corp. (PTAB)
Lead counsel representing petitioner in inter partes review that successfully cancelled all claims of multiple orange book-listed patents covering STEPS/REMS.
District Court Patent Litigation
Sarah represents both plaintiffs and defendants from a variety of industries in patent litigation throughout the country.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation v. Accord Healthcare Inc., et al. (D. Del.)
Represented generic manufacturer in Hatch-Waxman trial, ultimately invalidating Novartis’s gatekeeping fingolimod (Gilenya®) patent; pursuing bond recovery on appeal and representing client in follow-on litigation.
Pogona, LLC v. Pfizer & Merck Sharp & Dohme (D. N.J.)
Representing Pogona, LLC in patent infringement suit relating to Merck’s Capvaxive pneumococcal vaccine.
Laboratoire HRA Pharma v. Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. (D. Del.)
Represented HRA Pharma, the branded developer of ella®, reaching a successful settlement in Paragraph IV Hatch-Waxman litigation against the ANDA applicant.
Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. et al (Northern District of California)
Lead technical attorney for subset of patents asserted against Samsung in the U.S. and Japan, including securing a preliminary injunction against Samsung, ultimately resulting in a global settlement between the companies.
Amphastar Pharmaceuticals Inc. v. Aventis Pharma SA, et al. (C.D. Cal.)
Represented Aventis in the successful dismissal of a qui tam False Claims Act suit related to Aventis’s assertion of patents covering Lovenox® in ANDA Paragraph IV Hatch-Waxman litigation.
ePlus, Inc. v. Lawson Software, Inc. (Eastern District of Virginia)
Represented Lawson Software in contempt bench trial related to prior verdict of patent infringement and subsequent design-around, invalidating asserted patent and mooting contempt allegations.
Ferring v. Serenity Pharma (S.D.N.Y.; Fed. Cir.)
Represented Serenity Pharma in a bench trial conducted via Zoom involving a desmopressin patent, and at the trial conclusion, the Chief Judge, when choosing a single lawyer to compliment, stated: “I’d like to single out Ms. Spires as the person whom I have most frequently pointed to [my clerk] and said: She asks good questions.”
Appellate Litigation
Sarah has successfully briefed and argued numerous cases before the Federal Circuit.
Microsoft Corp. v. IPA Tech. Inc. (Fed. Cir.)
Briefed and argued Federal Circuit appeal on behalf of IPA, successfully defending the PTAB’s determinations of validity of patent claims IPA ultimately asserted against Microsoft at trial resulting in $242 million jury verdict on behalf of IPA.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation v. Accord Healthcare Inc., et al. (Fed. Cir.; SCOTUS)
Invalidated Novartis’s gatekeeping fingolimod (Gilenya®) patent through Federal Circuit reversal of trial court loss, and successful defendant against Novartis’s emergency stay application and petition for certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Gensetix, Inc. v. Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (Fed. Cir.)
Briefed and argued Federal Circuit appeal on behalf of Gensetix, Inc. resulting in precedential opinion reversing trial court loss.
Ferring v. Serenity Pharma (Fed. Cir.)
Briefed and argued Federal Circuit appeal on behalf of Serenity Pharma relating to ownership of a desmopressin patent.
Licensing and Advisory Matters
Sarah utilizes her patent and litigation backgrounds to advise clients on business strategy.
Life Science Case Evaluation
Advised clients regarding merits and potential outcomes of ongoing litigation in the life sciences arena.
Acquisition, Investment, Litigation Risk, and Patent Assertion Assessment and Due Diligence
Represented clients in the biotechnology, medical device, pharmaceutical, semiconductor, technology, aviation, and advertising industries in litigation risk and intellectual property due diligence in connection with acquisitions, investments, and patent assertion.
Regulatory Compliance Assessment
Advised Japanese drink manufacturer regarding compliance with US FTC and FDA regulations.
American Consumer Electronic Device Manufacturer (adversarial patent license negotiations)
Represented American consumer electronic device manufacturer in adversarial patent license negotiations regarding user interface technology.
Japanese DRAM Manufacturer (adversarial patent license negotiations)
Represented Japanese DRAM manufacturer in adversarial patent license negotiations regarding semiconductor packaging patents.
Commercial Litigation
Sarah has represented a variety of clients in commercial litigation matters throughout the country.
In re: Loestrin® 24 Fe Antitrust Litigation (D.R.I.)
Represented Walgreen Co., Kroger, Safeway, and HEB in Hatch-Waxman antitrust litigation, reaching a successful settlement against Warner Chilcott related to the company’s branded oral contraceptive, Loestrin® 24 Fe.
Fortis Advisors LLC (as Stockholder Representative of Former Jennerex Inc. Stockholders) v. Sillajen, Inc. (Del. Super. Ct.)
Represented Fortis in breach of contract claims arising from a merger agreement related to the commercialization of the cancer drug Pexa-Vec.
NovAtel Inc. v. POINT Inc. et al. (District of Kansas)
Represented Sokkia Topcon Co., Ltd. in a software development and licensing dispute.
Gomez v. Carson Helicopters, Inc., et al. (District of Oregon)
Represented defendant Columbia Helicopters in a products liability suit related to a helicopter crash.
- PTAB Masters 2023: Your Patent Has Been Challenged in an IPR, What Now?
- PTAB Masters 2022: How to Avoid Obvious Mistakes with Obviousness Grounds
- Bardehle IP Academy: IPR Proceedings (2022)
- IP Watchdog Conference: Strategies and Tactics for Winning at the PTAB (2021);
- IPWatchdog 2020 Conference: Hatch-Waxman and IPR Strategy (2020)
- California Lawyers Association: Trial by Pixels: Tips & Tricks for Conducting Patent Trials Remotely (2020)
- The Center for American & International Law (CAIL) Institute for Law & Technology’s PTAB Trial Proceedings Program: The Petitioner’s Case in Chief: Anatomy of a Successful Petition (2018)
- Dallas Paralegal Association: IPR Filings: A Practical Guide (2018)
- The State Bar of California Intellectual Property Section Webinar: Two Roads Diverged: The Ethics of Counseling Clients While Navigating IPRs Through the Lens of Litigation (2018)
- The Knowledge Group: Isn’t it Too Obvious? Challenging Obviousness in PTAB Trials for Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Biotech Patents (2017)
- BioPharma/Tech Law Symposium at Indiana University McKinney School of Law: Pitfalls and Opportunities in ANDA Litigation (2015)
- May/June 2020 IAM Roundtable: A new day at the PTAB?
- Above the Law: How Networking Changes (For the Better) When You Become a Lawyer Mom, April 2019
- Morrison Foerster Client Alert: Supreme Court Sets the Bar High: Requires Knowledge or Willful Blindness to Establish Inducing Infringement of a Patent, May 2011
- Morrison Foerster Client Alert: Supreme Court to Decide Intent Standard for Inducing Patent Infringement, Feb. 2011
- Morrison Foerster Client Alert: Wordtech and Employee Liability for Corporate Patent Infringement, Aug. 2010
- San Diego Daily Transcript: Federal Circuit’s recent decision in TS Tech looms large for patent (2009)
- Hon. Barbara M.G. Lynn American Inn of Court, Bencher (2023–2026), Barrister (2017–2022)
- Hon. J. Clifford Wallace American Inn of Court (2007-2009)
- MIT Education Council
- PTAB Bar Association
- Federal Circuit Bar Association
- DFW Women in IP (Facilitator)
- Dallas Bar Association
- Moms in Law
- Federal Circuit Bar Association Global Fellow, 2018–2019
- Top 50 Women in PTAB Trials (1 of only 18 with 100+ IPRs), 2019–2025 (last list was in 2025)
- IAM Patent 1000, 2021–2026
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Antitrust & Competition Lawyers, 2025
- Best Lawyers in Texas & America: Ones to Watch, 2023–2025
- Texas Super Lawyers & Rising Stars, 2016–2023
- Wiley W. Manuel Award for Pro Bono Legal Services, 2009-2011
Overview
Sarah Spires is an accomplished patent litigator and post-grant practitioner. Recognized in the IAM Patent 1000 and as one of the Top 50 Women in PTAB Trials, she is a registered patent attorney who represents clients in business-critical litigation nationwide. She also counsels life sciences clients on strategy, valuation, and due diligence.
Sarah’s post-grant practice spans more than 100 IPR and EPR proceedings before the PTAB — a caseload that puts her among just 18 attorneys nationwide with 100+ IPRs recognized on the Top 50 Women in PTAB Trials list. She represents both patent owners and petitioners across technologies including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, semiconductors, autonomous vehicles, signal processing, and natural language processing.
Sarah is also an experienced trial lawyer whose patent litigation practice spans the full range of district court proceedings, including preliminary injunctions, bench and jury trials, and complex disputes involving both patent owners and accused infringers. Her work is particularly deep in the life sciences, where she has represented branded and generic pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, and medical device clients in business-critical patent disputes.
Her trial practice extends well beyond the life sciences. Sarah has litigated complex patent disputes involving technologies ranging from consumer electronics and semiconductors to software, telecommunications, autonomous vehicles, and signal processing. Across these matters, she has developed substantial experience translating highly technical subject matter into clear, persuasive advocacy before judges, juries, and arbitrators in the United States and internationally.
In addition to her post-grant and trial work, Sarah has briefed and argued numerous appeals before the Federal Circuit. She has also represented clients in international arbitration and before the Japan Patent Office and the Tokyo IP High Court.
Sarah also regularly advises life sciences clients on Paragraph IV analysis, IP portfolio strategy and valuation, transactional due diligence, post-grant strategy, and freedom-to-operate evaluations.
Before attending law school, Sarah earned a degree in biology from MIT, where she conducted yeast genetics research on Cdc14 activation and cellular exit from mitosis at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. She went on to earn her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, where she served on the Berkeley Technology Law Journal and competed on the Jessup International Law Moot Court team that won the Northwest Regional Championship. Prior to joining Stris, Sarah practiced at a patent litigation boutique in Dallas, as well as in Gibson Dunn’s Dallas office and both the San Diego and Tokyo offices of Morrison & Foerster.
Sarah resides in Dallas, Texas with her husband, daughter, and two Boxer dogs.
Representative Matters
Post-Grant Proceedings
Sarah represents both patent owners and petitioners in inter partes reviews and ex parte reexamination proceedings involving a wide variety of technologies.
BMW of North America, LLC v. Carrum Technologies, LLC (PTAB & USPTO)
Lead counsel representing patent owner Carrum Technologies in successfully defeating inter partes and ex parte reviews brought by BMW. After defeating IPR petitions, successfully petitioned for termination of reexamination order under 35 U.S.C. §325(d).
Edwards Lifesciences Corp. et al. v. Colibri Heart Valve LLC (PTAB)
Lead counsel representing patent owner Colibri in successfully defeating inter partes and ex parte reviews brought by Edwards Lifesciences Corp.
Teladoc Health, Inc. v. Data Health Partners, Inc. (PTAB)
Lead counsel representing patent owner Data Health Partners, Inc. in successfully defeating inter partes reviews brought by Teladoc Health, Inc.
Pogona, LLC v. Pfizer & Merck Sharp & Dohme (PTAB)
Lead counsel representing patent owner Pogona, LLC in inter partes reviews brought by Pfizer Inc. and Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC.
Sony Group Corp. (Japan) of Tokyo, JP v. MZ Audio Sciences, LLC (PTAB)
Lead counsel representing patent owner in successfully defeating inter partes review brought by Sony Group Corp. (Japan) of Tokyo, JP.
nXn Partners, LLC v. Nissan Chemical Industries, Ltd. (PTAB)
Lead counsel representing petitioner in inter partes review that successfully cancelled all claims of the purple book-listed patent covering Bravecto.
Coalition for Affordable Drugs VI LLC v. Celgene Corp. (PTAB)
Lead counsel representing petitioner in inter partes review that successfully cancelled all claims of multiple orange book-listed patents covering STEPS/REMS.
District Court Patent Litigation
Sarah represents both plaintiffs and defendants from a variety of industries in patent litigation throughout the country.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation v. Accord Healthcare Inc., et al. (D. Del.)
Represented generic manufacturer in Hatch-Waxman trial, ultimately invalidating Novartis’s gatekeeping fingolimod (Gilenya®) patent; pursuing bond recovery on appeal and representing client in follow-on litigation.
Pogona, LLC v. Pfizer & Merck Sharp & Dohme (D. N.J.)
Representing Pogona, LLC in patent infringement suit relating to Merck’s Capvaxive pneumococcal vaccine.
Laboratoire HRA Pharma v. Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. (D. Del.)
Represented HRA Pharma, the branded developer of ella®, reaching a successful settlement in Paragraph IV Hatch-Waxman litigation against the ANDA applicant.
Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. et al (Northern District of California)
Lead technical attorney for subset of patents asserted against Samsung in the U.S. and Japan, including securing a preliminary injunction against Samsung, ultimately resulting in a global settlement between the companies.
Amphastar Pharmaceuticals Inc. v. Aventis Pharma SA, et al. (C.D. Cal.)
Represented Aventis in the successful dismissal of a qui tam False Claims Act suit related to Aventis’s assertion of patents covering Lovenox® in ANDA Paragraph IV Hatch-Waxman litigation.
ePlus, Inc. v. Lawson Software, Inc. (Eastern District of Virginia)
Represented Lawson Software in contempt bench trial related to prior verdict of patent infringement and subsequent design-around, invalidating asserted patent and mooting contempt allegations.
Ferring v. Serenity Pharma (S.D.N.Y.; Fed. Cir.)
Represented Serenity Pharma in a bench trial conducted via Zoom involving a desmopressin patent, and at the trial conclusion, the Chief Judge, when choosing a single lawyer to compliment, stated: “I’d like to single out Ms. Spires as the person whom I have most frequently pointed to [my clerk] and said: She asks good questions.”
Appellate Litigation
Sarah has successfully briefed and argued numerous cases before the Federal Circuit.
Microsoft Corp. v. IPA Tech. Inc. (Fed. Cir.)
Briefed and argued Federal Circuit appeal on behalf of IPA, successfully defending the PTAB’s determinations of validity of patent claims IPA ultimately asserted against Microsoft at trial resulting in $242 million jury verdict on behalf of IPA.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation v. Accord Healthcare Inc., et al. (Fed. Cir.; SCOTUS)
Invalidated Novartis’s gatekeeping fingolimod (Gilenya®) patent through Federal Circuit reversal of trial court loss, and successful defendant against Novartis’s emergency stay application and petition for certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Gensetix, Inc. v. Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (Fed. Cir.)
Briefed and argued Federal Circuit appeal on behalf of Gensetix, Inc. resulting in precedential opinion reversing trial court loss.
Ferring v. Serenity Pharma (Fed. Cir.)
Briefed and argued Federal Circuit appeal on behalf of Serenity Pharma relating to ownership of a desmopressin patent.
Licensing and Advisory Matters
Sarah utilizes her patent and litigation backgrounds to advise clients on business strategy.
Life Science Case Evaluation
Advised clients regarding merits and potential outcomes of ongoing litigation in the life sciences arena.
Acquisition, Investment, Litigation Risk, and Patent Assertion Assessment and Due Diligence
Represented clients in the biotechnology, medical device, pharmaceutical, semiconductor, technology, aviation, and advertising industries in litigation risk and intellectual property due diligence in connection with acquisitions, investments, and patent assertion.
Regulatory Compliance Assessment
Advised Japanese drink manufacturer regarding compliance with US FTC and FDA regulations.
American Consumer Electronic Device Manufacturer (adversarial patent license negotiations)
Represented American consumer electronic device manufacturer in adversarial patent license negotiations regarding user interface technology.
Japanese DRAM Manufacturer (adversarial patent license negotiations)
Represented Japanese DRAM manufacturer in adversarial patent license negotiations regarding semiconductor packaging patents.
Commercial Litigation
Sarah has represented a variety of clients in commercial litigation matters throughout the country.
In re: Loestrin® 24 Fe Antitrust Litigation (D.R.I.)
Represented Walgreen Co., Kroger, Safeway, and HEB in Hatch-Waxman antitrust litigation, reaching a successful settlement against Warner Chilcott related to the company’s branded oral contraceptive, Loestrin® 24 Fe.
Fortis Advisors LLC (as Stockholder Representative of Former Jennerex Inc. Stockholders) v. Sillajen, Inc. (Del. Super. Ct.)
Represented Fortis in breach of contract claims arising from a merger agreement related to the commercialization of the cancer drug Pexa-Vec.
NovAtel Inc. v. POINT Inc. et al. (District of Kansas)
Represented Sokkia Topcon Co., Ltd. in a software development and licensing dispute.
Gomez v. Carson Helicopters, Inc., et al. (District of Oregon)
Represented defendant Columbia Helicopters in a products liability suit related to a helicopter crash.
Speaking Engagements
- PTAB Masters 2023: Your Patent Has Been Challenged in an IPR, What Now?
- PTAB Masters 2022: How to Avoid Obvious Mistakes with Obviousness Grounds
- Bardehle IP Academy: IPR Proceedings (2022)
- IP Watchdog Conference: Strategies and Tactics for Winning at the PTAB (2021);
- IPWatchdog 2020 Conference: Hatch-Waxman and IPR Strategy (2020)
- California Lawyers Association: Trial by Pixels: Tips & Tricks for Conducting Patent Trials Remotely (2020)
- The Center for American & International Law (CAIL) Institute for Law & Technology’s PTAB Trial Proceedings Program: The Petitioner’s Case in Chief: Anatomy of a Successful Petition (2018)
- Dallas Paralegal Association: IPR Filings: A Practical Guide (2018)
- The State Bar of California Intellectual Property Section Webinar: Two Roads Diverged: The Ethics of Counseling Clients While Navigating IPRs Through the Lens of Litigation (2018)
- The Knowledge Group: Isn’t it Too Obvious? Challenging Obviousness in PTAB Trials for Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Biotech Patents (2017)
- BioPharma/Tech Law Symposium at Indiana University McKinney School of Law: Pitfalls and Opportunities in ANDA Litigation (2015)
Publications
- May/June 2020 IAM Roundtable: A new day at the PTAB?
- Above the Law: How Networking Changes (For the Better) When You Become a Lawyer Mom, April 2019
- Morrison Foerster Client Alert: Supreme Court Sets the Bar High: Requires Knowledge or Willful Blindness to Establish Inducing Infringement of a Patent, May 2011
- Morrison Foerster Client Alert: Supreme Court to Decide Intent Standard for Inducing Patent Infringement, Feb. 2011
- Morrison Foerster Client Alert: Wordtech and Employee Liability for Corporate Patent Infringement, Aug. 2010
- San Diego Daily Transcript: Federal Circuit’s recent decision in TS Tech looms large for patent (2009)
Associations
- Hon. Barbara M.G. Lynn American Inn of Court, Bencher (2023–2026), Barrister (2017–2022)
- Hon. J. Clifford Wallace American Inn of Court (2007-2009)
- MIT Education Council
- PTAB Bar Association
- Federal Circuit Bar Association
- DFW Women in IP (Facilitator)
- Dallas Bar Association
- Moms in Law
- Federal Circuit Bar Association Global Fellow, 2018–2019
Awards
- Top 50 Women in PTAB Trials (1 of only 18 with 100+ IPRs), 2019–2025 (last list was in 2025)
- IAM Patent 1000, 2021–2026
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Antitrust & Competition Lawyers, 2025
- Best Lawyers in Texas & America: Ones to Watch, 2023–2025
- Texas Super Lawyers & Rising Stars, 2016–2023
- Wiley W. Manuel Award for Pro Bono Legal Services, 2009-2011
Admissions
Sarah's
News