Eric P. Jacobs

Partner

San Francisco

epjacobs@townsend.com         

Mr. Jacobs is one of the practice group leaders of the Litigation Practice Group at Townsend. He specializes in patent infringement litigation and trial practice, with an emphasis on semiconductor design, semiconductor fabrication, software and computer technologies.

Notable

* Represents clients in complex patent litigation, including cases concerning DRAM and flash memory design and fabrication, power MOSFET and IGBT design and fabrication, microprocessor technology, natural language processing of databases and embedded information systems.

* Lead attorney on hundreds of civil litigation matters from inception to conclusion.

* Served as Judge Pro Tem for the Alameda County, California, Municipal Court.

* Extensive experience in mediation, arbitration and other methods of alternative dispute resolution.

Representative Cases

* International Rectifier Corporation v. IXYS Corporation, 2000 to present. Co-lead counsel for defendant. Successful jury trial of patent infringement action concerning the design and fabrication of power MOSFET devices. C.D. Cal.

* Hynix Semiconductor Inc. v. Toshiba Corporation, 2004 to present. Counsel for plaintiff. Patent infringement action involving flash memory design. N.D. Cal.

* VCode Holdings, Inc. v. Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, Inc. 2005 to present. Co-lead counsel for defendant. Patent infringement action involving two-dimensional bar codes. D. Minn.

* Hitachi, Ltd. v. International Rectifier Corporation, 2003 – 2004. Co-lead counsel for plaintiff. Patent infringement action involving the design and fabrication of power MOSFET devices. D. Del.

* International Rectifier Corporation v. Renesas Technology Corp., 2003 – 2004. Co-lead counsel for defendant. Patent infringement action involving power MOSFET packaging patent. C.D. Cal.

* International Rectifier Corporation v. Hitachi, Ltd., 2002 – 2004. Co-lead counsel for defendant. Consolidated patent infringement actions involving the design and fabrication of power MOSFET devices. C.D. Cal.

* Technology Innovations, LLC v. LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc., 2003. Co-lead counsel for defendant. Patent infringement action involving enhancement of printed information through use of attached mass storage device. W.D. N.Y.

* Mindfabric, Inc. v. Primus Knowledge Solutions, Inc., 2002. Lead counsel for defendant. Patent infringement action involving software patents related to natural language processing of databases. N.D. Cal.

* Winston and Katz v. Ask Jeeves, Inc., 2000 – 2001 Counsel for defendant. Patent infringement action involving patents for natural language processing of databases. D. Mass.

* IPLearn, Inc. v. Ask Jeeves, Inc., 1999 – 2001 Lead counsel for defendant. Patent infringement action involving patents for natural language processing of databases. N.D. Cal.

* MCI Systemhouse Corp. v. Fluor Daniel, Inc., 1999 – 2000 Counsel for plaintiff. Action for breach of contract relating to outsourcing of information systems management. Orange County (California) Superior Court.

* Harris Corporation v. Winbond Electronics Corporation, 1998 – 1999 Counsel for defendant. Patent infringement action involving nine semiconductor patents pertaining to design and fabrication of semiconductor devices. E.D. Va.

* Texas Instruments, Inc. v. Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd., 1998 – 1999

Counsel for defendant. Patent infringement action regarding design and fabrication of DRAM (dynamic random access memory) devices. E.D. Texas.

* Harris Corporation v. Mosel Vitelic Corporation, 1998 – 1999 Counsel for defendant. Patent infringement action concerning eight semiconductor patents. E.D. Va.

* NEC Corporation v. Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd. and Hyundai Electronics America, Inc., 1997 – 1998 Counsel for defendant. Patent infringement action regarding design and fabrication of semiconductor devices. E.D. Va.

Education

* Golden Gate University, School of Law, J.D., 1979, Member of the Law Review, Honorary Position as Instructor of Legal Writing and Research

* State University of New York, Stony Brook, B.A., 1971, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society

Admissions

* State Bar of California, 1979

* Federal Circuit Court of Appeals

* US District Court for the Central District of California

* US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

* US District Court for the Northern District of California

Memberships

* American Intellectual Property Law Association

* American Bar Association

* Intellectual Property Law Section of the State Bar of California

* Bar Association of San Francisco

* Tau Beta Pi National Engineering Honor Society

Community Involvement

* Amateur Radio Emergency Services for the City of Oakland, Member

Experience

Practice Areas

Litigation

Electronics & Software

Medical & Mechanical Devices

Publications

Co-author. Survey: Women and California Law

Media Coverage

Knorr-Bremse Systeme v. Dana Corp.: An Interview with Eric Jacobs of Townsend and Townsend and Crew