Kara A. Specht > Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP > Atlanta, United States > Lawyer Profile

Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP Offices

Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP
271 17TH STREET, NW
SUITE 1400
ATLANTA, GA 30363-6209
GEORGIA
United States
Visit website 1 404 653 6400 1 404 653 6444

Kara A. Specht

Kara A. Specht photo
+1 404 653 6481 kara.specht@finnegan.com View profile

Position

Co-lead, Finnegan Forward

Career

Kara Specht focuses on patent litigation before district courts and before the International Trade Commission (ITC). Her practice covers a wide range of electronic and electrical technology areas related to computers, consumer electronics, and computer-implemented business methods. Kara has been recognized as a Trailblazer by the World Intellectual Property Review and was shortlisted for the Intellectual Property Rising Stars awards at the 2023 Women in Business Law Awards, which recognizes leading women practitioners from over 30 practice areas. She currently co-leads Finnegan FORWARD (Focused on Raising Women’s Advancement, Representation, and Development), the firm’s women’s business initiative.

Kara has experience in all aspects of patent litigation before district courts, the ITC, and the Federal Circuit. Before the district courts and the ITC, Kara has experience from both a plaintiff and defendant perspective, ranging from pre-filing planning and strategy, discovery management, motion practice, offensive and defensive depositions, claim construction, and summary judgment. Kara also has experience before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) in inter partes review (IPR) and covered business method (CBM) review proceedings, including prior art searching and analysis, petition preparation, motions to exclude evidence, and expert depositions. She has first-hand insight into corporate litigation procedures, having seconded at a leading multi-national technology company. Beyond trial level litigations, Kara also has experience before the Federal Circuit, preparing appeal briefs and amicus briefs.

Memberships

  • Atlanta Bar Association
    (vice-chair/chair-elect, Intellectual Property Section, 2022-present)
  • Federal Circuit Bar Association
  • Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Pathfinder Program (2020)
  • PTAB Bar Association
    (co-chair, Trials Committee, 2023-present; secretary, Precedential Decision Nomination Subcommittee, 2021-present; vice chair, Trials Committee, 2021-2023)

Education

Michigan State University College of Law
J.D., summa cum laude, 2013

Georgia Institute of Technology
B.S., Electrical Engineering, 2010

Lawyer Rankings

United States > Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (International Trade Commission)

Largely based in Washington DC, Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP has a seasoned ITC practice that represents both claimants and respondents in Section 337 patent infringement cases related to a broad range of technologies. The ITC litigation practice is co-led by intellectual property litigator Smith R. Brittingham IV, who has particular expertise in cases before the ITC, and Elizabeth A. Niemeyer, who frequently assists clients before the ITC with patent litigation and administrative proceedings in the electrical arts, alongside Erika Arner and Anand Sharma. Frank A. DeCosta III frequently defends clients against patent infringement charges in tech, and Mareesa A. Frederick stands out for her ability to litigate cases related to mechanical and electrical patents before the ITC. The group also includes patent litigation specialists Forrest A. Jones and J. Preston Long as well as patent and trade secret litigator Cara Regan. Lionel M. Lavenue and Kara A. Specht, respectively based in Reston and Atlanta, are also key practitioners.

Lawyer Rankings

Top Tier Firm Rankings

Firm Rankings