Vinson & Elkins Hires Steve Moore as Co-Head of Intellectual Property Litigation

Vinson & Elkins today announced that Steve Moore has joined the firm’s San Francisco office as a partner and co-head of the firm’s IP Litigation practice.

Moore has over 25 years’ experience handling patent infringement disputes – for companies accused of infringement and patent owners harmed by infringement — as well as trade secret misappropriation and related commercial and intellectual property claims.

In addition to his many trial wins, Moore has a strong record of winning cases on summary judgment, as well as invalidating patents through reexaminations and inter partes reviews, often eliminating exposure before trial. He has led defenses in cases involving technologies ranging from wireless communications and other smartphone and computer technologies to software to industrial cutting tools.

He has also coordinated cross-border enforcement strategies and defended clients in multi-patent, multi-jurisdictional disputes involving hundreds of millions of dollars in claimed damages. Steve has successfully enforced patents and other intellectual property in fields such as mobile gaming, medical devices, and robotic pool cleaners, winning jury verdicts and obtaining judgments that exceeded $100 million and resulted in defendants agreeing to stop their infringement.

“Steve is a nationally recognized, first-chair trial lawyer, who will play a huge role in growing our patent litigation practice, which is a strategic priority for the firm, as our clients increasingly seek sophisticated IP advice in light of rapid technological innovations across many industries,” said Vinson & Elkins Vice Chair Michael Holmes, head of the firm’s Litigation department.

“Steve’s experience, leadership, and deep understanding of complex IP disputes will enhance our ability to deliver outstanding results for our clients,” added Hilary Preston, co-head of the firm’s IP Litigation practice.

Moore joins from Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, where he was a partner who served in various leadership roles, including as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and as Patent Litigation Team Co-Leader.

“I am excited to join a strong team of IP and commercial litigators at an accomplished firm with a culture of collaboration, and to help lead and grow our IP litigation capabilities nationwide,” Moore said.

Moore has earned widespread acclaim, including as a leading lawyer for Intellectual Property: Patent Litigation in California (Chambers USA, 2021–2025); an “IP Star” (Managing Intellectual Property magazine, 2016–2025); and as a top patent practitioner (IAM Patent 1000 – The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners, 2016–2025).

Moore received his bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from Duke University and a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Duke Law School.

Vinson & Elkins’ deep bench of experienced trial lawyers has an enviable record of success in litigating complex patent cases in both bench and jury trials. The lawyers combine trial experience with substantial practical litigation strategies, industry experience, and technical training to maximize clients’ chances for successful and efficient results in their patent litigation matters.