Duane Morris LLP

Duane Morris LLP

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Kirk Domescik

Kirk Domescik

G. Kirk Domescik is the managing partner of the firm's Atlanta office. He concentrates his practice in the areas of healthcare and corporate law, with particular emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, company organization and governance, including preparation of operating agreements and shareholder agreements, general corporate counseling and other transactional matters. Mr. Domescik has particular experience in healthcare transactions, having advised on multiple acquisitions and dispositions involving various healthcare providers, including hospitals and physician practice groups. Mr. Domescik also has substantial experience assisting owners and operators of long-term care communities on federal and state regulatory and licensing matters in connection with multi-state acquisitions. He also frequently advises privately-held companies on corporate governance matters. Mr. Domescik also has substantial experience in advising physician practice groups and other healthcare providers on operational issues affecting their businesses and a variety of healthcare transactional and regulatory matters.
Matthew Gaudet

Matthew Gaudet

Matthew C. Gaudet is a trial lawyer who focuses on patent infringement cases. He is Vice Chair of the firm's Intellectual Property Practice Group, and he is the leader of the firm's IP Litigation Division that Law360 named Intellectual Property Group of the Year in 2024. He also was named Litigator of the Year in Georgia at the 2025 Managing IP Americas Awards. In the past few years alone, Mr. Gaudet has defeated almost $4 billion of patent infringement claims by winning: \tA complete defense verdict in December 2023 for Cisco Systems, Inc. in the re-trial of the $2.7 billion claim brought by plaintiff Centripetal Networks against Cisco in the Eastern District of Virginia, resulting in a total victory for Cisco in what has been reported as the largest patent defense victory on record; \tA complete defense verdict in a jury trial for Roku Inc. in April 2024 in the Western District of Texas before Judge Alan Albright, defeating allegations that Roku’s streaming video players infringe two IOEngine LLC patents, for which IOEngine sought $318 million from the jury (IOEngine was backed by litigation financiers and had won two previous jury verdicts against other defendants who were represented by other law firms); \tA complete defense judgment in November 2025 for Cisco Systems, Inc. against a $600 million claim of patent infringement brought by Tel Aviv University against Cisco in the District of Delaware, defeating the University’s claims via a fully dispositive summary judgment ruling that has been described as a first-of-its-kind outcome; \tAn affirmance by the Federal Circuit in October 2023 of a complete defense victory for SonicWall, Inc. against plaintiff Finjan, Inc., after Mr. Gaudet led the team that defeated all 10 asserted patents in the Northern District of California through a combination of summary judgment and Daubert rulings (Finjan had collected approximately $300 million in prior litigation against other defendants); and \tA complete defense victory through summary judgment in October 2023 for Fortinet, Inc. in the Northern District of California in a case brought by plaintiff 1440 Sports Management against Fortinet and the PGA TOUR, relating to Fortinet’s sponsorship of a PGA tournament event. Mr. Gaudet is also serving as lead trial counsel for other major technology companies, including Verizon, Comcast, and Cox Communications. On the plaintiff’s side, he has collected over $100 million for patent holders. Mr. Gaudet was previously recognized as one of the top five IP lawyers under 40 in the country by Law360 (in which he was described as a “deadly cross-examiner”). The honor followed a year when two different district courts―one in East Texas, one in Delaware―cited his cross-examinations of opposing experts in rulings that sustained winning jury verdicts, with one judge describing his cross-examination as "brilliant." Likewise, in the middle of trial for Verizon in the Northern District of California in 2022, the district court judge stated on the record that Mr. Gaudet’s cross-examination of plaintiff’s expert witness was “a great day in the trial.” For each of the last several years, Mr. Gaudet has been listed amongst the top 500 litigators in the country in Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America. Every year since 2009, he has been included in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business in its listing of leading IP lawyers in Georgia. Mr. Gaudet is also listed in Best Lawyers in America and the "Top 100" of Georgia Super Lawyers.
Woody Jameson

Woody Jameson

Louis Norwood (Woody) Jameson is chair of Duane Morris' Intellectual Property Practice Group. Mr. Jameson practices in the area of intellectual property law and litigation with particular emphasis on patent litigation. Mr. Jameson also litigates a broad range of intellectual property disputes, including trademark and trade dress litigation, copyright litigation and false advertising disputes. Over the past 35 years, Mr. Jameson has been lead counsel in over one hundred patent cases in federal district courts, has tried numerous bench and jury trials, and has successfully argued numerous cases in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Mr. Jameson regularly represents Fortune 500 companies in the defense of patent litigation involving myriad of technologies such as network security, fiber optics, cybersecurity, online banking transactions, wireless networking, semiconductors, medical devices, data storage, MPEG decoding, Internet infrastructure, and computer hardware and software. He likewise has had lead responsibility for trademark and false advertising litigation for Fortune 500 companies, and anti-counterfeiting activities. Clients describe Mr. Jameson as "[He] values our specific business goals and ensures our legal needs are met in a way that aligns with our overall business objectives."
Karen Chuang Kline

Karen Chuang Kline

Karen Kline practices in the area of intellectual property ("IP") and technology transactions and licensing, providing strategic guidance in protecting and monetizing companies' intellectual assets. With over fifteen years of legal practice, she has established herself as a trusted advisor to clients in matters of trademark, copyright and technology law, data protection and privacy, artificial intelligence, and commercial transactions involving IP or proprietary information. Ms. Kline works with clients that range in size from start-ups to established national and multinational corporations, and across a wide range of industries including software, medical technology, immersive (VR/AR/MR) technologies, computer vision, engineering, hospitality, media, cosmetics and personal care products. Intellectual Property Ms. Kline counsels clients in all aspects of their domestic and international trademark, copyright and patent portfolios. This includes strategic planning, clearance and prosecution, and enforcement of rights. She also assists clients with intellectual property due diligence in connection with the acquisition or sale of IP assets.  In the emerging area of artificial intelligence (AI), she advises clients on IP and privacy issues related to training data and model development, diligence and procurement of third party models and products, and organizational policies and procedures related to use of AI in business operations. She has also provided product counsel support to tech clients, working closely with product teams and company stakeholders to advise on IP issues and privacy-first approaches in all stages of research and development. Technology Transactions, Licensing and Commercial Contracts Ms. Kline also counsels clients in technology-related transactional matters, including structuring, drafting, negotiating, and providing legal advice regarding in-bound and out-bound data licensing, content and brand licensing, collaboration and development agreements, consulting and professional services agreements. In this respect, she has drafted and negotiated agreements directed to a range of intellectual property issues, including software licenses, software-as-a-service (SaaS) and service level agreements, patent and related know-how licenses, non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements, joint development, trademark licenses and publicity rights.
Alice Snedeker

Alice Snedeker

Alice E. Snedeker practices in the area of intellectual property law and counseling, with a focus on patent litigation in district courts and the International Trade Commission. Ms. Snedeker represents several well-known technology companies in complex patent litigation involving technologies such as fiber optics communications, 802.11 wireless LAN technologies, wireless chipsets, video imaging and conferencing, cable television technology, telecommunications and computer hardware and software applications, and consumer technology accessories. She provides technical and legal analysis, works with experts and witnesses, takes and defends depositions, prepares and argues motions, manages discovery, and prepares pretrial documents. Ms. Snedeker also represents clients in complex commercial litigation, including matters related to trade secrets, defamation, restrictive covenants, products liability, breach of contract, fraud, and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. Ms. Snedeker regularly provides pro bono assistance to veterans, immigration, and community-based organizations with a variety of legal services, such as drafting life planning documents and petitions, assistance with landlord-tenant disputes, assistance with petitions for asylum, and challenges to state regulations limiting women’s rights.
Shannon Hampton Sutherland

Shannon Hampton Sutherland

Shannon Hampton Sutherland is Co-Chair of the Duane Morris Trade Secrets and Non-Compete division of the Trial Practice Group. A strategic and practical advisor, and sharp trial and injunction lawyer, Ms. Sutherland is particularly well versed in in helping companies avoid and navigate disputes involving non-compete, non-solicit, and other restrictive covenant agreements, confidential information and trade secrets, customer and employee goodwill, unfair competition, and customer, consultant, and employee relationships. Ms. Sutherland routinely obtains and defends against temporary restraining orders and injunctions across the country and has represented clients in business, non-compete, and trade secret litigation nationwide. Companies across a broad range of industries – and, in particular, in the medical device and biotechnology, healthcare, financial services, transportation, chemical, and energy sectors – have trusted Ms. Sutherland to assist them with complex commercial and employment-related disputes, restrictive covenants, trade secrets, and business torts. Ms. Sutherland has also handled high-stakes injunction and litigation matters involving public entities and has represented several public entities in litigation and counseling roles. She also serves as a team lead of the firm's Life Sciences and Medical Technologies industry group and is a member of the Firm’s Commercial Litigation division. Ms. Sutherland's areas of practice include: \tInjunctions – prosecution and defense \tTemporary restraining orders \tPreliminary injunctions \tPermanent injunctions \tRestrictive covenants – drafting, counseling, and litigation \tNon-competition agreements \tNon-solicitation agreements \tTrade secrets \tDefend Trade Secrets Act claims \tState law claims \tConfidentiality, non-disclosure, and invention agreements \tDistributor agreements – drafting, counseling, and litigation \tBusiness tort and statutory claims, including, for example: \tUnfair competition \tTortious interference \tBreach of fiduciary duty/duty of loyalty \tFraud \tComputer Fraud and Abuse Act \tComplex commercial and business and contract disputes \tEmployment-related disputes \tDeclaratory judgment actions \tZoning matters
Brad Thompson

Brad Thompson

Brad Thompson’s Chambers'-ranked practice focuses on complex commercial issues across a broad range of industries, with a particular focus on the energy and healthcare industries. He also serves as a team lead for the Duane Morris Energy industry group and is a member of the firm's governing Partners Board. Within the energy industry, Mr. Thompson has extensive experience from refineries to renewable energy facilities, with particular experience in megaproject EPC construction disputes. In the renewable energy industry, he represents clients in a range of energy-related issues involving disputes, transactions and regulatory compliance matters. In the healthcare industry, Mr. Thompson has experience representing healthcare and pharmaceutical providers in various levels of disputes and compliance-related matters.
Driscoll Ugarte

Driscoll Ugarte

Driscoll R. Ugarte serves as a team lead of the firm's Life Sciences and Medical Technologies industry group. He practices in the area of corporate law, including private equity financings, emerging companies, mergers and acquisitions and securities. Mr. Ugarte counsels public, domestic and foreign corporations through all stages of development, from formation and operation to capital-raising and exit, including public and private offerings of equity and debt, tender offers, proxy contests, going-private transactions and recapitalizations. He is a member of the firm's governing Partners Board. An increasing focus of Mr. Ugarte’s practice is advising single family offices on organization, tax-efficient structure and strategy with regard to direct investments and other acquisitions. He also advises start-up companies and entrepreneurs, venture capital investors and underwriters. Mr. Ugarte regularly counsels businesses in the industries of life sciences, biotech, medical devices, pharmaceutical and biologics; real estate; agribusiness; and aerospace.  In addition to advising domestic business, he guides multinational and foreign companies in Asia, North America, Europe and Latin America on cross-border direct foreign investment and mergers and acquisitions activities.
Shelton Vaughan

Shelton Vaughan

Shelton M. Vaughan practices corporate law with a focus on capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate finance transactions and corporate governance. He serves as a team lead for the Duane Morris Energy industry group. Mr. Vaughan represents large public companies, middle-market companies and startups in a variety of industries. His experience includes numerous capital markets transactions, including IPOs and public and private offerings of debt and equity securities, representing issuers and underwriters; mergers and acquisitions, representing targets and acquirers in both public and private transactions; extensive securities law compliance and counseling and corporate governance counseling; venture capital and private equity transactions; bank financings, representing both borrowers and lenders; advising special committees;  and restructuring transactions and counseling.