Brett Schuman > Goodwin > San Francisco, United States > Lawyer Profile

Goodwin regularly fields ‘highly talented and capable trial teams’ to manage and achieve victories in complex patent litigation. The team possesses significant expertise in competitor disputes related to high technology and excels in proceedings before the PTAB. The practice also has a strong reputation in the life sciences sector, regularly representing brand companies in Hatch-Waxman cases. Elaine Blais, based in Boston, is a first-chair trial lawyer who specializes in pharma and biotech patents. Blais jointly leads the team with the esteemed Brett Schuman, who is based in San Francisco and excels in patent infringement related to mobile phone and telecoms technology. Other notable practitioners in Boston include Douglas Kline, a ‘skilled trial advocate’ who leverages over thirty years of experience trying patent disputes, and Molly Grammel, a key attorney involved in the team’s recent victory for Breeze Smoke. Naomi Birbach, in New York, is highly regarded for her work in post-grant proceedings, such as inter partes reviews, before the PTAB.

Noted for its ‘proactivity and creativity’, Goodwin assists its roster of clients in the remit of litigious trade secret cases, including those involving copyright infringement, unfair competition and high-profile misappropriations, in both domestic and international contexts. Co-leads of the practice are San Francisco’s Brett Schuman, who is well placed to represent well-known tech clients in complex disputes, and Boston-based Elaine Blais. Further key names on the West Coast are San Francisco’s Jeremy Lateiner and Koray Bulut who has expertise in employee mobility and non-compete matters as well as Silicon Valley’s  Andrew Ong who acts before the Federal courts and the USPTO. On the East Coast, Boston-based Robert Carroll has a life sciences and tech specialism, while Amadou Kilkenny Diaw in Washington DC has patent and trade secret litigation expertise. John Padro is also a key practitioner in New York. Neel Chatterjee departed the team in July 2025.

Fielding specialist lawyers overseeing all aspects of multi-jurisdictional M&A and venture capital financing rounds, Goodwin has in-depth knowledge in advising domestic and international corporations from across the cannabis, agriculture, and music spheres. The team’s litigious expertise is extensive, predominantly concentrating on trade mark infringement claims, unfair competition disputes, and advertising law cases, coupled with regulatory compliance coverage. Located in San Francisco, co-heads Jennifer Fisher and Brett Schuman are knowledgeable on all elements of government investigations and IP litigation. The other Silicon Valley-based head, William Growney is an expert in corporate governance proceedings and data security matters, in New York, Joshua Eisenson routinely assists strategic investors and private equity funds, and San Francisco’s Harry Berezin is highly knowledgeable on cannabis and hemp regulations. The team stands out for its insight into securities litigation investigations, RICO class actions, and contentious commercial issues, along with concentrating on brand partnership and definitive agreements.