Nathan Sabri

Nathan Sabri’s wide-ranging interests and ability to pitch complex technical knowledge to a variety of audiences have served him well in the courtroom, where he represents clients in the technology sector, life sciences and consumer products industries.

Surrounded by a family of teachers, Sabri’s own multifaceted background as a piano teacher and a pre-med student prior to entering the law field enables him to embrace the challenges of lifelong learning, especially when he litigates patent, copyright and trademark issues in state and federal courts.

“In one case, you’ve got semiconductor litigation, where you need to think like an electrical engineer,” he said. “I’ve also done a number of design patent cases, and then you’re thinking like an industrial designer … and you’ve got to learn to the level, as close as you can, of one of those internal experts, as somebody who’s actually working on these products and developing them.”

These skills sustained him during his time as lead counsel representing the international semiconductor company Renesas, where he went before the International Trade Commission to defend against patent infringement claims brought by Neodron Ltd. After a favorable settlement, the case was voluntarily dismissed in 2021. Neodron Ltd. v. Renesas Electronics Corp. 6:20- cv-00529 (W.D. Tex., filed June 16, 2020); 6:21-cv-00546 (W.D. Tex., filed May 28, 2021).

In another case as lead counsel for Amazon, Sabri defended against claims of design patent infringement regarding the use of a QR code on the Amazon Shopping App, a case which was dismissed for failure to prosecute. Wepay Global Payments LLC v. Amazon. com, Inc. 1-22-cv-1061 (N.D. Ill, filed March 1, 2022).

His other areas of expertise include blockchain, network security, surgical robotics, antibody development, touch technology software and hardware, and noninvasive prenatal diagnostics. He anticipates numerous forthcoming challenges related to emergent AI, blockchain and cryptocurrency and open-source software.

“How do we marry proprietary software and open-source software?” he asks. “They continue to be complicated questions. I think we’re going to see the same thing with the blockchain world, where every big tech company is really going to have to grapple with it.”

Sabri also prides himself on his innate storytelling abilities, not in a fictional sense, but in establishing a persuasive framework for the unfolding details of the case. Seamlessly welding these skills into his active pro bono practice, Sabri recently won asylum for a transgender refugee who fled her native country in fear for her life.

“A major pro of working at a larger firm is the ability to handle and staff and continue supporting ongoing pro bono matters,” he said, emphasizing his delight at joining Perkins Coie LLP. “It’s just a great thing that we’re able to do at these kinds of places.”

—Kathryn Stelmach Artuso