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Hon. Leonard Davis
Download Bio Contact Case ManagerHon. Leonard Davis served as Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas and presided over more than 1,700 patent cases, including some of the largest and most complex IP disputes in the country. Judge Davis specializes in Complex Litigation and Intellectual Property, including resolving copyright, trademark and patent matters and serves as an arbitrator, mediator, mock trial advisor and case evaluator.
Judge Davis previously served as Chief Justice of the 12th Court of Appeals of Texas and spent 23 years as a trial attorney with Potter-Minton PC in Tyler, Texas. From 2015–2025, he was Of Counsel at Fish & Richardson, advising on trial strategy, case evaluation, and mock proceedings.
Recognized for his clarity and fairness in the courtroom, he earned the Outstanding Public Service Award from the New York Intellectual Property Law Association
A graduate of Baylor Law School (cum laude), he was Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review and graduated first in his class. He also holds a master’s in management science and a B.A. in Mathematics with an emphasis on computer science.
Areas of Expertise:
- INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (PATENT, COPYRIGHT, TRADEMARK)
- COMMERCIAL LITIGATION
- COMPLEX CIVIL LITIGATION
- MEDIATION & ARBITRATION
- MOCK TRIALS AND HEARINGS
- JUDICIAL INSIGHT & CASE EVALUATION
Representative Experience:
- Presided over more than 1,700 patent cases including major Markman hearings;
- Sat by invitation on the Federal and Fifth Circuit Courts of Appeals;
- Co-chaired the Federal Judges Committee of the Federal Circuit Bar Association;
- Oversaw strategic litigation reviews, mock trials, and real-time trial monitoring for national clients; and
- Served as mediator and arbitrator in complex technology and commercial disputes.
SELECTED IP CASES
- Mirror Worlds, LLC v. Apple, Inc. EDTX 6:08-cv-088 (five-day jury trial in 2010 resulting in $208.5 million verdict, which was vacated by the District Court’s granting of Defendant’s JMOL on direct infringement and damages, affirmed on appeal by the Federal Circuit in Mirror Worlds, LLC v. Apple, Inc., 692 F.3d 1351 (2012).)
- i4i Limited Partnership v. Microsoft Corporation.EDTX 6:07-cv-113 (seven-day jury trial resulting in $200 million verdict with the District Court awarding additional enhanced damages of $40 million and granting a permanent injunction, affirmed on appeal by the Federal Circuit, i4i Limited Partnership and Infrastructures for Information, Inc. v. Microsoft Corp., 598 F.3d 831 (2010), and affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision confirming the clear and convincing standard of proof for patent invalidity, Microsoft Corp. v i4i Limited Partnership, et al, 131 S.Ct. 2238 (2011).)
- VirnetX, Inc. v. Apple, Inc., CISCO Systems Inc.,et al EDTX 6:10-cv-417 (First five-day jury trial against Apple in 2012 resulting in $368 million verdict in which the District Court denied Apple’s JMOL and denied VirnetX’s request for injunction. Second five-day jury trial against Cisco in 2013 resulting in verdict against Cisco. On appeal, the Federal Circuit reversed and remanded for retrial in VirnetX, Inc. et al v. CISCO Systems, Inc. and Apple, Inc. 767 F.3d 1308 (2014), leading to a retrial in the District Court after Judge Davis retirement from the bench. The case is still percolating through the trial and appellate courts.)
Education:
- J.D., cum laude, Baylor Law School – Editor-in-Chief, Law Review
- M.S., Management Science, Texas Christian University
- B.A., Mathematics, University of Texas at Arlington
Bar Admissions:
- Texas
- U.S. District Courts: Eastern, Northern, Western, and Southern Districts of Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals: Fifth Circuit
- Supreme Court of the United States