Eric Schlichter is a partner in the Intellectual Property Practice Group in the firm's Houston office.
Eric provides strategic counsel in all aspects of intellectual property law, including litigation, prosecution, counseling and portfolio management. Eric also regularly counsels clients regarding protection and enforcement of trade secrets and has served as lead counsel in theft of trade secret litigation matters. Over the course of his career, Eric has been lead counsel in numerous patent litigation matters involving oil and gas drilling technology, downhole tools, and environmental protection equipment. He has also served as counsel in a number of patent litigation matters involving microprocessor technology, consumer electronics technologies, and website functionality.
His experience includes serving as lead trial counsel; trial witness examination; trial preparation; Markman hearings; preliminary injunction hearings; contempt proceedings; all aspects of discovery, mediation and settlement negotiations; and appellate practice before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He has litigated extensively in the United States District Courts for the Western and Eastern District of Texas, both hotbeds for patent litigation, and has also served as counsel in investigations before the International Trade Commission (ITC).
Eric also has experience in multiple inter partes review proceedings and ex parte reexaminations. He also counsels clients on intellectual property enforcement and procurement matters, litigation strategy, licensing, and due diligence investigation for acquisitions and divestitures, as well as preparation of noninfringement, invalidity and freedom-to-operate opinions. In addition, Eric has managed worldwide patent portfolios for various clients.