Trevor M. Jefferson

Trevor Jefferson is of counsel in Quinn Emanuel’s Washington, D.C. office.  He joined the firm in 2023. His practice focuses on patent litigation, especially post grant review proceedings at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). He most recently served as an Administrative Patent Judge (APJ) at the PTAB from its inception in 2012 until 2023. Trevor was present at the implementation of post-grant review proceedings and rules that have evolved into a core part of patent strategy for accused infringers and patent holders alike. He relies on his experience on the bench and as a practitioner to work with clients in all aspects of patent dispute resolution.

At the PTAB, Trevor presided over more than 450 America Invents Act (AIA) trial proceedings, including inter partes reviews (IPR), covered business method (CBM) reviews, and post-grant reviews (PGR).  He also adjudicated numerous ex parte appeals, reviewing adverse decisions of examiners of applications for patents, and appeals from inter partes and ex parte reexamination decisions by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. As an APJ, Trevor presided over and issued decisions in a variety of technology areas including electrical, telecommunication, software, and computer fields. He also served on the PTAB Circulation Judge Pool, as part of PTAB’s internal peer review procedures for all issued institution, final, and rehearing decisions. 

Prior to serving as PTAB Judge, Trevor worked as a Trial Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Intellectual Property Staff, handling trials in civil patent cases involving discovery, infringement, invalidity, and damages issues on behalf of the Federal Government before the Court of Federal Claims and Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Prior to joining the DOJ, he was an associate at Latham & Watkins in Silicon Valley, where he worked on patent litigation and IP transaction matters, and several pro bono Ninth Circuit appeals. Prior to joining Latham, he clerked for the Honorable R. Guy Cole, Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He was also selected as a Temple Bar Scholar by the American Inns of Court Foundation.