Claire M. Specht focuses her practice on intellectual property disputes and complex litigation matters at both the trial and appellate level. She has counseled prominent technology and life sciences companies on intellectual property disputes in cases involving a wide range of technologies, from semiconductor manufacturing and design, wireless gaming, and graphics processing, to COVID-19 vaccine compositions. Ms. Specht is a hands-on practitioner and team leader in federal district court litigation, Section 337 investigations before the United States International Trade Commission (ITC), and post-grant proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Her appellate experience includes appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Before the Federal Circuit, Ms. Specht achieved a win on behalf of her client when the Federal Circuit summarily affirmed a summary judgment determination that all five asserted patents were patent ineligible under Section 101.

Ms. Specht guides all phases of litigation, from digging into the factual and technical details as part of fact investigation and discovery through oral arguments and trial. In the intellectual property context, Ms. Specht has argued pre-trial motions, claim construction, Daubert motions, motions to dismiss, evidentiary motions at trial, and discovery motions before federal district courts, including the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, and the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. She has also argued before the First Circuit on behalf of a pro bono client in a direct criminal appeal. Ms. Specht is a trusted partner of clients and witnesses, steering fact and expert witness preparation, as well as taking and defending fact and expert depositions.

Ms. Specht is also committed to pro bono work. She has represented pro bono clients in the federal appeals and Massachusetts trial courts, including in housing court.

Prior to joining WilmerHale, Ms. Specht clerked for the Honorable Margot Botsford of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. During law school, Ms. Specht interned for the Honorable F. Dennis Saylor IV of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Before law school, Ms. Specht was a legal intern at a prominent technology company based in Massachusetts.