Mary (Mindy) V. Sooter
Partner
- Partner-in-Charge, Denver Office
- Vice Chair, Intellectual Property Litigation Practice Group
Mindy Sooter is a trial lawyer focusing on patent, trade secret, and other high-stakes commercial litigation. Ms. Sooter represents large clients, such as those in the medical device, telecommunications and technology sectors, as well as emerging businesses, in a variety of jurisdictions across the country. She has led and co-led many cases to verdict in federal and state courts across the country, and argues post-grant proceedings at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. With a background in engineering, Ms. Sooter focuses on cases involving telecommunications, electrical engineering, computer science and medical devices. Ms. Sooter also focuses on bringing highly technical subject matter to a jury in an accessible and persuasive manner.
Before law school, Ms. Sooter worked for a large management consulting firm, and then led the engineering group at a startup software company.
Professional Activities
Ms. Sooter is an adjunct professor teaching patent litigation at the University of Colorado School of Law.
Experience
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In recent years, Ms. Sooter's work has prevailed in or successfully resolved numerous cases, including:
- Led the litigation and successful settlement of a high-stakes trade secret case on behalf of two companies and an individual pending in the District of Colorado.
- Obtained a dismissal of a trademark case on behalf of a multinational banking company, pending in the District of Colorado.
- Obtained a dismissal of a patent infringement suit pending in the Western District of Wisconsin on behalf of Medical device company, based on improper venue.
- Achieving a victory for Akamai Technologies, Inc. when the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by Limelight Networks, Inc., a competitor, asserting breach of a settlement agreement between the parties.
- Serving as co-lead counsel for Comcast Cable Communications in a ten-patent infringement matter in the Northern District of California involving interactive television patents, which resulted in granting summary judgment of non-infringement in favor of our client.
- Successfully obtaining dismissal and an award of attorneys' fees of more than $425,000 in a patent case involving optical network design and components.
- Successfully obtaining a $12 million jury verdict after a jury found that a competitor had engaged in willful patent infringement, willful trade dress infringement and intentional false advertising.
- Successfully obtaining a summary judgment of non-infringement, and subsequent affirmance by the Federal Circuit, in a patent case involving more than 100 asserted claims and two patents relating to multidimensional database technology.
- Successfully obtaining dismissal on behalf of a software company in a multi-jurisdictional case involving mapping software.
- Successfully obtaining a dismissal on behalf of a medical corporation in a case involving the technical performance of distributed computer systems.
- Successfully obtaining a summary judgment and complete dismissal of a $20 million licensing claim on behalf of a healthcare diagnostics company.
Recognition
- Named Denver Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in America for Intellectual Property Litigation in 2022 and highlighted for “high caliber work in Litigation - Intellectual Property and Litigation – Patent.”
- Recognized by Managing IP as Colorado's 2022 Litigator of the Year.
- Named a 2022 "Woman Worth Watching in STEM" by Diversity Journal.
- Named in the 2021-2023 editions of Chambers USA Guide in Colorado for intellectual property.
- Recognized by the University of Colorado Law School as a Distinguished Alumni for her contributions to the legal profession, service to her community and dedication to the school.
- Recognized by Law Week Colorado as a Top Women Attorney in 2017 and 2020 and named to its 2018 Top Litigators list.
- Recognized as the Outstanding Intellectual Property Litigator in Colorado by Managing IP in 2018 and 2019.
- Recognized by Colorado Super Lawyers for intellectual property litigation in 2016–2024.
- Recognized in Benchmark Litigation as a "Litigation Star" (2022–2024).
- Named among the Top 250 Women in IP and a 2018–2023 IP Star by Managing IP, a guidebook that identifies leading IP lawyers in the United States.
- Selected by peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America for intellectual property litigation (2019–2024) and patent litigation (2023–2024).
- Recognized in the 2014–2023 editions of IAM Patent 1000: The World's Leading Patent Practitioners.
- Named 2014 IP Supporter of the Year by the Silicon Flatirons Center at the University of Colorado Law School.
- Named a "Rising Star" by Colorado Super Lawyers in 2012.
- Selected as an "Up and Coming Lawyer" in 2008 by Law Week Colorado.
- Named to the Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America list.
Insights & News
Credentials
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Education
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JD, University of Colorado Law School, 2003
Editor, Law Review, Order of the Coif, top grades of any 3L -
ME, Telecommunications, University of Colorado at Boulder, 1999
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BS, Electrical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 1990
magna cum laude Phi Kappa Phi, Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu
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Admissions
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Colorado
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US Patent and Trademark Office
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Clerkships
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The Hon. Ferdinand F. Fernandez, US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 2004 - 2005
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The Hon. Mary J. Mullarkey, Colorado Supreme Court, 2003 - 2004
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Credentials
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Education
-
JD, University of Colorado Law School, 2003
Editor, Law Review, Order of the Coif, top grades of any 3L -
ME, Telecommunications, University of Colorado at Boulder, 1999
-
BS, Electrical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 1990
magna cum laude Phi Kappa Phi, Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu
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Admissions
-
Colorado
-
US Patent and Trademark Office
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-
Clerkships
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The Hon. Ferdinand F. Fernandez, US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 2004 - 2005
-
The Hon. Mary J. Mullarkey, Colorado Supreme Court, 2003 - 2004
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