Recognized by Los Angeles Magazine as one of the “Top Women Attorneys in Southern California” and by Super Lawyers magazine as a Southern California “Rising Star,” Cheryl Burgess is a proven litigator and appellate advocate in all aspects of intellectual property and technology. Her experience includes patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, trade dress, unfair competition, and breach of contract claims. She represents businesses and individuals in federal district court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, as well as before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), including for inter partes reviews (IPR), covered business method (CBM) reviews, and reexaminations.
An electrical engineer and registered patent attorney, Cheryl’s passion for technology enriches her ability to advise clients and litigate complex technology claims. She has litigated cases involving a variety of technologies and products, including consumer electronics, computer software, medical devices, integrated circuits, real estate transaction management systems, wireless communication networks and devices, automotive financial transactions, elevator destination dispatching systems, emergency communication networks, software piracy prevention software, GPS golf course cartographers and navigators, consumer beverages, and clothing.
In addition to her honed litigation skill, Cheryl renders opinions on infringement, non-infringement, validity and invalidity of patents, determining the strength of the patent and the best possible course of action going forward. She also advises on a variety of IP and tech-related matters, including licensing, patent procurement, and strategies to settle disputes without litigation. Regardless of the size and complexity of the matter, Cheryl never loses sight of conserving her client’s time and resources when finding a path to resolution that will result in cost-savings while at the same time, preserving their assets. At her best under pressure, Cheryl is personally committed to the clients she serves and to achieving the right result in and out of court.
Cheryl has a deep knowledge of patent law. She has taught courses covering advanced Federal Circuit appellate patent law for the nationally recognized Patent Resources Group. Before joining the firm, Cheryl served as a law clerk to the Honorable Alvin A. Schall, Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and was a litigation law clerk in the Fish & Neave Intellectual Property group of Ropes & Gray LLP.
Prior to attending law school, Cheryl served as an officer in the United States Air Force, where she directed overhead signals intelligence collection for a joint agency, multi-service space operations center and performed systems engineering and acquisition management on the Air Force Satellite Control Network. Military service allowed Cheryl to develop the incredible discipline and acute attention to detail that she relies upon today when serving her clients.
Clerk Experience
Law clerk to the Honorable Alvin A. Schall, Circuit Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, 2006-2007
The George Washington University Law School, J.D., Member, Moot Court Board
Boston University, B.S., Electrical Engineering, Commander Air University Blue Chip Award (top 15% ROTC graduating class)
State Bar of California
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
U.S. District Court – Central District of California
U.S. District Court – Eastern District of Texas
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Communications Technology
Cellular Networking & Communications
Internet Telephony
Wireless Local Area Networks
Consumer Products & Services
Food & Beverage
Electrical, Semiconductor & Computer Technology
Electronics & Semiconductors
Software & IT
Energy
Lighting
Financial Services & Business Methods
Cloud Computing
Medical Devices & Procedures
AI & Machine Learning
Transportation & Vehicles
Aerospace & Space Technology
Electronics (Audio / Video, Communication, Navigation, Security)
Elevators
Appellate Litigation
Covered Business Method (CBM)
Infringement Risk
Inter Partes Review (IPR)
IP Strategy
Litigation
Patent Litigation
Patent Strategy & Prosecution
Patent Trial & Appeal Board (PTAB) Litigation
Post-Grant
PostGrant Review (PGR)
Tech Transactions
Trade Secret
Trade Secret & Employee Mobility Litigation
Trade Secret & Employee Mobility Litigation
Trademark & Brand Protection
Trademark and Brand Protection Litigation
Trademark and Brand Protection Litigation
Unfair Competition Litigation
- Recipient of the 2019 Federal Circuit Bar Association George Hutchinson Committee Award
- Recipient of the 2018 Federal Circuit Bar Association George Hutchinson Committee Award
- Named a “Southern California Rising Star” by Super Lawyers magazine for her work in intellectual property litigation (2014-2017)
- Named one of the “Top Women Attorneys in Southern California” in a survey of her peers published in Los Angeles magazine (2014, 2015)
- Howard T. Markey American Inn of Court
- Federal Circuit Bar Association
- American Intellectual Property Law Association; currently serving as AIPLA Patent Litigation Committee Online Education Subcommittee co-chair
- Orange County Bar Association
