Matthew R. Sheldon
Partner
- T:
- +1 703 641 4334 (Falls Church)
- F:
- +1 703 641 4340 (Falls Church)
- E:
- msheldon@reedsmith.com
- Vcard
Matt's practice focuses on intellectual property litigation at trial court and appellate level. His experience includes patent, trademark, and copyright litigation. Mr. Sheldon also has substantial experience in general commercial litigation, including business torts, contract, and shareholder disputes.
Matt has successfully litigated both bench and jury trials. In 2004, he obtained a verdict for a client in a trademark infringement case following a trial in state court, and the client was awarded an injunction, treble damages, and attorney fees. He has also won victories for clients in patent cases, including a case in Federal Court in Maryland where the client was awarded an injunction, treble damages, and attorney fees. In 2006, Matt was recognized for obtaining one of the largest jury verdicts in the Commonwealth of Virginia for that year.
On numerous occasions, Matt has worked to obtain large settlements for clients attempting to enforce their intellectual property rights, including patent and trademark rights. During 2002-2003, he helped a Japanese client recover over $20 million against multiple infringers who had been willfully infringing the client's patent relating to cassette players. Matt has also helped other patent owners recover significant license and royalty fees against various infringers.
On the defense side, Matt has assisted numerous clients in defending against claims of patent and trademark infringement. In most instances, he has been able to quickly and creatively resolve claims against accused infringers, before the client has had to spend substantial amounts on litigation costs.
Matt spends a considerable amount of time advising clients on the attorney-client privilege, including issues relating to waiver of the privilege in patent cases. He lectures frequently to corporate counsel on issues relating to the attorney-client privilege, and has published many articles on the subject. Over the past two years, he has advised clients in Taiwan on various aspects of U.S. patent law, with a special emphasis on litigation strategy for both plaintiffs and defendants. In 2007, Matt was successful in obtaining a dismissal of a patent case against a Taiwanese client in the Southern District of Florida.
Representative Matters
F&G Research, Inc. v. Paten Wireless Technology - Obtained a Federal Circuit decision affirming the dismissal of an infringement action brought against our client, a Taiwanese manufacturer (2007).
Experience
| 1999 | Reed Smith |
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| 1998 | Hazel & Thomas, P.C. (combined with Reed Smith in 1999) |
| 1997 | Law Clerk for the Honorable Stanley P. Klein of the Circuit Court of Virginia, Nineteenth Judicial Circuit |
Legal Education
| 1997 | J.D., George Mason University School of Law |
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Undergraduate Education
| 1992 | B.A., Boston College |
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Professional Admissions / Qualifications
- Virginia
Professional Affiliations
- Selected by his peers and the publishers of Virginia Business Magazine's Legal Elite as one of Virginia's best "Young Lawyer (under 40)" attorneys for 2008.
- Served on the board of directors for the largest homeless shelter in Northern Virginia for over six years.
- Frequently volunteers to serve as a judge for moot court competitions at the George Mason University School of Law.