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    Global Problem Solving from Covington: Deal with Complex Problems Anywhere in the World

Udit Sood

Associate

San Francisco +1 415 591 7064

  • About
  • Representative Matters
  • Credentials
  • About

    Udit Sood helps innovators solve complex legal problems that call for a rigorous understanding of science. He focuses his practice on high-stakes litigation, particularly intellectual property disputes, involving innovations in biotechnology, satellite Internet, set-top boxes, slot machines, cellular communications infrastructure, and information security. He also represents clients in disputes involving unfair competition and antitrust laws.

    Udit was chosen to be Covington’s 2019 LCLD Pathfinder, a program designed for high-potential diverse lawyers. He has experience with all phases of complex commercial litigation, including handling discovery and working with technical and damages experts. He has presented oral arguments in federal court (including the Northern District of California and the Eastern District of Texas), as well as taken and defended depositions. Recently, Udit was part of the Covington arbitration team that successfully defended Eli Lilly against Adocia’s $1.8 billion trade secrets misappropriation claim involving next-generation insulin formulations. Prior to that, Udit was part of the firm’s trial team that secured an award of over $21 million for Elbit Systems Ltd. from an E.D. Texas jury.

    Udit earned a “gold medal” in intellectual property from the National University of Juridical Sciences and studied computer science and programming (C++) in Higher Secondary School. He then represented clients before the High Court of Delhi and the Supreme Court of India on a variety of commercial disputes for three years before commencing his LL.M. at Stanford Law School.

    Areas of Expertise

  • Practices and Industries
  • Representative Matters
    • Defending Hewlett Packard Enterprise against Russian telecom provider MegaFon’s allegations that HPE misrepresented its expertise in order to win a bid for designing and implementing advanced telecom infrastructure.
    • Represented leading pharmaceutical company in a trade secret and breach of contract arbitration involving ultra-rapid insulin formulations, obtaining complete defense victory against claimant’s demands totaling more than $1.8 billion.
    • Represented Israeli defense company Elbit Systems Ltd. in Eastern District of Texas lawsuit alleging infringement of its patents relating to satellite communication technology by a global provider of satellite-based Internet services.
    • Represented Aristocrat Technologies in patent litigation in the District of Nevada relating to slot machine technology, including preparation of inter-partes review (IPR) petition challenging validity of opposing party’s design patent.
    • Advised a global interactive television company on multiple district court and ITC actions involving the company’s patents on various set-top box related technologies.

    • Represented Samsung in a patent infringement action at the ITC brought by Creative Technology Ltd. involving media organization capabilities in smartphones.
    • Advised multinational consumer electronics manufacturer specializing in audio technologies on potential FRAND violations by holder of patents essential to various ATSC, BDA and ETSI standards, and advised on litigation strategy.
    • Advised leading operator of Internet infrastructure, including the authoritative registry for some of the Internet’s most prominent top-level domains, on enforcement of its cyber-security related IP against potential infringers.
    • Represented Indian OEMs in defensive infringement action involving standard essential patents (GSM, 2G and 3G) before the Delhi High Court and the Competition Commission of India.
    • Lead associate in bringing a trade secrets and breach of confidentiality action on behalf of a leading multinational IT staffing company in a district court in Bangalore. Prepared and filed complaint, obtained an ex parte injunction and secured a favorable settlement all within a few weeks.
    • Represented a multinational technology company in copyright infringement suit concerning content in third party mobile applications before the Delhi High Court.
    • Represented generic drug manufacturer in defensive patent litigation involving breast cancer medication.
    • Represented leading seeds manufacturer in India in offensive litigation asserting breach of confidentiality and infringement of the sui generis statutory IP rights in seeds.
    • Represented Cricbuzz.com in a defensive unfair competition suit before the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court of India.
    • Represented easyGroup (UK) and affiliated companies in a trademark infringement suit involving the “EASYJET” mark before the Delhi High Court. Presented closing arguments in part, secured an injunction, damages of INR 500,000 as well as litigation costs.
    • Represented the collecting society, Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS), before the Supreme Court of India in opposing a challenge to the constitutionality of the Indian Copyright Act concerning music royalties brought by the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India.

    Areas of Expertise

  • Credentials
    Education
    • Stanford Law School, LL.M., 2015
        • Law, Science and Technology
        • Jessup International Law Moot Court
        • Advanced Degree Students’ Association
    • National University of Juridical Sciences, B.A./LL.B., 2011
        • Honors
        • Gold Medal, Intellectual Property
        • Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court
        • NLS Clifford Chance International Moot Court on International Commercial Arbitration
    Bar Admissions
    • California
    • Advocate, Bar Council of India
    Pro Bono
    • Anderson et al v. SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment - Representing plaintiffs in the Northern District of California against SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment for disseminating false and misleading advertising relating to the care and treatment of its captive orcas.
    • Robinson v. Dignity Health - Represented transgender man in Title VII lawsuit in Northern District of California against employer for blanket exclusion of gender reassignment surgery from medical insurance plan.
    • Minna Saran et al v. Suresh Kumar Koushal & Union of India - Represented parents of LGBT persons in petition before the Supreme Court of India for reconsideration of its ruling “recriminalizing” homosexuality in India.

    Areas of Expertise