Yetter Coleman Named Among Top Commercial Litigation Firms in Chambers USA 2023 Guide
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Jeffrey Andrews maintains a well-regarded intellectual property practice which includes patent infringement cases and trade secrets disputes. He offers particular expertise in relation to the energy and software sectors and “brings a lot of intellectual horsepower to the table.”
Jeff is an intellectual property trial lawyer who represents plaintiffs and defendants in commercial lawsuits, with particular emphasis on those with complicated scientific or technical issues. A research scientist prior to attending law school, Jeff brings this understanding to cases, along with the ability to effectively explain complex technical issues to judges and juries.
He has litigated cases in state and federal courts involving a wide array of technologies and industries including power electronics, neural networks, oilfield services, polymer chemistry, software, and medical devices. Jeff also provides effective counsel to clients that resolves disputes before involving the courts, through licensing and other business agreements.
A registered patent attorney, Jeff is well-versed in post-grant proceedings at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and has participated in numerous inter partes reviews. His experience includes roles as lead counsel, as well as counseling and advising clients on post-grant proceedings from behind the scenes.
Jeff’s reputation for excellence is reflected in professional recognition that includes ranking as one of the top intellectual property lawyers in Texas by Chambers USA. He is also recognized as among the top practitioners in patent and intellectual property litigation by Best Lawyers, Thompson Reuters, and Martindale-Hubbell.
Maintaining close ties to the Houston and legal communities is important to Jeff. Since 2009, he has served on the scholarship committee of the Phi Beta Kappa Alumni Association of Greater Houston, which annually grants college scholarships to one high-achieving high school senior in public and private schools. He is active as a Barrister in the Honorable Nancy F. Atlas Intellectual Property American Inn of Court and currently serves on the editorial board of AIPLA Quarterly Journal. Jeff is also a member of the Anti-Defamation League Southwest Region Board of Directors.
Prior to joining the firm, Jeff practiced with Locke Lord LLP and the intellectual property boutique Sutton McAughan Deaver PLLC.
Jeff and his wife, Dale, have two children.
Read MoreRepresentative Experience
Patent Litigation
- Global Tubing v. Tenaris Coiled Tubes. Obtained a complete defense victory in connection with seeking a declaratory judgment that Global Tubing’s quench-and-tempered coiled tubing products – key to its business – did not infringe three Tenaris patents. Over the six-year dispute, we defeated several motions to dismiss, obtained a discovery ruling that used the crime-fraud exception to order Tenaris to produce attorney-client communications related to a key prior art document, and an opinion sanctioning Tenaris for violating the protective in prosecuting follow-on patents. The district court granted our client’s motion for summary judgment and found all the patents unenforceable due to Tenaris’s fraud on the Patent Office.
- Lubrizol Specialty Products, Inc. v. Baker Hughes Company. Lead counsel defending Baker Hughes in patent infringement case and asserting antitrust claims against competitor Lubrizol related to a method of use of drag reducing agents (DRAs) in heavy, asphaltenic crude oil.
- Confidential Client. Defended an international oil field services company against a competitor against patent infringement claims concerning measurement-while-drilling and imaging technology. Plaintiff was seeking over $100 million in damages, but the dispute settled on favorable terms after the two-week arbitration hearing.
- Legends, Inc. v. The Upper Deck Co. LLC. Taking over Upper Deck’s defense just two months before trial, obtained a jury verdict of no infringement and no willful infringement of patent concerning a method for authenticating signatures on sports memorabilia.
- Power-One v. Artesyn Technologies. Defended Artesyn in patent infringement suit concerning digital control of board-level power converters. Of four asserted patents, obtained a verdict of no infringement on one patent, dismissal of two patents, and an award of only $100 in damages on the fourth patent.
Trade Secret Litigation
- NPIC v. Gambol Pet Group, Ltd. Defending China-based pet treat company and its management from claims of trade secret misappropriation by a Texas-based pet treat company.
- Rebound International v. Expedi, Inc. Represented plaintiff against a competitor founded by a former employee by using misappropriated trade secrets and confidential information related to a new business model to optimize maintenance of oil and gas drilling operations. Dispute was fought in three venues—state court, federal court, and arbitration—and ultimately settled after Rebound defeated Expedi’s trademark counterclaims and motions to dismiss.
- SAE Towers v. TransDesign International. Represented defendants in this misappropriation of trade secret case involving computer software used in the design of steel towers with a damages claim for over $40 million. Case settled with plaintiff taking nothing.
- Inhance Technologies v. Paul Banks, David Molthen and TMRJ Holdings, Inc. Took over representation of defendants after prior counsel allowed the entry of a preliminary injunction. Rebuilt the case and won a unanimous jury verdict of no willful or malicious misappropriation of trade secrets and no breach of fiduciary duty by defendants Banks and Molthen, and no misappropriation of trade secrets by defendant TMRJ Holdings.
Trademark Litigation
- The University of Houston v. Houston College of Law, Inc., formerly known as South Texas College of Law. Represented the University of Houston in its case for trademark infringement after the South Texas College of Law changed its name to “Houston College of Law.” Obtained a preliminary injunction and the case ultimately settled with South Texas College of Law agreeing to abandon the name “Houston College of Law” and taking other steps, representing a complete victory for the University of Houston.
- Ecoclean v. Eco Restoration d/b/a Eco Clean Cleaning and Restoration. Took over representation of plaintiff after former counsel failed to obtain a preliminary injunction for the plaintiff. Developed an aggressive approach to the trademark infringement claim and settled the case with an agreement the defendant would cease all use of the mark and pay damages.
Copyright Litigation
- Harris Local Government Solutions v. True Prodigy Tech Solutions. Representing defendant in copyright infringement and trade secret misappropriation related to source code for computer assisted mass appraisal software.
- General Electric Company v. Sealed Unit Parts Co. Represented GE in this copyright infringement case, where the defendant was selling replacement master control boards for GE refrigerators. A detailed investigation of defendant’s replacement boards showed that the source code was at least 99.97% identical to copyrighted GE source code. The case settled shortly after GE filed a complaint for copyright infringement, with a total victory for GE.
Presentations & Publications
Legal Publications & Presentations
- “Ethical Issue of Working with Foreign Counsel,” State Bar of Texas Advanced Intellectual Property Law Course, 2023 (author and presenter)
- “Demystifying the Crime-Fraud Exception,” The Advocate, Winter 2022 (co-author)
- “Issue and Developments in Multi-District Litigation in Patent Cases,” Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation, 2012 (co-presenter)
- “Multi-District Litigation: Strategic and Tactical Questions,” University of Texas School of Law 17th Annual Advanced Patent Law Institute, 2012 (panelist)
- “The Nuts & Bolts of MDL,” State Bar of Texas Advanced Patent Litigation Course, 2012 (moderator)
- “Harness the Power of EDD Planning,” Texas Lawyer, April 2009
- “Patent Law Primer—What is Patentable?”, The Advocate, Winter 2008
- “Pfizer’s Viagra Patent and the Promise of Patent Protection in China,” 28 L. L.A. Int’l Comp. J. 1, 2006
- “Reversing Copyright Misuse: Enforcing Contractual Prohibitions on Software Reverse Engineering,” 41 Houston Law Review 976, 2004
Peer-Reviewed Scientific Publications:
- Bernhardt, E.S., J.J. Barber, J.S. Pippen, L. Taneva, J.A. ANDREWS and W.H. Schlesinger. 2006. Long-term effects of free air CO2 enrichment (FACE) on soil respiration. Biogeochemistry 77:91–116.
- Suwa, M., G.G. Katul, R. Oren, J. ANDREWS, J. Pippen, A. Mace and W.H. Schlesinger. 2004. Inferring the effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 on subsurface respiration using chamber measurements and inverse methods. Global Biogeochemical Cycles: 18(2), GB2013.10.1029/2003GB002182.
- Redeker, K.R., J. ANDREWS, F. Fisher, R. Sass and R.J. Cicerone. 2002. Inter- and intra-field variability of methyl halide emissions from rice paddies. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 16(4): Art. No. 1125 DEC 10 2002.
- Sass, R.L., J.A. ANDREWS, A. Ding and F.M. Fisher, Jr. 2002. Spatial and temporal variability in methane emissions from rice paddies: Implications for assessing regional methane budgets. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 64: 3-7.
- Sass, R.L., F.M. Fisher, Jr. and J.A. ANDREWS. 2002. Spatial variability in methane emissions from a Texas rice field with some general implications. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 16(1): 15-21.
- ANDREWS, J.A. and W.H. Schlesinger. 2001. Soil CO2 dynamics, acidification, and chemical weathering in a temperate forest with experimental CO2 enrichment. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 15(1): 149-162.
- Luo, Y., L. Wu, J.A. ANDREWS, L. White, R. Matamala, K.V.R. Schäfer and W.H. Schlesinger. 2001. Elevated CO2 differentiates ecosystem carbon processes: A deconvolution analysis of the Duke Forest FACE data. Ecological Monographs 71(3): 357-376.
- ANDREWS, J.A., R. Matamala, K. Westover, W.H. Schlesinger. 2000. Temperature effects on the diversity of soil heterotrophs and the δ13C of soil-respired CO2. Soil Biology & Biochemistry: 32(5): 699-706.
- Allen, A.S., J.A. ANDREWS, A.C. Finzi , R. Matamala, D.D. Richter and W.H. Schlesinger. 2000. Effects of Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) on belowground processes in a loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) forest. Ecological Applications: 10(2): 437-448.
- Schlesinger, W.H. and J.A. ANDREWS. 2000. Soil respiration and the global carbon cycle. Biogeochemistry 48: 7-20.
- Hanson, P.J., N.T. Edwards, C.T. Garten, Jr. and J.A. ANDREWS. 2000. Separating root versus soil microbial respiration: A review of methods and observations. Biogeochemistry 48: 115-146.
- ANDREWS, J.A., K.G. Harrison, R. Matamala and W.H. Schlesinger. 1999. Separation of root from soil respiration using 13C labeling during Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE). Soil Science Society of America Journal 63(5): 1429-1435.
- DeLucia, E.H., J.G. Hamilton, S.L. Naidu, R.B. Thomas, J.A. ANDREWS, A. Finzi, M. Lavine, R. Matamala, J.E. Mohan, G.R. Hendrey, and W.H. Schlesinger. 1999. Net primary production of a forest ecosystem with experimental CO2 enrichment. Science 284: 1177-1179.
- ANDREWS, J.A., T.G. Siccama and K.A. Vogt. 1999. The effect of soil nutrient availability on retransolcation of Ca, Mg and K at the heartwood/sapwood boundary in Atlantic white cedar. Plant & Soil: 208: 117-123.
- ANDREWS, J.A. and T.G. Siccama. 1995. Retranslocation of Ca and Mg at the heartwood/sapwood boundary in Atlantic white cedar. Ecology 76(2): 659-663.
Presented Scientific Papers:
- Schlesinger, W.H. and J.A. ANDREWS. 2000. High CO2 stimulates plant growth and rock weathering: A feedback that regulates atmospheric CO2. American Geophysical Union Chapman Conference on the Gaia Hypothesis, 19-23 June, Valencia, Spain (invited)
- Redeker, K.R., J. ANDREWS, F. Fisher, R. Sass and R.J. Cicerone. 2000. Seasonal and spatial variability of methyl halide emissions from rice paddies near Houston, Texas. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, 15 -17 December, San Francisco, CA
- McLain, J., N. Oh., D. Richter, J. ANDREWS and D. Ahmann. 2000. American Society for Microbiology General Meeting, 22-26 May, Los Angeles, CA
- ANDREWS, J.A. and W.H. Schlesinger. 1999. Plant-mediated increases in soil CO2 and weathering under a forest exposed to enriched atmospheric CO2. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, 13-17 December, San Francisco, CA (poster)
- Schlesinger, W.H., E.H. DeLucia, R. Matamala and J.A. ANDREWS. 1999. Response of a forest ecosystem to elevated atmospheric CO2. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, 13-17 December, San Francisco, CA (invited)
- Luo, Y., J.A. ANDREWS, R. Matamala and W.H. Schlesinger. 1999. Elevated CO2 differentiates ecosystem C processes: A deconvolution analysis of the Duke Forest FACE data. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, 8-12 August, Spokane, WA
- McLain, J., D.D. Richter, J.A. ANDREWS and D. Ahmann. 1999. Methane cycling in a temperate forest exposed to elevated carbon dioxide. American Society for Microbiology Annual Meeting, June, Chicago, IL (poster)
- ANDREWS, J.A. and W.H. Schlesinger. 1998. Atmospheric CO2 consumption as a result of weathering under plants grown at elevated CO2. Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting, 18-22 October, Baltimore, MD
- ANDREWS, J.A., R. Matamala and W.H. Schlesinger. 1998. Separation of root from soil respiration using 13C labeling during Free-Air CO2 Enrichment. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, 3-6 August, Baltimore, MD
- Naidu, S.L., E.H. DeLucia, R.B. Thomas, J.A. ANDREWS, A. Finzi, M. Lavine, G.R. Hendrey, and W.H. Schlesinger. 1998. Carbon storage in an intact forest under experimental CO2 enrichment. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, 3-6 August, Baltimore, MD
- DeLucia, E.H., S.L. Naidu, R.B. Thomas, J. ANDREWS, A. Finzi, G.R. Hendrey, and W.H. Schlesinger. 1998. Net carbon storage in an intact forest under experimental CO2 enrichment. GCTE-LUCC Open Science Conference on Global Change, 14-18 March, Barcelona, Spain
- ANDREWS, J.A., K.G. Harrison and W.H. Schlesinger. 1997. Separation of root from soil respiration in the field using stable carbon isotope tracers. Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting, 26-30 October, Anaheim, CA
- ANDREWS, J.A. and W.H. Schlesinger. 1997. Soil CO2 dynamics in the FACTS-1 experiment. U.S. Department of Energy Terrestrial Carbon Program (TCP) Annual Meeting, 9-10 October, Durham, NC (invited)
- ANDREWS, J.A., D.D. Richter and W.H. Schlesinger. 1996. Belowground CO2 dynamics in a loblolly pine ecosystem: Insights from the FACE-forest prototype study. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, 10-14 August 1996, Providence, RI
- ANDREWS, J.A. 1993. Atlantic white cedar: Remobilization of Ca and Mg in wood in nutrient limiting bogs. Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study Annual Cooperators’ Meeting, 7-8 July 1993, Woodstock, NH