Thomas W. Sankey practices in the area of intellectual property litigation. Mr. Sankey has extensive intellectual property and commercial litigation experience, focusing on patents, copyrights, trade secrets, unfair competition, employer/employee disputes and the Lanham Act. He has represented inventors, medical supply companies, medical R&D companies, electronic device companies, semiconductor companies, and others. He also is board certified in Civil Trial Law by The Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

He has also handled appeals before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court as well as Texas Appeals Courts and the Texas Supreme Court.

Mr. Sankey is a 1986 graduate of South Texas College of Law, where he was assistant technical editor of the South Texas Law Journal, and a graduate of the University of Tennessee.

Areas Of Practice

Intellectual Property Litigation
Commercial Litigation

Representative Matters

Tried numerous misappropriation of trade secret cases in both federal and state courts.
Tried cases for infringement of patents for coin discrimination technology, obtaining favorable judgments, a finding of willful infringement, and a fining that one case was "exceptional"
Successfully defended a patent infringement action brought against a Taiwanese manufacturer of circuit board architecture.
Represented multiple clients in patent infringement litigation over patents directed to holographic imaging.
Initiated a case in Eastern District of Texas before Judge Davis against major cable and satellite TV providers for infringement of a patent directed to DVR technology. This case resulted in a multimillion-dollar settlement for the client.
Successfully represented a client in multiple infringement actions to enforce patents on DVD technology.
Successfully prosecuted patent litigation involving the in situ replacement of valve bodies in high pressure flow lines.
Represented a pump manufacturer in patent infringement litigation to enforce patents on metering pumps.
Litigated cases arising under the Architectural Work Copyright Protection Act (AWCPA.)
Represented clients in trademark and copyright disputes both before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in various federal district courts.
Handled appeals before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Currently representing plaintiffs and defendants in the Eastern District of Texas and the Northern District of California for DRAM semiconductor chips, DVD technology and network communication controls.

Professional Activities

American Intellectual Property Law Association
Houston Bar Association
Texas Young Lawyers Association
Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists (TACTAS)
American Association for Justice

Admissions

Texas

Education

South Texas College of Law, J.D., 1986

South Texas Law Journal

University of Tennessee, B.S., 1983

Experience

Duane Morris LLP
- Partner, 2008-present
Thompson & Knight LLP
- Partner, 2006-2007
Sankey & Luck, LLP
- Partner, 1995-2005
Boyer, Ewing & Fabio
- Partner, 1990-1995
Looper, Reed & McGraw
- Associate, 1986-1990

Honors and Awards

Million Dollar Verdict Club