Kathi Vidal

Managing partner of Winston & Strawn LLP’s Silicon Valley office, Kathi Vidal is one of the leading patent litigators in the country. Nationally recognized for trying high-profile, high-stakes, and high-tech patent disputes for the region’s leading companies, her experience covers a myriad of technologies, including semiconductors, telecommunications, circuits and systems, computers, software, Internet applications, and consumer products.

In addition to protecting innovative companies through offensive patent actions to preserve their market or through innovative strategies to efficiently resolve defensive patent actions, including in U.S. district courts, the International Trade Commission, and at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Kathi advises clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies to start-ups on their portfolios, patent prosecution, inter partes review, covered business methods, trade secrets, trademarks, and other intellectual property matters. Inside and outside of the courtroom, she is often called upon as an expert on case strategy and hot topics in the law.

Kathi started her career as an electrical engineer. She worked for five years as a systems and software design engineer with General Electric, where she graduated from the prestigious Edison Engineering Program and designed one of the first leading-edge expert systems for aircraft. Through the rotational management program, she designed aircraft control systems, which are currently employed on military aircraft. Kathi also led design teams in a number of departments, which gave her broad exposure to industry and technologies. Kathi was a member of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and won its North East Regional Design Contest when she was in school (designing a “smart” basketball system).