Alan N. Herda

Alan N. Herda is a partner at Haynes and Boone, LLP, serving clients from the firm’s Dallas and Fort Worth offices. His intellectual property practice focuses on building domestic and international patent portfolios, preparing and prosecuting utility and design patent applications, and advising on patentability, freedom-to-operate, validity, and infringement issues. Herda also supports patent infringement and trade secret litigation and helps clients develop practical strategies that coordinate patents with trademarks, copyrights, and trade dress.

Herda earned his J.D. summa cum laude from Texas A&M University School of Law in 2003, graduating first in his class. He received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering summa cum laude from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1996, also ranking first in his class. His engineering education and legal training support his ability to understand complex technologies, evaluate technical evidence, and advise clients on patent protection and intellectual property risks.

Before practicing law, Herda worked as a mechanical engineer at Motorola, where he designed mechanical components for cellular base transceiver stations and conducted structural and thermal simulations. He also worked as a research assistant for an oil and gas services company, testing separation and filtration systems and pressure vessels. His legal practice covers technologies involving oil and gas operations, computer hardware and software, automotive systems, aviation, food processing, laboratory equipment, consumer products, and computer-implemented designs.

Alan N. Herda is admitted in Texas, registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and admitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. His representative work includes successfully arguing for reversal of a design patent claim rejection before the Federal Circuit. Herda has been recognized in IAM Patent 1000, The Best Lawyers in America, and other intellectual property rankings, and he serves on the board of directors of The Dallas Opera.

Law Office Affiliations

• Partner, Haynes and Boone, LLP
• Member, Dallas Bar Association
• Member, State Bar of Texas

Licensed State

• Texas

Education

• Texas A&M University School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD) Summa Cum Laude
• University of Texas at Arlington
  BS in Mechanical Engineering, Summa Cum Laude

Awards & Badges