Katherine D. Cappaert

Katherine D. Cappaert is an intellectual property lawyer and partner at Steptoe LLP who focuses on patent litigation, post-grant proceedings, trade secrets, and Section 337 matters. She represents clients in disputes before federal district courts, the US International Trade Commission, and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Her work includes developing litigation strategies, handling fact and expert depositions, arguing motions, and examining key witnesses at trial. Her background as a mechanical design engineer supports her work on technically complex disputes.

Katherine earned her J.D., cum laude, from American University, Washington College of Law. She received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her technical education gives her a strong foundation for understanding engineering concepts, product design, and technologies that frequently arise in patent disputes. This combination of legal and engineering training supports her analysis of complex intellectual property matters.

Katherine represents clients across technologies that include solar manufacturing, semiconductors, consumer electronics, smartphones, fiber optics, cloud computing, seismic surveying, subsea oil exploration, and automotive systems. Her litigation experience includes patent validity challenges, patent infringement disputes, trade secret cases, and Federal Circuit appeals. She has worked on matters spanning several forums at once, including the ITC, PTAB, and federal district courts. She writes and speaks on patent litigation, PTAB developments, and intellectual property strategy.

Katherine D. Cappaert is admitted in Virginia and the District of Columbia. She is registered to practice before the US Patent and Trademark Office and admitted to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Her professional recognition includes listings in IAM Patent 1000 and the PTAB Bar Association’s “Top 50 Women in PTAB Trials.” She is based in Washington, D.C.

Law Office Affiliations

• Partner, Steptoe LLP
• Member, Intellectual Property Owners Association

Licensed State

• District of Columbia
• Virginia

Education

• American University, Washington College of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  Bachelor of Science (BS)