Stephen Abbott

Partner of the Houston, Texas based complex commercial and intellectual property law firm, ClearmanPrebeg LLP.

Since becoming licensed to practice law in 1996, Steve has had significant litigation experience in a variety of practice areas. He has litigated personal injury defense matters, general civil and complex commercial disputes, and intellectual property rights (including theft of trade secrets, patent, copyright, trademark and licensing disputes). In 2000, after working with a nationally recognized firm defending a large multinational company against allegations of misappropriation of trade secrets and proprietary information, Steve joined Goldstein & Healey LLP and began focusing his practice principally on intellectual property litigation. In 2001, Steve left Goldstein & Healey and joined the nationally recognized law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP as an associate in its litigation section. As a senior associate at Weil, Steve had substantial involvement and case management responsibilities in lawsuits, arbitrations and mediations that touched upon various practice areas, including intellectual property and complex commercial litigation. Steve also devoted a significant amount of time to bankruptcy litigation matters, which included substantial involvement and case management responsibilities in an array of litigation matters on behalf of Enron Corp., and a number of its subsidiaries, following Enron"s collapse and subsequent bankruptcy.

In 2005, Steve joined the intellectual property boutique firm of Goldstein & Faucett LLP (subsequently known as Goldstein, Faucett & Prebeg, LLP) as Of Counsel and became a partner in the firm in 2009. Steve continues to limit his practice, as he did at Goldstein, Faucett & Prebeg, exclusively to complex commercial and intellectual property litigation, including the litigation of patent infringement, copyright and trade secret matters.

Steve graduated cum laude from Texas Tech University with degrees in English and History. In 1996 he obtained his J.D. from Texas Tech University and was the recipient of a one-year scholarship for his service with the Board of Barristers as Chairman of Texas Tech"s Trial Advocacy Programs. While in law school, Steve clerked for the Lubbock County District Attorney"s Office and worked on a variety of appellate matters and prosecuted and tried a number of misdemeanor crimes. He also clerked for a prominent general civil litigation law firm in Lubbock and devoted much of his time to the United Way"s Legal Aid Society by assisting with the litigation of family law disputes on behalf of indigent clients.

Steve is a member of the Texas State Bar and licensed to practice in the State of Texas, the Eastern, Northern and Southern Districts of Texas, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, and he has been admitted to practice on a temporary basis in various courts throughout the United States.

Education

Texas Tech University - 1995 - J.D., Board of Barristers, Chair of Trial Advocacy Programs.
Texas Tech University - 1992 - B.A., English and History, Cum Laude.

Experience

2010 - ClearmanPrebeg LLP
Steve joined partners Scott Clearman, Matt Prebeg, and Chris Faucett in December of 2010 to concentrate his practice primarily on the representation of inventors in patent infringement litigation.
2005 to 2010 - Goldstein, Faucett & Prebeg, LLP
2001 to 2004 - Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP
2000 to 2001 - Goldstein & Healey, LLP
1998 to 1999 - Private practice
1996 to 1998 - Tekell, Book, Matthews & Limmer, LLP

Admitted to Practice

Admitted to practice in the State of Texas, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States District Courts for the Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of Texas.

Memberships

State Bar of Texas
Houston Bar Association