Sharon Israel

Sharon A. Israel is an accomplished litigation attorney who focuses her practice on intellectual property law, with an emphasis in patent litigation. She has represented IP clients before trial and appellate courts, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the International Trade Commission.

She also is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation; the Texas Bar Foundation; the Houston Bar Foundation; and the American Intellectual Property Law Association.

Sharon has litigated patents related to a variety of industries and technologies, including wireless communications, oilfield equipment, consumer electronics, chemicals and medical devices.  She has been honored by Chambers USA with a Band 2 ranking in IP, described as “incredibly bright” and “remarkable in her support for her clients and the legal community.” Other clients say Sharon is “a savvy patent attorney who is experienced, practical and tenacious,” “highly professional, very smart and hardworking,” “highly responsive and outstanding,” and that she “understands our strategic needs, both from a cost management perspective and a business perspective.”

She is a frequent speaker and writer on IP-related topics, and has served in leadership roles in numerous organizations, including the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the State Bar of Texas Intellectual Property Law Section, the Houston Intellectual Property Law Association, and the Federal Circuit Bar Association.

She currently serves on the Council for the American Bar Association Intellectual Property Law Section.

Before joining Shook, Sharon was a partner with the Houston office of Mayer Brown LLP. An MIT graduate, she was an engineer for General Electric before entering law school.

Education:

• J.D., Emory University School of Law, 1991
• MBA, Emory University School of Business Administration, 1991
• S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1986 (Electrical Engineering)

Bar Admissions:

• Texas
• Georgia
• U.S. Supreme Court
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia
• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Memberships:

• American Intellectual Property Law Association
  • President (2014-2015)
  • Chair, PTAB Trial Committee (2018-2020)
  • Fellow
• American Bar Association, Intellectual Property Law Section
  • Council (2016-Present)
• AIPPI (The International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property)
  • President, U.S. Division (2014-2015)
  • Steering Committee Member, U.S. Division (2016-Present)
  • Chair, Standing Committee on Free Trade Agreements (2016-Present)
• Federal Circuit Bar Association
  • Co-Chair, Journal Committee (2013-Present)
  • Board of Governors (2003-2006; 2007-2010)
  • Co-Chair, Annual Bench & Bar Conference (2006-2007)
• State Bar of Texas Intellectual Property Law Section
  • Chair (2008-2009)
• Houston Intellectual Property Law Association
  • President (2001-2002)
  • Chair, Annual Institute on Intellectual Property Law (1999)
  • Amicus Committee (Current Member)
• Center for American and International Law, Institute for Law and Technology
  • Member (2015-Present)
• American Intellectual Property Law Education Foundation
  • Trustee (2011-2014)
• American Bar Foundation, Fellow
• Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow
• Houston Bar Foundation, Fellow
• The Hon. Nancy F. Atlas Intellectual Property American Inn of Court
  • President-Elect (Present)
  • Master (2012-Present)
  • Judicial Liaison (2016-2018)
• Patent Resources Group
  • Faculty, Federal Circuit Law Course

Clerkships:

• Clerk to the Hon. Alan D. Lourie, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Washington, D.C.