Ahmed J. Davis
Principal – Fish & Richardson
Description of field of expertise
Ahmed Davis, an intellectual property trial lawyer with 20 years’ experience, handles complex patent litigation and provides practical, forthright counsel to clients in highly technical industries such as chemistry, biotechnology, medical devices, and mechanical and electrical engineering.
Ahmed is the firm’s go-to attorney for litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, where his experience and knowledge of that court are virtually unmatched—and where he has earned respect as a skillful advocate who excels at explaining complex technologies to judges and juries. He has served as lead trial counsel in numerous other U.S. District Courts, as well as the U.S. International Trade Commission and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Ahmed also has significant experience before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, having argued more IP appeals in that court than any other African American private practitioner.
While Ahmed excels at bench trials, his true forte is jury trials. His value in the courtroom extends well beyond his eloquence and commanding presence as a litigator, as clients frequently praise him for being an effective team leader who positions each member of his trial teams for individual success. Ahmed’s real-world experiences and strong sense of empathy provide invaluable insight into the psyche of increasingly diverse juries. While his chemistry background allows him to “speak the language” of science and technology, Ahmed never loses sight of the human element in his cases.
As the national chair of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion initiative and the firm’s first Black full-equity principal, Ahmed is a vocal and influential advocate behind Fish & Richardson’s longstanding commitment to building a more diverse workforce through recruiting and developing the careers of diverse attorneys.
What advice would you offer to new attorneys interested in your field?
There is a long-held belief by many that in order to be an effective patent litigator, one must have a science or engineering degree. That’s not true; some of the best patent litigators I know have degrees in the humanities. The key is being willing to roll up one’s sleeves, to get your hands immersed in the soil of the technology, and to develop a story. Chances are the judge or lay jury you appear before won’t know the technology either; your ability to communicate a story effectively and persuasively will be what sets you apart, and that is true no matter what the case is about.
Final thoughts…
It takes a lifetime to build an excellent reputation but you can lose it a minute. Conduct yourself in a manner that is above reproach, with integrity and honor, befitting the title of counselor. If you do that, you will be a trusted advisor to many.