Jackson Walker partner Wasif Qureshi was quoted in Bloomberg Law, highlighting a shift in patent case filings from the Western District of Texas to the Eastern District of Texas.

This change gradually occurred following a 2022 order that sought to spread out judge assignments in patent cases filed in the Waco Division of the Western District. Judge Alan Albright, the sole district judge in the Waco Division, assigned and handled all Waco patent cases prior to that. As a result of the 2022 order, the number and pace of new patent cases filed in the Western District have decreased relative to filings in the Marshall Division of the Eastern District, in which the vast majority of cases are handled by Chief Judge Rodney Gilstrap. Wasif believes the strong likelihood of patent cases filed in the Eastern District being assigned to Chief Judge Gilstrap in Marshall, as opposed to patent cases filed in the Waco Division being assigned to one of several Western District judges located across a large area of Texas, is a main driver of the shift to increased filings in the Eastern District. Despite this shift, the Western District continues to be a very active patent litigation venue. Wasif and the patent litigation team at Jackson Walker have extensive experience and success in both districts, with nearly one thousand appearances in Texas patent cases.

For further insights, view Bloomberg Law’s article, “Texas Patent Pendulum Swings Back From West to Eastern District.”

Meet Wasif

Wasif Qureshi practices intellectual property law, with a particular focus on patent litigation. Wasif delivers winning results for his clients, drawing from his engineering background and extensive experience across all phases of litigation. He counsels a diverse range of clients, from startups to Fortune 100 companies. With more than 20 years of experience, Wasif has appeared in over 250 district court and International Trade Commission patent infringement suits. He has also successfully argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Wasif’s clients count on him to craft creative and efficient legal strategies that keep business interests in focus.