Lawrence J. Gotts

Lawrence Gotts retired from the partnership in December 2022. He was a member of the global Intellectual Property Practice. He has extensive experience in the litigation and trial of intellectual property disputes, including patent, trademark, trade secret, and copyright matters.

Mr. Gotts has handled more than 140 patent and other intellectual property (IP) cases, including approximately 17 patent trials and nine Federal Circuit appellate arguments, representing both patentees and defendants. He has litigated and tried cases in Federal District Courts throughout the United States, as well as before the International Trade Commission and the Court of Federal Claims. Mr. Gotts is also admitted to practice before the US Supreme Court and the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Mr. Gotts has consistently been recognized as a leading intellectual property lawyer and has received the following accolades:

• Chambers Global, 2016–2018 — “Lawrence Gotts is renowned for IP and particularly patent litigation, and also advises clients on commercial IP matters. He is praised by sources for being ‘very attuned to the client’s concerns’ and for his ‘extremely good judgement.’”
• Chambers USA, 2004–2022 — Chambers has reported that “[a] number of sources attest to his gift for strategic thinking” and clients say Mr. Gotts “is a brilliant attorney” that “can read the minds of the judges and opposing counsel.” In addition, he is “respected throughout the country for his prolific and highly successful work as a patent litigator.”
• IAM Patent 1000, 2017-2018 — “Recent highlights for Gotts include a trial win with full damages for Seoul Semiconductor against Enplas Display Device – a mission-critical triumph that cemented the former’s dominance in the field of LED television backlighting.”
• Top 10 Most Admired Intellectual Property Attorneys, Law360, 2010 — Named by IP Law360 as one of the top eight most Admired IP attorneys in the US, with the publication noting Mr. Gotts’ “ability to exploit the most complex aspects of a patent dispute while presenting a straightforward and undeniable argument at trial” and describing him as “among the crème de la crème of IP litigations.”
• Legal Lion, Law360, 2014 — “Latham & Watkins extracted a US$75 million settlement from the U.S. government on behalf of Honeywell International Inc. in a dispute over whether Uncle Sam had violated its patents for technology used in night vision goggles.”
• The Legal 500 US, 2015 — Mr. Gotts is recommended “in Washington, D.C. for his litigation strategy skills” as a member of Latham’s Patent Litigation team who “provides ‘best of the best service’ on complex patent litigation matters.”