Tara Elliott, a first-chair trial lawyer, focuses on high-profile intellectual property disputes and commercial litigation. She utilizes a unique combination of private practice and government experience to help navigate clients’ most complex legal issues.

Tara has represented many of the world’s leading technology, retail, and manufacturing companies in infringement matters, corporate disputes, and appeals concerning patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and commercial contracts, among other issues.

Tara currently serves as a Trustee on the Foundation for the Advancement of Diversity in Intellectual Property Law.  She previously served on the Federal Circuit Lawyers’ Advisory Council and chaired the Third Circuit Lawyers Advisory Committee by appointment of the Chief Judges of those courts. She also served on the District of Delaware Merit Selection Panels for the US Magistrate Judge and Bankruptcy Judge vacancies.

Prior to joining Latham, she was appointed to serve as a Special Master in the US District Court for the District of Delaware to assist the court in resolving disputes in complex commercial matters. She clerked for Judge Gregory M. Sleet, then Chief Judge of the US District Court for the District of Delaware, and Judge Raymond C. Clevenger of the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

She began her career at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) where she was a computer engineer in the Directorate of Science and Technology and an analyst in the Directorate of Intelligence (now known as the Directorate of Analysis). Tara served for over a decade as a board member of a regional healthcare system in various capacities including on committees for governance, audit, and cybersecurity.  

Tara is consistently recognized by leading legal publications as a top intellectual property litigation lawyer including The National Law Journal, IAM Patent 1000, Lawdragon 500, Benchmark Litigation, Savoy, and Managing Intellectual Property, as an IP Star. 

Tara’s representative experience includes being:

  • Lead counsel for one of the world’s leading entertainment services companies in patent litigation relating to automated content scheduler and displayer technology
  • Lead counsel for one the largest multinational information technology companies in a multi-patent litigation involving instant messaging technology 
  • Lead counsel for one of the world’s largest rubber and tire companies in patent litigation relating to tire pressure monitoring systems
  • Lead counsel for a multinational software company in patent litigation relating to multi-level software encryption
  • Lead counsel for an international spice company against competitor in trademark and trade dress litigation involving packaging for food seasoning
  • Lead counsel for an international coffee company in patent litigation involving mobile device software
  • Lead counsel for a digital radio company in patent litigation relating to analog and digital signals in voice and data transmissions*
  • Lead and trial counsel for a multinational software company in a shareholder derivative suit in the Delaware Court of Chancery*

*Matters handled prior to joining Latham 

Bar Qualification

  • Delaware
  • District of Columbia
  • US Patent and Trademark Office

Education

  • JD, University of Pennsylvania Law School, 2003
  • BS in Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1998