Manita Rawat

is the managing partner of the firm’s Silicon Valley office and a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group . Ms. Rawat is a registered patent attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and she has a strong technical background in applied mathematics with a concentration in computer science, aerospace engineering and statistical analysis. Ms. Rawat also has a strong technical background in biochemistry.

Ms. Rawat counsels and helps clients on a variety of issues related to intellectual property, working primarily with software, mechanical and aerospace technologies. For example, as a patent attorney, Ms. Rawat supports clients with patent portfolio management, including determining patentability and drafting and prosecuting patent applications to allowance. Ms. Rawat also has significant experience with patent office post grant proceedings (including inter-partes review and reexamination).

Ms. Rawat also has substantial experience in supporting intellectual property issues related to corporate deals, such as mergers and acquisitions and investment funding. For example, Ms. Rawat conducts and leads teams to conduct the intellectual property due diligence on corporate deals, which includes the review of various patent and trademark portfolios, review of licensing agreements, review of intellectual property related lawsuits, and freedom to operate analysis. Ms. Rawat also assists clients in patent licensing and transactional matters, including structuring, negotiating and drafting agreements.

Ms. Rawat has significant experience with providing technical support on patent litigation matters at various stages of a case as well. For example, Ms. Rawat assists in determining infringement and non-infringement positions, and in determining invalidity of issued patents. She has significant experience with claim construction, including drafting briefs and facilitating oral arguments at hearings. Ms. Rawat also has experience drafting and arguing motions related to invalidity.

Ms. Rawat is a 2005 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law and a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno. Ms. Rawat also studied at St. Peter’s College of University of Oxford, United Kingdom, through the Intellectual Property Law Scholars Program. Ms. Rawat is fluent in Hindi and knows basic German. She is also a member of the firm's governing Partners Board and serves on the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Resume

Experience

•Georgetown Law School - Adjunct Professor, 2017-present
•Duane Morris LLP
- Partner, 2015-present
- Associate, 2013-2014
•Armstrong Teasdale LLP
- Associate, 2010-2013
•Holland and Hart LLP
- Associate, 2007-2010
•Alverson, Taylor, Mortensen and Sanders
- Associate, 2005-2007
•Department of Toxic Substances Control, California Environmental Protection Agency
- Intern, Office of Legislation and the Human and Ecological Risk Division, 2001-2002
•University of Nevada, Reno, School of Medicine
- Undergraduate Student Research Assistant, Research Lab for Biochemistry Department, 1998-2001

Honors and Awards

•Honored with Silicon Valley Business Journal Women of Influence Award, 2020
•Honored with Best Under 40 Award, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, 2016
•Named as one of the most Distinguished Women in Nevada, 2014
•Selected as a Super Lawyers Mountain State Rising Star, 2013-2015
•Named the Best of the Best Attorney's in Each Category of Law: Patent and Intellectual Property Law, Vegas Food & Music, 2013
•Named The Best of the Bar by Las Vegas Business Journal, 2011

Civic and Charitable Activities

•Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Nevada
- Board of Directors, 2013-2015
•Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada
- Volunteer Attorney for the Children's Attorneys Project
•National Delegate for the State of Nevada at the Democratic National Convention, August 2008

Publications and Speaking Engagements

Selected Publications

•Quoted, A Simple Theory for Uber's Waymo Mess: Plain Old Sloppiness, Wired, March 17, 2017

•Author, Why is Your Software Like an Invention, The Daily Journal, June 20, 2016
•Featured in Foiling the Trolls, Las Vegas Business Press, June 1, 2015
•Featured in Duane Morris Partner Manita Rawat Named to the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity's 2015 Fellows Program, Duane Morris Press Release, February 5, 2015
•Featured in Manita Rawat Named to Leadership Council, Attorney At Law Magazine, 2015
•Author, Bridging the Generation Gap in Boca, Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter, Winter 2014
•Author, The Beauty and Strength of Diversity at Duane Morris-Thoughts on the 2013 Diverse Attorney Breakfast, Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter, Spring 2014
•Author, Pro Bono Corner: Finding Yourself, Communique, The Official Publication of the Clark County Bar Association, 2013

•Co-author, Take Action for Your Investment, Northern Nevada Business Weekly Business Law Guide, 2012

•Co-author, Covering Your Assets. What to Do If a Competitor Is Using Your Patented Invention, Northern Nevada Business Weekly Business Law Guide, 2011

•Co-author, Evaluation of Arsenic as a Chemical of Potential Concern at Proposed School Sites in the Los Angeles Area, 2002

Selected Speaking Engagements

•Speaker, Women's Leadership Workshop, 2019 NAPABA Convention, November 7, 2019

•Speaker, Politics: NSFW? Navigating Political Landmines in the (Polarized) States of America, CMCP Annual Business Conference, September 12, 2019

•Moderator, Neurodiversity: What It is and Why It Matters, Duane Morris of the Future: Making Today’s Diversity Challenges Tomorrow’s Strengths, Westin Philadelphia, May 4, 2019

•Speaker, Understanding How One Makes Decisions, WFFConnect - Women Founders & Funders, Webinar, March 14, 2017
•Speaker, Keystone CLE Conferences, Cardinal Intellectual Property and Duane Morris, December 9-11, 2016
•Speaker, Data Assets in Commercial Transactions, Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) Global TEC Forum, October 7, 2016
•Speaker, Rising Waters: Practical Tips on Making it Rain, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Annual Convention, 2015
•Presenter, The Toll of Patent Trolls in Nevada, Technological Crime Advisory Board Meeting, March 6, 2014
•Panelist, Nevada Newsmakers, October 2013
• Interview with Duane Morris at ITEXPO Las Vegas 2013, TMC.net
•SUITS - Synopsis Under IP/Patent Telecom Sourcing, Las Vegas, August 2013
- Co-Presenter, 2013 IP Law and Policy changes surround the 'Prior Art' 'Work'
- Moderator, The 1,2,3 of how to Develop a Patent surrounding your technology
- Panelist, Protecting Patents and IP: A round table for Questions and Answers
- Panelist, Mobile Texting Rules for Patents and Licensing and Distribution (MMA)
- Moderator, Successful Business Models in Mobile Apps and Tablet Apps
•Co-Presenter, From Genes to Jeans: Is Everything Under the Sun Patentable? Whittemore Peterson Institute, April 2011
•Appeared on Nevada NewsMakers regarding the goal of diversity in Nevada's economy and the importance of technology in enabling such diversity, March 2012
•Co-Presenter, Intellectual Property: Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks, legal education seminar, October 2009
•Co-Lecturer, Intellectual Property for Entrepreneurs, MBA Program, School of Business, University of Nevada, Reno, Fall Semester of 2007 and 2008
•Presenter, The Development of Footprinting Methods to Study GXM-C3 Interactions, National Science Foundation Women in Science and Engineering Conference, University of Nevada, Reno, August 1998