Partner
Sonja is experienced in all phases of patent litigation in district courts, from complaint to trial and post-trial. Her experience includes formulating infringement, validity, and claim construction positions; managing discovery and arguing discovery motions; taking and defending fact and expert depositions; preparing witnesses for deposition and trial; examining and cross-examining fact and expert witnesses at trial; and drafting claim construction, summary judgment, and pre- and post-trial motions and briefs. Sonja has also successfully represented parties in post-grant proceedings such as inter partes review (IPR) and ex parte reexamination.
Sonja's patent prosecution work involves drafting and prosecuting U.S. utility and design patent applications. She has experience with design patents related to consumer products, medical device, and graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and icons. She has prosecuted families of design patents before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and helped direct prosecution in foreign countries.
Sonja is passionate about diversity in IP and working with pro bono clients. She focuses her pro bono work on post-conviction relief. Clients she has represented include a former inmate who received a reduction of his 35-year-to-life sentence under the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act (IRAA) and was released, and another whose 40-year-to life sentence was reduced to time served under the Second Look Amendment Act (SLAA) and was released. Sonja is listed on the Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll. She serves as the co-Chair of the Washington, DC, chapter of Women in IP Network (WIN) and is involved in Finnegan FORWARD (Focused on Raising Women's Advancement, Representation, and Development), the firm's women's business initiative.
While in law school, Sonja served as a legal intern to the Honorable Anne C. Conway at the U.S. District Court for the M.D. Florida. She also worked for the University of Florida Office of Technology Licensing, where she performed patent due diligence in a wide range of technologies, including mechanical, structural, and agricultural innovations.
Before law school, Sonja conducted research on the design and optimization of a novel polygeneration system implemented in communities affected by natural disasters. She also conducted research and testing in green building and home automation technology.
337-TA-1088, ITC, Judge Lord
337-TA-1067, ITC, Judge Shaw
21-1082, -1363, Fed. Cir.
337-TA-985, ITC, Judge Essex
3:15-cv-01890, D. Conn., Judge Covello
Defended patent owner Advanced Drainage Systems before Patent Trial and Appeal Board, which denied institution of inter partes review of two Advanced Drainage Systems’ patents on stormwater chambers. The PTAB designated one of the decisions as informative on 35 U.S.C. § 325(d), regarding arguments challenging a patent that the USPTO has previously considered.
IPR2017-00777, -00526, PTAB, Judges Cocks, Gerstenblith, Grossman
Defended nine requests for ex parte reexamination filed by Zoll Medical and Zoll Lifecor at the USPTO on five Koninklijke Philips patents involving defibrillator waveform technology; patentability of challenged claims confirmed or pending.
Reexamination Nos. 90/013483, 90/013753; 90/013454, 90/013603; 90/013465; 90/013684, 90/013723; 90/013596, 90/013765, USPTO, Judges Dawson, Flanagan, Jastrzab,
Represented patent owner Philips in litigation involving pioneering automated external defibrillator technology; jury found that Zoll Medical infringed multiple patents, leading to eight-figure settlement.
1:10-cv-11041, D. Mass., Judges Gorton, Kelley, Sorokin
14-1791, Fed. Cir., Judges Dyk, Hughes, Lourie
Defended Respironics against infringement claim by Zoll Medical involving collection and transmission of data from wearable medical device; stipulated judgment of no infringement entered after favorable claim construction.
1:12-cv-01778, D. Del., Judge Stark
ProSlide Technology, Inc. v. WhiteWater West Industries, Ltd.
6:20-cv-02189, M.D. Fla., Judge Mendoza
Maglula, Ltd. v. Amazon.Com, Inc. et al
Represented Maglula Ltd. in a district court litigation alleging that Amazon committed patent, trademark, and copyright infringement through its sale of counterfeit consumer products. After Maglula won all claim construction disputes, and after the Court denied Amazon’s summary judgment motion and found that “Amazon’s attempts to avoid liability” would “have minimal impact before a jury,” the parties entered into an agreement and the case was dismissed.
1:19-cv-01570, E.D. Va., Judge O'Grady
iFlight Technology Company, Ltd. et al. v. ITC
21-1082, -1363, Fed. Cir.
Certain Road Construction Machines and Components Thereof
337-TA-1088, ITC, Judge Lord
3:15-cv-01890, D. Conn., Judge Covello
Defended patent owner Advanced Drainage Systems before Patent Trial and Appeal Board, which denied institution of inter partes review of two Advanced Drainage Systems’ patents on stormwater chambers. The PTAB designated one of the decisions as informative on 35 U.S.C. § 325(d), regarding arguments challenging a patent that the USPTO has previously considered.
IPR2017-00777, -00526, PTAB, Judges Cocks, Gerstenblith, Grossman
Articles
Southeast Litigation Update: January 2024 Southeast Litigation Update: January 2024
March 7, 2024
Articles
Southeast Litigation Update: December 2023 Southeast Litigation Update: December 2023
February 12, 2024
Articles
Southeast Litigation Update: November 2023 Southeast Litigation Update: November 2023
January 5, 2024
Articles
Southeast Litigation Update: June and July 2023 Southeast Litigation Update: June and July 2023
September 12, 2023
Podcasts
Getting to the Courtroom: Gaining Trial Experience as a Junior Associate - Sonja Sahlsten Getting to the Courtroom: Gaining Trial Experience as a Junior Associate - Sonja Sahlsten
September 5, 2023
Articles
Southeast Litigation Update: May 2023 Southeast Litigation Update: May 2023
August 17, 2023
Press Release
Finnegan Announces 2024 Partner Class Finnegan Announces 2024 Partner Class
January 2, 2024
Press Release
Finnegan Secures Jury Verdict for ProSlide Ahead of IAAPA Expo Finnegan Secures Jury Verdict for ProSlide Ahead of IAAPA Expo
November 10, 2023
Award/Ranking
54 Finnegan Attorneys Named to 2022 Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll 54 Finnegan Attorneys Named to 2022 Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll
July 21, 2023
Media Mention
Three Finnegan Attorneys Recognized by World IP Review as Diversity Advocates Three Finnegan Attorneys Recognized by World IP Review as Diversity Advocates
October 2022
World Intellectual Property ReviewAnnouncement
Sonja Sahlsten Earns Florida Bar Board Certification Sonja Sahlsten Earns Florida Bar Board Certification
August 5, 2022
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