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Susan Kennedy
Susan Kennedy
Susan Kennedy
Partner
susan.kennedy@bakerbotts.com
DETAILS
Practices
Energy Litigation
Intellectual Property Litigation
Litigation
Professional Liability
Trade Secrets
Details
Overview
Overview Admission & Affiliations Experience News Thought Leadership
Practices
Energy Litigation
Intellectual Property Litigation
Litigation
Professional Liability
Trade Secrets

Overview

Susan Kennedy represents companies in high-stakes disputes. From inception through appeal, Susan handles patent, trade secret, and trade dress cases (often between competitors), plus wide-ranging, hard-fought commercial disputes. While Susan's practice is nationwide, she regularly tries cases in Texas state and federal courts. Susan has deep experience asserting and defending competitor intellectual property cases in the energy and technology sectors. Susan was included in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® for Commercial Litigation, was named one of the 2025 and 2024 "500 Leading Litigators in America" by Lawdragon, and in 2023 was recognized by The American Lawyer twice in one week in its "Litigator of the Week" honors.

Following graduation from law school, Susan served as a law clerk to the Honorable Philip R. Martinez of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. Susan serves on the boards of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the Genesis Alliance, which supports the mission of Genesis Women's Shelter to end family violence.

Admission & Affiliations

  • State Bar of Texas
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
  • United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern and Eastern Districts of Texas
  • Dallas Bar Association
  • J.D., The University of Texas School of Law 2006
    cum laude
    Townes-Rice Scholar
  • B.A., Plan II, History, French, The University of Texas 1998
    summa cum laude
    Texas Excellence Scholar
    Phi Beta Kappa

Experience

Intellectual Property - Energy Sector

  • Susan defended a multi-patent infringement case and asserted patent infringement counterclaims through trial in the Western District of Texas on behalf of one of the world’s largest providers of products and services for the energy industry.
  • Susan defended a multi-patent infringement case and asserted patent infringement counterclaims through trial in the Northern District of Texas on behalf of a leading land drilling solutions provider.
  • Susan asserted patent and trade secret claims in the Southern District of Texas involving competitor manufacturers of products and services for the oil and gas industry.
  • Susan defended a trade secrets case in state court in Houston through trial and affirmance on appeal, involving competitor manufacturers of offshore drilling and production equipment.

Intellectual Property - Technology Sector

  • Susan tried a trade secrets case on behalf of a national software company asserting trade secret misappropriation against a competitor.
  • Susan represented a national communications technology company in a multi-front competitor dispute that involved both asserting and defending patent claims through three trials in the Eastern District of Texas and two appeals to the Federal Circuit, as well as asserting and defending trade secret claims in both federal and state court in Texas.
  • Susan defended a major telecommunications provider in several different patent infringement suits across the country.

Additional Intellectual Property Experience

  • Susan defended a major food and beverage manufacturer in a trade dress case in which the trial court granted summary judgment for Susan’s client.  She also tried a patent, trade secret, and trade dress case for that company in the Eastern District of Texas, and defended that manufacturer against a major competitor’s design patent and trade dress claims in the Southern District of Texas.
  • Susan defended many other clients in patent infringement suits, including accounting firms, internet services companies, and an international semiconductor company.

Commercial Litigation

  • Susan represents both plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes commercial disputes, with significant experience representing companies in the energy and technology sectors. For example, Susan has defended natural gas companies in disputes ranging from breach of contract to nuisance to personal injury, and Susan has defended telecommunications equipment and software providers in breach of contract disputes in state courts in Texas, New York, and Delaware.
  • Susan has regularly partnered with her restructuring colleagues on bankruptcy matters. Susan's experience includes representing a debtor’s financial advisor to prepare for deposition and hearing testimony in a highly contested stalking horse bid approval motion and litigating proofs of claim for both debtors and creditors, often for companies in the energy sector.
  • Susan has defended several AmLaw 150 law firms in professional liability disputes, including a summary judgment in a professional liability lawsuit against an AmLaw 150 firm. Susan argued the summary judgment motion to the trial court, led the preparation of the appellee brief and argued before the Dallas Court of Appeals, which affirmed, and led the Texas Supreme Court briefing, which denied the client’s petition for review. Susan also defended the managing shareholder of one of the country's largest plaintiff firms in a multi-week jury trial in Texas state court in an employment dispute.
  • Susan's additional appellate work spans a broad range of issues, including court of appeals, Texas Supreme Court, and United States Supreme Court briefing in professional liability and securities litigation.

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