About Goutham
Goutham Kondapalli combines an electrical engineering foundation with a legal education. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Communications from the National Institute of Technology, Indiana, and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from California State University - San Jose State University. He completed his Juris Doctor at Santa Clara University School of Law in 2013.
Kondapalli practices intellectual property law at Fenwick & West LLP. He is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and is admitted in California. His career brings together technical training and legal credentials to serve clients who work on complex electrical and communications technologies.
His technical background informs his work. Prior engineering study gives him fluency in circuit design, signal processing, and communications systems. That fluency helps when drafting patent applications, preparing responses to patent office actions, and advising on patentability and claim strategy. He is known within the office for translating technical concepts into clear patent-language arguments.
At Fenwick, Kondapalli handles patent prosecution and related counseling for companies at various stages of development. He prepares and files patent applications, conducts prior art assessments, and works on portfolio management tasks. He also supports licensing discussions and provides opinions on freedom-to-operate and patent validity when clients need an outside view on risk. He collaborates with inventors, in-house counsel, and outside litigators when matters require coordinated strategy.
Colleagues describe him as methodical and focused on the facts of each invention. He favors careful claim drafting and an attention to prosecution history that anticipates later disputes. His dual training in engineering and law allows him to assess technical tradeoffs while crafting legal protections that aim to be practical for clients’ business objectives.
Outside of client work he has participated in internal technical trainings and mentoring for newer attorneys, drawing on his experience in both engineering and patent practice. He follows developments in patent law and technology as they affect electrical and communications fields, adapting practice approaches as rules and standards evolve. His current practice focuses on patent prosecution, counseling, and portfolio work for clients in electrical and communications technologies.
