The IP Lounge: From Texas trials to marathon miles with Alan Albright

To kick things off, I want to go back in time a little bit to gain some insight into what your childhood was like.

So tell me, as someone who also was born and brought up in Texas, what was the best thing about growing up in Texas and later going on to practice law in Texas?

Well, actually, I was born in Hershey, Pennsylvania, but

I

grew up on East Chocolate Avenue, believe it or not.

But I got to San Antonio when I was five, and I had a wonderful childhood growing up.

Two brothers and two sisters.

great parents, great family life, did all this stuff, played sports, swam, had phenomenal schools in San Antonio, had great friends, and then wound up going to college in San Antonio at Trinity.

So I had a great first 21 years.

Amazing.

So what kind of drew you into IP law? How did your career progression lead you to eventually serve as judge in the Western District of Texas?

Well, I was lucky enough to become a magistrate judge in 1992 at 32.

And in the 90s, patent litigation was just kicking off.

And it was between, usually between, almost always between major competitors.

It'd be Intel versus AMD and those types of litigations.

So Austin got a handful of patent cases.

And the two district judges I worked for to put it lightly, were not enamored with patent trials or cases.

And so parties would consent to my docket for a Markman hearing or for trials and stuff.

And I was amazed that because I found the subject matter so interesting.

Whatever it was, the technology between easy stuff, like there was a design patent on a large fence, but to circuitry and all that.

And I thought the subject matter was so fascinating.

And then I also thought that the lawyers were very good.

And it hit me that when I left the bench as a master judge in 99, that's what I would want to do.

And I was lucky enough to find... a job doing it so it was prior to going on the bench I'd never thought of doing patent type litigation I did primarily insurance bad faith and employment cases before I went on the bench

That's great.

To kick things off, I want to go back in time a little bit to gain some insight into what your childhood was like.

So tell me, as someone who also was born and brought up in Texas, what was the best thing about growing up in Texas and later going on to practice law in Texas?

Well, actually, I was born in Hershey, Pennsylvania, but

I

grew up on East Chocolate Avenue, believe it or not.

But I got to San Antonio when I was five, and I had a wonderful childhood growing up.

Two brothers and two sisters.

great parents, great family life, did all this stuff, played sports, swam, had phenomenal schools in San Antonio, had great friends, and then wound up going to college in San Antonio at Trinity.

So I had a great first 21 years.

Amazing.

So what kind of drew you into IP law? How did your career progression lead you to eventually serve as judge in the Western District of Texas?

Well, I was lucky enough to become a magistrate judge in 1992 at 32.

And in the 90s, patent litigation was just kicking off.

And it was between, usually between, almost always between major competitors.

It'd be Intel versus AMD and those types of litigations.

So Austin got a handful of patent cases.

And the two district judges I worked for to put it lightly, were not enamored with patent trials or cases.

And so parties would consent to my docket for a Markman hearing or for trials and stuff.

And I was amazed that because I found the subject matter so interesting.

Whatever it was, the technology between easy stuff, like there was a design patent on a large fence, but to circuitry and all that.

And I thought the subject matter was so fascinating.

And then I also thought that the lawyers were very good.

And it hit me that when I left the bench as a master judge in 99, that's what I would want to do.

And I was lucky enough to find... a job doing it so it was prior to going on the bench I'd never thought of doing patent type litigation I did primarily insurance bad faith and employment cases before I went on the bench

That's great.