Prior BigLaw and In-House Experience
- Fish & Richardson P.C.
- Jenkens & Gilchrist, P.C.
- Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP
Education
- George Washington University Law School, 1996
- The George Washington Law Review, Articles Editor
- University of Texas at Austin, B.S. in Electrical Engineering, 1993
Licenses
- Admitted to practice law in Texas
- Admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- Registered to practice patent law before the United States Patent and Trademark Office
Services
Professional Experience
Spencer is a licensed patent attorney with extensive experience advising clients on all aspects of intellectual property law. His practice includes preparing and prosecuting U.S. and foreign patent and trademark applications, developing strategic patent portfolios, conducting reexaminations, providing infringement and validity opinions, and advising on IP licensing and enforcement strategies.
Over the course of his career, Spencer has prepared and prosecuted hundreds of patent applications across a broad range of technologies, including software, telecommunications, computer networks, digital rights management, wireless applications, data storage devices, electro-mechanical systems, oil and gas technologies, and design patents.
Spencer began his legal career at Gardere & Wynne, where he met his longtime law partner, Lee Grable. In 1998, he joined Jenkens & Gilchrist as part of its growing intellectual property section. There, he focused on patent prosecution as well as patent and trademark litigation, eventually assuming responsibility for the firm’s patent prosecution work for Ericsson. In that role, he worked closely with Ericsson’s in-house counsel in Sweden and Germany and spent time on-site at the company’s offices in Lund, Sweden.
In 2002, Spencer joined the national intellectual property law firm Fish & Richardson, where he became a principal in 2004. His practice centered on patent prosecution, intellectual property counseling, and litigation strategy across a wide range of technologies. He represented clients ranging from individual inventors and emerging technology companies to large multinational corporations. A significant portion of his practice involved managing patent application drafting and prosecution, as well as evaluating infringement, validity, and the strength of intellectual property protection in complex technology matters for both litigation and strategic business counseling.
Before joining Grable Martin PLLC, Spencer founded his own firm in 2014. This move allowed him to provide clients with more efficient and cost-effective representation while maintaining the highest standards of intellectual property service. He believes that Grable Martin’s collaborative platform and experienced attorneys further strengthen those advantages for clients.
Throughout his career, Spencer has focused on understanding each client’s business and technology in order to develop practical, tailored intellectual property strategies. He has a unique ability to quickly master new technologies and identify how intellectual property protection can best support a company’s long-term business objectives.
Personal Story
An eighth-generation Texan, Spencer was raised in Austin and earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin before attending The George Washington University Law School. There, he graduated with Honors in the intellectual property program while serving as an Articles Editor for The George Washington Law Review.
Spencer is married to Tammy, whom he met while practicing at Gardere. Together, they enjoy entertaining friends, cooking, and keeping up with their son, Tyler, and his many activities. They also love spending time in Santa Fe and California wine country, while always looking for opportunities to explore new destinations across the United States and abroad.
Outside the office, Spencer enjoys a variety of outdoor pursuits, including mountain and road biking, fly fishing, sailing, running, hiking, and hunting. He also remains active in his community, serving on the Board of the Woodrow Wilson High School Community Foundation and volunteering at his son’s school. In addition, he helps Friends of Lakewood, the school’s dads’ club, organize and operate an extracurricular math program designed to help students excel in mathematics.
