Snell & Wilmer Welcomes Nathan S. Smith as IP Partner in Orange County

ORANGE COUNTY – Snell & Wilmer is pleased to announce the arrival of Nathan S. Smith as a partner in the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group in Orange County.

Smith brings more than two decades of experience advising clients, from startups to large-cap companies, on intellectual property due diligence, as well as the acquisition, protection, and enforcement of IP assets in the life sciences and technology sectors. He joins from Morgan Lewis, where he was partner and co-leader of the IP MedTech Working Group.

“Nate is a terrific addition to our practice group,” said Howard Sobelman, co-chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group. “His experience and depth of knowledge – particularly in the life sciences industry – will complement our team well and further strengthen the capabilities we offer our clients. We are excited to welcome Nate to the group and look forward to the value he will bring to our clients and our practice.”

Smith’s practice includes advising clients on intellectual property transactions and licensing matters, as well as managing domestic and foreign patent prosecution for utility and design patents. He works with a broad range of life sciences companies, including medical device and pharmaceutical organizations, and has experience across numerous other industries, including software, consumer electronics, oil and gas, agriculture, automotive, and aerospace.

“For my clients, patents aren’t a line item — they’re part of a business-first IP strategy that leverages various tools to attract resources, reach objectives, and move the needle in the market,” said Smith. “That means portfolio strategy, enforcement across jurisdictions, and diligence when it’s time to raise capital, license or sell. Snell & Wilmer pairs that intellectual property depth with corporate and litigation teams that genuinely work together across the firm. I’m looking forward to building here alongside colleagues in Orange County, San Diego and across the firm.”

A thought leader on intellectual property, Smith regularly speaks and writes on issues involving IP portfolio management, global IP filing strategies, the America Invents Act, and developments related to the US Patent and Trademark Office.

“Nathan Smith is exactly the kind of lawyer you want on your team,” said Jon Frank, managing partner of the firm’s Orange County office. “For nearly four decades, Snell & Wilmer has been a trusted name in the Orange County legal community, and today our office has more energy and momentum than ever. We’ve expanded our footprint, made a significant investment in our space, and grown our team to the largest in our office’s history. Nate is a standout addition to an already exceptional group of attorneys – a proven IP partner with deep client relationships and outstanding credentials. His arrival is a testament to the caliber of lawyers our platform continues to attract, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome him to the firm.”

Smith earned his J.D. from Brigham Young University’s J. Reuben Clark Law School and his B.S. in mechanical engineering from Brigham Young University. While in law school, he served as a judicial extern to Chief Judge Randall R. Rader of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.