R. Spencer Montei is a partner with Foley & Lardner LLP. Spencer has broad intellectual property experience litigating patent, trade secret, trademark, copyright, and unfair competition lawsuits. This experience includes bringing and defending lawsuits in a variety of court and agency venues in all phases, from pre-suit investigation and counseling through pre-trial, trial, and appeal. Spencer represents clients in federal district court, Section 337 intellectual property-based investigations before the U.S. International Trade Commission, and in post-grant proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Spencer has counseled clients in diverse industries and technologies, including automotive (e.g., engine and emission control systems, filtration/separation, aftertreatment, electrified power, turbochargers), renewable energy (e.g., solar concentration, biofuels), IoT, personal care/health products, and software.

Spencer’s diverse background litigating all kinds of intellectual property spanning different industries and technologies in different venues have dovetailed into counseling practice, assisting clients with agreement and licensing issues and associated transactions.

Before beginning his legal career, Spencer was a project engineer for a large general contractor in Southern California, which included experience managing electrical, mechanical, and plumbing contractors building a state-of-the-art hospital.

Spencer is a former chair of the firm’s Associates Committee.