Ari B. Rafilson

Ari B. Rafilson is an attorney at Cherry Johnson Siegmund James PLLC in Waco, Texas, practicing in intellectual property, commercial litigation, local counsel and personal injury. His practice concentrates on patent litigation and related licensing matters, and he represents a wide spectrum of clients, including universities, research institutes, individual inventors, software firms and patent-licensing companies.

Mr. Rafilson routinely handles disputes that involve complex technologies such as video streaming, magnetic resonance imaging, integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, LED displays, object-oriented software, motion sensing systems and internet search methods. He has been involved in drafting and negotiating intellectual property and technology license agreements and has taken leading roles in high-value patent trials and negotiations.

Before entering law, Mr. Rafilson worked extensively in the computer science field as an instructor, systems integrator, consultant, and project manager — an experience that informs his ability to translate technical concepts into persuasive legal themes. He earned his J.D., cum laude, from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law in 2007 and holds a B.S. in computer information systems magna cum laude from Bradley University.

Mr. Rafilson served as co-lead counsel in a recent trial that produced a $25.9 million jury verdict against Google, and his prior efforts in licensing and litigation have secured multiple seven- and eight-figure settlements for patent holders. He is known for his effectiveness in the courtroom, where he relishes oral argument and has obtained favorable outcomes on motions for summary judgment, claim construction proceedings, bench trials and other critical pretrial and trial-stage matters.

Licensed to practice in Texas and admitted before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the U.S. District Courts for the Western, Eastern and Northern Districts of Texas, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Mr. Rafilson’s professional recognitions include a Top 100 Trial Lawyer – Civil Plaintiff honor from the National Trial Lawyers and repeated selection to Super Lawyers’ Texas Rising Stars lists. Outside the firm, he remains committed to pro bono work – handling a death penalty matter, immigration cases for minors and a veteran’s benefits appeal — and serves on the Staff Parish Relations Committee at Aldersgate United Methodist Church.