Fenwick’s Saina Shamilov Named One of California’s Top Women Lawyers

Fenwick litigation partner Saina Shamilov was recognized as one of 2021’s Top Women Lawyers by the Daily Journal. The annual list recognizes California women lawyers who have made a difference for their clients, their firms and in the legal profession.

Shamilov is a trial lawyer and top-ranked practitioner representing the world’s leading technology companies in high-stakes patent litigation disputes. With over 20 years of experience, she has been recognized by peers and clients for her work resolving patent litigation disputes.

As reported by the Daily Journal, Shamilov has worked on several high-profile patent cases for Amazon in the last year. She helped successfully defend Amazon’s Alexa-powered smart home devices in a patent-infringement trial in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. For the trial, she strategized opportunities to help the jury better understand and visualize the complex artificial intelligence issues in question.

“I put a visual together that had Alexa as a beautiful futuristic female robot,” she told the Daily Journal. “Together with our main witness, I think that turned the case in our favor.”

Shamilov also worked hard to prep her main defense witness so that he could effectively communicate his expertise with the jury.

“He framed his work into a story that made sense. The jurors understood what he was saying, and I’ve always found that jurors believe what they understand.”

The Daily Journal also noted that Shamilov helped Amazon obtain a successful outcome in a patent case heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit regarding Amazon’s cloud-based storage system. The case also required a strong strategic approach. Shamilov argued for declaratory judgement, and the Court agreed with her argument that, because the claims had already been dropped against Amazon, they could not again be asserted against its customers.

“Amazon was there to protect its customers,” Shamilov said.

Shamilov has been recognized by IAM Patent 1000 as a leading patent litigator and has been repeatedly honored by Northern California Super Lawyers as a leader in her field. She was also named as one of Silicon Valley’s most influential women by the Silicon Valley Business Journal, honored as an Outstanding Volunteer by the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Justice & Diversity Center for her pro bono work, and recognized by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board Bar Association as one of the Top 50 Women in PTAB Trials.

Shamilov’s full profile is on the Daily Journal (subscription required).