Kara Farnandez Stoll

Kara Ann Farnandez Stoll (born November 1968) serves as an active United States circuit judge on the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Appointed by President Barack Obama, she has been a member of the federal appellate bench since 2015 and brings extensive experience in patent law from both governmental service and private practice. Her career encompasses work as a patent examiner, a long tenure at a leading intellectual‑property firm, academic teaching positions, and participation in professional bar associations, all of which inform her contributions to the development of patent jurisprudence on the Federal Circuit.

Early life and legal career

Born in 1968, Farnandez Stoll pursued an undergraduate education in engineering, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Michigan State University in 1991. Following graduation she joined the United States Patent and Trademark Office, where she worked as a patent examiner for six years. This early exposure to the mechanics of patent prosecution laid the groundwork for her later focus on intellectual‑property litigation.

In 1997 she earned a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center. Upon completing law school, Farnandez Stoll served a one‑year clerkship with Judge Alvin Anthony Schall of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (1997‑1998). The clerkship provided direct experience with appellate review of patent cases and familiarized her with the procedural and substantive issues that dominate the Federal Circuit’s docket.

After her clerkship, Farnandez Stoll entered private practice at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner. From 1998 until her judicial appointment in 2015 she progressed to partnership within the firm. Her practice concentrated on patent litigation across a range of technology sectors, including consumer electronics, computers, software, and medical devices. She represented clients both at trial courts and before appellate tribunals, serving as lead counsel in several high‑profile Federal Circuit matters. Notably, she argued for Akamai Technologies in an en banc rehearing concerning divided infringement, and she successfully defended i4i Ltd. in a case that upheld a $290 million patent verdict against Microsoft—one of the largest such awards sustained on appeal.

Recognition of her expertise came in 2013 when Super Lawyers Magazine listed her among Washington, D.C.’s “Super Lawyers” for intellectual‑property litigation. In parallel with her practice, Farnandez Stoll contributed to legal education. She was an adjunct professor at Howard University School of Law from 2004 to 2008 and later held the title of Distinguished Adjunct Professor at George Mason University Law School through 2015. Her involvement in professional organizations included service on the Rules Committee of the Federal Circuit Bar Association, where she served as vice chair (2012‑2013) and co‑chair (2013‑2015). These activities reflect a sustained engagement with both the academic and procedural dimensions of patent law.

Federal appellate service

President Barack Obama nominated Farnandez Stoll to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on November 12, 2014. The nomination was intended to fill the vacancy created by Judge Randall Ray Rader’s retirement on June 30, 2014. Because the Senate adjourned sine die on December 16, 2014, her initial nomination was returned to the President. Obama renominated her on January 7, 2015.

The United States Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on her nomination on March 11, 2015. Following the hearing, the committee reported her nomination favorably by voice vote on April 23, 2015. The full Senate confirmed Farnandez Stoll on July 7, 2015 with a unanimous 95‑0 vote. She received her judicial commission the next day and took the oath of office on July 17, 2015. Since that time she has served as an active circuit judge, hearing appeals primarily involving patent law, international trade, government contracts, and other matters within the Federal Circuit’s specialized jurisdiction.

Jurisprudence and legacy

Judge Farnandez Stoll’s written opinions have addressed a variety of substantive and procedural issues in patent law, contributing to the evolving doctrinal landscape of the Federal Circuit. In her inaugural opinion, *Advanced Steel Recovery v. X‑Body Equipment* (2015), she clarified the doctrine of equivalents, emphasizing that an accused product must “perform in substantially the same way as the claimed invention” to be found infringing under that theory.

Her 2018 opinion in *Data Engine Technologies LLC v. Google LLC* examined the patent‑eligibility analysis under 35 U.S.C. § 101. The decision distinguished between claims directed to a concrete, improved method for navigating three‑dimensional electronic spreadsheets—found eligible—and claims reciting more abstract data‑tracking steps, which were deemed ineligible as abstract ideas. This nuanced approach illustrated the court’s effort to balance technological innovation with statutory limits on patent scope.

In *University of Southern Floridia Research Foundation, Inc. v. Fujifilm Medical Systems U.S.A., Inc.* (2021), Farnandez Stoll addressed standing under 35 U.S.C. § 281. She explained that a licensee lacking an explicit transfer of the right to sue does not become the “patentee” for purposes of bringing infringement actions independently, thereby requiring coordination with the patent owner.

A significant development in design‑patent law came from her majority opinion in *LKQ Corp. v. GM Global Tech Operations LLC* (2024), issued en banc. The court overruled the prior test for obviousness of design patents and adopted the same analytical framework used for utility patents, thereby aligning the treatment of these two patent categories.

More recent opinions continue to shape substantive patent doctrine. In *PowerBlock Holdings, Inc. v. iFit, Inc.* (2025), she reversed a district court’s finding that claims covering adjustable dumbbells were ineligible under § 101, emphasizing that the claims described a specific mechanical invention and warning against overly broad abstractions during eligibility analysis. Similarly, her decision in *Rex Medical, L.P. v. Intuitive Surgical, Inc.* (2025) affirmed a district court’s award of nominal damages where the plaintiff failed to provide sufficient evidence—particularly expert testimony—to calculate a reasonable royalty, underscoring the evidentiary requirements for meaningful damage awards.

Through these opinions, Judge Farnandez Stoll has contributed to clarifying standards for equivalence, patent eligibility, standing, and obviousness across both utility and design patents. Her background in engineering and extensive litigation experience informs a pragmatic approach to complex technical disputes. While her tenure on the bench is ongoing, her written work already reflects an influence on how the Federal Circuit interprets key provisions of the Patent Act and balances the interests of innovators with the public domain.

Beyond case law, Farnandez Stoll’s career exemplifies the increasing representation of women and Hispanic jurists within the federal judiciary. Her service adds to the diversity of perspectives that shape appellate decision‑making in a court whose rulings have nationwide impact on technology, commerce, and intellectual property policy.