Education
- J.D., Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, 2007. Dean’s Merit Scholarship, Concentration in Intellectual Property and Communication Law
- S.M., Computer Science, Harvard University, 1999. Doctoral Fellowship
- M.S., Electrical & Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 1997. Microelectronics and Computer Development (MCD) Fellowship, Tau Beta Pi Fellow
- B.E., Electrical Engineering, The Cooper Union, 1995. Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu
Court Admissions
- State of New York
- The U.S. Supreme Court
- The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- The U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York
- The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
Bar Associations
- New York Intellectual Property Law Association
- American Bar Association
- New York State Bar Association
Shahar Harel is an Associate in McKool Smith’s New York office. His practice focuses on patent litigation in diverse technologies. Mr. Harel has also prosecuted patents in the electromechanical arts and prepared non-infringement and invalidity opinions.
While in law school, Mr. Harel gained courtroom experience by assisting the chief counsel in the successful defense of John Gotti Jr. on federal crime charges and by securing a protective order for a battered woman as part of his pro bono work.
Prior to attending law school, Mr. Harel was a doctoral candidate in computer science at Harvard University. While in school, he held research and engineering positions at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Weizmann Institute of Science. Following his graduate technical education, Mr. Harel was a software developer for a profitable high-tech startup that was acquired for over a quarter of a billion dollars.
Mr. Harel is a proud volunteer with the Dorot community organization, a board member of the Ramaz Millennium Society and a young leader with the American Friends of Beit Issie Shapiro.
Awards & Recognition
- New York State Bar Association, Law Student Legal Ethics Award, 2007
Articles
"Who Can I Talk to Around Here? The Extent of Waiver of Attorney-Client Privilege in Patent Lawsuits," NYSBA Committee on Legal Education & Admission to the Bar, 2007.