Emily DiBenedetto

Emily DiBenedetto brings a rare blend of engineering precision and legal strategy to every case she touches. With a deep understanding of complex technologies and a track record of successful outcomes in high-stakes IP litigation, she helps clients cut through complexity and focus on what moves the needle.

Whether she’s representing Fortune 500 companies or taking on critical pro bono matters, Emily approaches every challenge with rigor, creativity, and a clear sense of purpose. Her clients count on her for efficient, informed litigation that aligns with their business objectives.

Overview

Emily focuses her practice on patent infringement, licensing, trade secret disputes, and ancillary matters involving antitrust, privacy, and regulatory issues. She has served as counsel in dozens of cases in the District of Delaware—one of the nation’s busiest IP jurisdictions—where she has helped clients navigate all stages of litigation from pre-suit strategy to post-trial motions.

Known for her efficiency, team coordination, and situational awareness, Emily’s litigation style prioritizes results over friction. Her contributions have supported outcomes in cases with over $255 million in awarded damages. She is a tactical negotiator and a problem-solver who focuses on high-value wins, not wasted discovery battles.

Before entering law, Emily worked as a chemical engineer in the energy sector and co-invented several patents. Her engineering background continues to shape her client-first, systems-driven approach.

Bar Admissions

Delaware
Maryland
U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
U.S. Supreme Court

Education

J.D., University of Baltimore School of Law 

Staff Editor & Associate Comments Editor, Law Review 
President, Intellectual Property Law Society 
Winner, USPTO Patent Drafting Competition 
Student Attorney, Legal Data and Design Clinic

B.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore County 

Minor: Entrepreneurship 
Intern, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Johns Hopkins APL 
Chapter President, American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Publications

Guest Contributor on IPDE.com (various)
ChIPs Global Summit: Women Making a Difference, ChIPs Advancing Women (2023)
How Wyoming Is Leading On Cryptocurrency, Law360 (July 23, 2021)

Speaking Engagements

AI Issues for Litigators: Discovery Disruption to Ethical Duty, Maryland State Bar Association Legal Summit (June 11, 2026) (identified by the MSBA as a “top-rated” session and one of the “best of the [2026] Legal Summit for Litigation practitioners”).
First Effects of the Biden Administration on the IP Landscape, Maryland State Bar Association Legal Summit (June 11, 2021).

Pro Bono

Emily is especially passionate about pro bono cases that safeguard constitutional rights to work, to engage in free speech, and to vote.

Diop, et. al, v. Bureau of Pro. & Occupational Affs., No. 363 MD 2020 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2024)
Alexander Arlequin v. Carolyn Williams, CN23-05669 (Del. Fam. Ct. 2024)
Prisoners Legal Advocacy Network v. The Hon. John Carney et. al, C.A. 23-1397-JLH (D. Del. 2023)
Rocket Plumbing and Drain, Inc. v. Charity Kutt et. al, Docket No. 2023-05586-TT (Pa. Ct. C.P. Chester Cty. 2023)

Community Activities

Vice President, Delaware Chapter of the Federal Bar Association
Treasurer, Delaware Chapter of the Federal Bar Association
Secretary, Intellectual Property Section of the Federal Bar Association
Membership Chair, Intellectual Property Section of the Federal Bar Association
National Delegate for Delaware to U.S. Congress, Federal Bar Association
Co-Chair, Technology Committee of the Young Lawyers Section, Maryland State Bar Association
Member, Delaware State Bar Association
Member, Maryland State Bar Association
Member, ChIPs

Fun Fact

Outside her legal practice, Emily writes fiction, composes piano pieces, paints, and holds a first-degree black belt. She previously served as treasurer of a Delaware non-profit, whose community projects include growing produce for local food banks and sewing sleeping bags for the Newark Empowerment Center.