Joe Mellema's practice focuses on litigation in federal and state courts, including the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, and business and commercial disputes. He has handled patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, unfair business practices, antitrust, and business and commercial lawsuits in all phases of litigation and arbitration.
Joe is well-versed in patent and trademark enforcement, preparation and prosecution, as well as trademark enforcement and opposition proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the United States Patent & Trademark Office. He has considerable experience litigating patents in a variety of technical fields, including optical devices and components, computer networks and databases, semiconductor devices and processes, computer hardware and software, and pharmaceuticals.
He has dual degrees in electrical engineering and physical sciences, and was formerly a systems engineer at Raytheon Company working on next-generation sensors and systems for the Navy's F/A-18 Super Hornet.
Joe has particular experience in the pharmaceutical and medical devices industries, representing companies in patent-related disputes, managing IP portfolios, and conducting due diligence projects. He has represented specialty and brand pharmaceutical companies in disputes under the False Claims Act, involving Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDA), and pertaining to trade secrets for proprietary processes for preparing drug formulations and compositions. He has also successfully litigated multi-billion dollar complex pharmaceutical cases under the Hatch-Waxman Act.
Joe was selected to the 2017 Southern California Super Lawyers Rising Stars list for Intellectual Property.
- Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
- J.D.
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- University of Southern California
- B.Sc.
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- Biola University
- B.Sc.
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- Partner
- Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP
- - Current
- Counsel
- Michelman & Robinson, LLP
- Intellectual Property Litigation Associate
- K&L Gates
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- Intellectual Property Litigation Associate
- Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth
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- Intellectual Property Associate
- Christie, Parker & Hale, LLP
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- Intellectual Property Associate
- Connolly Bove Lodge & Hutz LLP
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- OCBJ: Patent Litigation: TC Heartland Portends Broad Sweeping Changes to Venue Transfers
- Orange County Business Journal
- Southern California Super Lawyers, Rising Star 2017
- Southern California Super Lawyers
- Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association
- Member
- Current
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- Association of Business Trial Lawyers
- Member
- Current
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- Orange County Bar Association
- Member
- Current
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- Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Member
- Current
- Activities: Antitrust and Unfair Business Practices Section (Vice Chair, 2010-2012; Secretary/Treasurer, 2009-2010)
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- California State Bar # 248118
- Member
- - Current
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- California
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- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
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- 9th Circuit
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- Federal Circuit
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- U.S. District Courts for the Central and Southern Districts of California
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- Intellectual Property
- Patents
- Patent Appeals, Patent Litigation, Patent Prosecution
- Business Law
- Business Contracts, Business Dissolution, Business Finance, Business Formation, Business Litigation, Franchising, Mergers & Acquisitions, Partnership & Shareholder Disputes
- English: Spoken, Written