intellectual property
practice

Joel is a registered patent attorney, and has represented both patent owners and accused infringers in federal courts around the country, as well as before the USPTO’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board and its predecessor, the Central Re-exam Unit. Joel’s IP portfolio covers the full panoply of state and federal intellectual property. In addition to patent issues, he counsels clients on trademark, copyright and trade secret disputes, and assists clients in navigating IP challenges raised during the import of goods through U.S. Customs. Joel’s patent litigation work has involved such varying inventions as laryngoscopes, bike pump valves, CNC machining, HVAC systems, boat lifts, soft consumer goods, and many software-implemented inventions. He has represented brand new startups, family owned businesses, mature manufacturing concerns, and Fortune 50 retailers, both online and brick-and-mortar.

lead counsel
representative cases

Lead counsel to a Seattle-based Fortune 50 online retailer in defending accusations of infringement leveled by a major patent assertion entity, accusing a newly launched online collaboration system.

Lead counsel in first-ever validity challenge raised on the basis of associational standing by the building restoration industry, eliminating the industry-wide threat presented by an entity asserting a patent on systems and methods of drying buildings.

Lead counsel defending a Seattle-area Fortune 50 membership club against accusations of infringement concerning a dual-valve bicycle pump head.

Lead counsel to a pet products manufacturer, defending accusations of trade dress infringement.

Lead counsel before the World Intellectual Property Organization for a local home goods manufacturer, seeking the cancellation of a domain registration by a Chinese company making knock-offs of the American company’s products, and selling them through a domain that uses the American company’s trademarked name.

portfolio management
representative cases

IP counsel to a growth-stage Seattle company in a complex, three-party dispute between joint licensees and the solo inventor-licensor of a trio of patents on HVAC systems that arose when one of the two licensees purchased the patents and was sued, along with the seller-inventor, by the other licensee.

IP counsel to a family-owned boat lift manufacturer for all aspects of portfolio protection: licensing, enforcement, and ultimately sale of the company and IP assets.

IP counsel to a family-owned consumer products company, engaged in multi-front non-litigation enforcement and protection of IP assets that protect the major product lines.

IP counsel to a medical device manufacturer, leading the development of evidence in support of validity and infringement for presentation to a Scottish court.

IP counsel for a local family-owned home goods company, enforcing patents against out-of-country infringers on major sales platforms, and assisting in procuring new patents to protect improvements on the company’s portfolio of products.