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Joseph A. Meckes
Partner
Joe Meckes helps clients resolve complex intellectual property, technology and business disputes both in and out of court. Over his more than 25 years in practice, Joe has represented clients in complex copyright, trademark, patent and trade secret disputes, as well as multiple business disputes. He has served as lead counsel in state and federal court litigation, administrative proceedings, and arbitrations and mediations. He regularly advises clients on global privacy, data security and commercial matters.
Joe is an expert in copyright litigation, having both prosecuted and defended in federal district courts and before the International Trade Commission. He has defended clients accused of infringement, including one of the world’s largest law firms and a well-known author. In one victory, Joe and his team not only defeated a notorious copyright troll in a pro bono case, but they also obtained a significant fee award that helped fund the client’s charitable programs.
Joe is also an expert in resolving other intellectual property disputes – both “hard” and “soft.” Among other things, he obtained a preliminary injunction and successfully settled a trade secret battle involving cutting-edge solid-state battery development. He has successfully prosecuted several false advertising cases and numerous licensing and other business-related disputes. Joe and his team recently obtained a multimillion-dollar verdict in a patent case involving automated key technology.
Joe’s experience spans a wide variety of industries including publishing, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, consumer appliances, automotive, software, networking, mining and agriculture, among others. Over the years, Joe has served as a member of our firm’s technology steering committee, as well as chairing our knowledge management team. He frequently speaks and writes about emerging intellectual property, privacy and data security issues.
Prior to college, Joe was a US Army Cavalry Scout in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Fulda, Germany, and the Second Infantry Division in Camp Casey, Korea.
- Prosecuting patent and false advertising litigation involving key duplication technology in the Eastern District of Texas that resulted in a US$16 million jury verdict.
- Prosecuting copyright claims in the International Trade Commission and federal district court on behalf of a large printing company.
- Defending copyright infringement claims against a major international law firm seeking tens of millions of dollars in damages.
- Prosecuting trade secret claims against an automotive company alleging theft of cutting-edge, solid-state battery technology.
- Defended a Japanese pharmaceutical company in antitrust class actions alleging illegal reverse payments in a generic drug litigation settlement.
- Defended claims that a consumer products company misappropriated a celebrity’s right of publicity.
- Representing a kitchen appliance manufacturer in prosecuting patent infringement claims in federal district court.
- Representing a branded drug manufacturer as plaintiff in several cases brought under the Hatch-Waxman Act against a proposed generic drug manufacturer.
- Defending an international auto parts manufacturer based primarily in China against class action claims of securities laws violations.
- Acting as lead counsel for an industrial equipment manufacturer against multimillion-dollar claims that motor components were defectively designed and constructed.
- Obtaining a multimillion-dollar award in an ICC arbitration on behalf of a Japan-based telecommunications company against a joint venture entity based in Europe.
- Obtaining a multimillion-dollar award in an ICC arbitration on behalf of a Japan-based semiconductor company against a Taiwan-based semiconductor design service provider.
- Representing numerous clients in all facets of proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board in the US Patent and Trademark Office.
- Obtaining a defense verdict in favor of a well-known author and producer in a case brought by a collaborator to establish co-ownership of a highly successful book and motion picture series.
- Obtaining summary judgment in federal court, including attorneys’ fees, against an indemnitor’s claim that the indemnitee failed and refused to cooperate in the defense of a patent infringement action.
- Obtaining summary judgment in California state court on behalf of a hydraulic pump supplier against claims that the supplier’s equipment was defective and damaged the plaintiff’s project.
- Successfully defending a Japanese electronics manufacturer in patent litigation in the US District Court, Eastern District of Texas and in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
- Successfully defending a Chinese technology company against claims that it misappropriated source code and trade secrets from a competitor.
- Successfully defending Japanese industrial companies against claims that they used Allied POWs as slave laborers during World War II.
- Successfully defending a US industrial services company in a nationwide class action brought under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
- Successfully representing a Japanese game publisher in numerous technology disputes in courts throughout California.
- Prevailing on behalf of numerous clients in motions to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction in the US and for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.
- Advising clients on all aspects of IP law and dispute resolution.
- Negotiating settlements of multiple disputes through informal discussions, private mediation and alternative dispute resolution procedures.
- Managing numerous electronic discovery and electronic evidence projects, including a 12-engineer team, in extracting hundreds of millions of lines of transactional data from outdated optical media and moving the data to a SQL database for use as evidence to defend a client in a multijurisdictional class action case.
Education
- Golden Gate University, J.D., valedictorian, with highest honors, associate editor, Golden Gate University Law Review, 1997
- California State University, Fullerton, B.A., with high honors, 1994
Admissions
- California, 1997
Courts
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Ct. of App., Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Ct. of App., Federal Circuit
- U.S. Dist. Ct., C. Dist. of California
- U.S. Dist. Ct., E. Dist. of California
- U.S. Dist. Ct., N. Dist. of California
- U.S. Dist. Ct., S. Dist. of California
- U.S. Dist. Ct., N. Dist. of Illinois
- U.S. Dist. Ct., W. Dist. of Wisconsin
- U.S. Dist. Ct., Dist. of Nebraska
- Listed by Benchmark: Litigation as a rising California trial lawyer
- Exclusive recipient of the 2015 Client Choice Award from the International Law Office (ILO) for the Arbitration category in California