Melissa A. Anyetei

Melissa represents clients in federal district courts, before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. She also has experience with § 337 investigations before the US International Trade Commission. As an attorney registered to practice before the US Patent and Trademark Office, Melissa also advises clients before the US Patent and Trademark Office on all aspects of IP procurement and enforcement, including providing strategic advice regarding freedom to operate, patent prosecution and portfolio management.

Clients rely on Melissa’s corporate and transactional IP experience, including evaluating, structuring, and managing commercial transactions, such as IP due diligence for stock and asset acquisitions, divestitures, mergers, joint ventures, and strategic alliances involving US, foreign and multinational corporations. Melissa is also trusted by clients to structure technology-related agreements such as asset and technology-transfer agreements, patent and trademark assignments, licenses and joint venture and collaboration agreements.

Clients served by Melissa include Boston Scientific Corporation, 3M, Galderma Laboratories, Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety, and Chicago United.

Represented:

• A medical device manufacturer in a patent litigation case in the District of Delaware involving stent technology.
• A diversified global technology company in a dispute involving sensor-based technology. The litigation resulted in the stipulated dismissal of the opposing party’s entire case based on evidence showing the asserted patent to be both invalid and not infringed.
• An international medical device company charged with infringing a patent covering an endoscopic stone-extraction device. The case featured a successful motion to transfer from the Eastern District of Texas, and a Patent Trial and Appeal Board decision invalidating all claims of the patent-in-suit.
• A global optical fiber coating manufacturer in ten inter partes reviews before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.
• Galderma Laboratories in a Hatch-Waxman patent litigation relating to its topical metronidazole gel sold under the trade name MetroGel® (Galderma Labs. et al. v. Tolmar, Inc., N.D. Tx.).
• A leading educational publisher in a complex IP case involving related claims of utility and design patent infringement, trademark infringement, copyright infringement and trade dress infringement.
• A global food, agricultural and industrial producer in a patent infringement action before the US International Trade Commission involving glucosamine.
• A global manufacturer of gaming machines on appeal to the Federal Circuit that resulted in a favorable affirmance.
• A medical device manufacturer on appeal to the Federal Circuit.
• A life sciences and material sciences company in several inter partes review proceedings before the USPTO involving patents relating to optical fiber coatings.
• A global payments technology company in an infringement action involving cryptographic protection of smart cards.
• A $12 billion global manufacturing company on restructuring of its licensing and global royalty program.
• A leading on-line educational provider on a global licensing program.
• Syngenta Crop Protection AG in connection with the acquisition of the professional products insecticide business of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company.
• Chicago United, an organization promoting multiracial leadership in business to advance parity in economic opportunity, in their trademark and enforcement matters.

Other engagements include:

• Providing strategic advice regarding licensing, protection of intellectual property, freedom to operate and patent portfolio management including Orange Book listings, reissues, and reexamination.
• Managing a brand pharmaceutical company’s extensive patent portfolio relating to a transdermal pharmaceutical product.