Irvine, Calif. May 18, 2023 – Knobbe Martens is pleased to announce that partners Salima Merani, Ph.D., Susan Natland and Joseph Re have once again been named to the Daily Journal’s list of “Top Intellectual Property Lawyers” for 2023. Merani, Natland and Re, all of whom have been recognized as IP leaders numerous times in recent years, are recognized among top intellectual property attorneys statewide for their legal prowess and contributions to the IP sector.
- Salima Merani, Ph.D. is the co-chair of the firm’s medical device practice group, and has nearly 25 years of experience in building patent portfolios for life sciences companies. In its profile of her, Daily Journal spotlights the IP work Dr. Merani has been leading for companies developing groundbreaking treatments for cancer, hand tremors and neonatal health, among others. As lead IP counsel on deals valued at several billions of dollars, she noted that her rewarding work with inventors who develop life-changing medical technology makes her long days worthwhile. Dr. Merani also emphasized that she remains highly optimistic even in challenging funding environments because of the high level of sophistication and talent of clients with whom she works.
- Susan Natland co-chairs the firm’s trademark and brand protection group and has 25 years of trademark experience. Daily Journal highlights Ms. Natland’s expansive work helping companies protect their brands and marks, ranging from “Avatar” movie films and the USFL football league, to Illumina Inc’s gene sequencing products, lululemon athletica inc. and Public Storage. She also spoke at length about her tenure as chair of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Trademark Public Advisory Committee. Among her accomplishments in that role highlighted by Daily Journal is the launch of the “Trademarks for Humanity” awards, for which nominations opened last month. In the profile, Natland described her work on the awards and in pushing for the ratification of a Trademarks for Humanities Act as “her legacy,” as they have the potential to “have a lasting impact on trademarks.”
- Joseph Re is a nationally recognized trial and appellate attorney, having tried numerous high-stakes technology cases in the federal courts throughout the country for over thirty-five years. In his profile, Mr. Re discussed his background and family, explaining how the impact of his parents both being lawyers had on his decision to pursue a career in law. Among his recent accomplishments, Daily Journal noted Mr. Re’s leadership of a team that secured a significant win for Monster Energy, as well as his work leading teams representing Masimo (recently against Apple) and Amazon. In the piece, Mr. Re praised the Knobbe Martens teams he works with, recognizing “[Y]ou’re only as good as the support you have…I love the teams I’ve assembled at Knobbe over the past 35 years.”
The Daily Journal’s annual list is based on a number of criteria, including hundreds of nominations and editorial staff recommendations, along with consideration of each nominee’s major intellectual property successes over the last year, to determine whose intellectual property work was most influential on inventorship, IP practice and businesses that rely on strong protections for creative ideas.
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About Knobbe Martens
Knobbe Martens is a highly respected intellectual property law firm, offering legal services in all aspects of intellectual property and technology law. The firm’s litigation group handles cases throughout the U.S. and coordinates strategy for disputes worldwide. Founded in California in 1962, the firm has about 300 lawyers and scientists based in offices located in Orange County, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C. Knobbe Martens serves a diverse international client base, from multinational corporations to emerging businesses of all stages. More information about the firm can be found at www.knobbe.com.
